ABOUT

Hi, I’m Aaron. I make maps and things. I’m a Florida native and currently work for the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, providing enterprise GIS support to its many program areas. I try to learn something new for every project I do—whether that’s taking up a new skill, experimenting with new styles, or getting side-tracked in research material.

I’ve been working in GIS professionally since 2016 and playing around with maps for even longer (going back to a range of smudgy, Tolkien-esque knock-offs drawn on middle-school loose leaf). When not making maps, I sometimes make other things, like wooden furniture, linoleum prints, landscape photography, and written stories that never see the light of day. Kayaks are my transportation of choice, and I have a dog named Wedge, who is the best co-pup in the galaxy.

Work

  • Florida Dept of Environmental Protection (2016—)
  • GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve (2016)
  • Unmappy things, like sweeping tennis courts and installing fire alarms (—2016)

Education

  • B.S. Environmental Science – Florida State University (2013)
  • Graduate Certification in GIS – University of West Florida (2015)

Skills

  • Cartography
  • Python (Data processing and workflow automation)
  • Assorted software
    • ArcGIS (Pro | Desktop | Online | Mobile Apps | Drone2Map)
    • Adobe (Photoshop | Illustrator | Premiere | Lightroom)
    • QGIS
    • Blender
    • GIMP
    • Inkscape
    • Microsoft Excel
  • Drones (DJI Phantom 3 Advanced)
  • Measuring twice and cutting once
  • Setting off fire alarms, constructively
  • Turning dials on a Pentax K-50

Other

Presentations

  • 2019 ESRI SEUC — Take Action Today: Hurricane Response & ArcGIS Online
  • 2022 NACIS Conference — Design as Defined by Atlas of Design Contributors
  • 2023 ESRI SEUC — Animating Harmful Algal Blooms Using Multidimensional Rasters

Aaron Koelker
Please contact me if you\'d like to use or feature my work, I\'d be happy to share it.