Q&A with Felicia Whalen, Precinct 2's GIS and Data Manager

1. Describe your role and how it impacts Precinct 2 residents.

My role as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Data Manager is to create maps and other geospatial projects for the Precinct 2 Engineering Department. Maps are so much more than just pretty colored lines; they also contain a lot of data.

There are several direct impacts to Precinct 2 residents. I create many of the surveys used at community meetings about projects. I create printed maps used in flyers, and online maps for things like our “Reimagine” street projects. I’ve also created several online StoryMaps that give more in-depth information about projects with maps, images, charts and text.

There are indirect benefits to Precinct 2 residents also. For example, I use GIS to get a count of how many properties there are in a project area that will require canvassing. I create maps for leadership to use in decision making. An Excel spreadsheet can contain all of the information needed to make decisions about projects, but when that same information is displayed on a map, it is so much easier to visualize.

2. What do you enjoy most about your job or do you have a favorite project you've led?

What I enjoy most about my job is the variety of different GIS projects that I get to work on. Some use skills I already have, and some allow me to learn new skills.

My favorite project is the Precinct 2 Capital Improvements Dashboard. When I started this job, there was a different system in place to provide information to the public about our projects that wasn’t very user friendly or easy to keep updated. I had the idea of using an Esri dashboard to show our projects. I designed and created it, and continue to maintain it. It is an interactive way for the public to easily see our project information.

3. What sparked your interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)? How have you navigated a career in a male-dominated field?

I have always loved maps, but didn’t realize it was something that could be a career. A few years ago, I stumbled upon the term “GIS.” I googled it and it sounded like fun. The Lone Star College campus near me offered classes in GIS, so I signed up for the first class just to learn about it. That first day in class I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I took GIS classes at both Lone Star College and Houston Community College, then got my master’s degree in Geospatial Technologies.

I don’t really give a lot of thought to GIS being a male-dominated field. GIS covers a wide range of subjects, from creating maps to writing the software used to create them. I found the areas that I most enjoyed and was good at and just worked at learning as much about them as I can. Things don’t always work smoothly at first with almost any GIS application, but I always try to figure out the solution myself by researching how others have solved similar problems before asking for help. I have found the world-wide GIS community to be very friendly, helpful, and welcoming, both online and in person.

4. Every summer, Precinct 2 hosts interns. What advice to you have for students working with your department? 

My advice for interns is to use their internship to learn as much as they can about as many areas of their department as they can, so they can get more of an overall picture of how things work. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid to try stuff that is new to you. Don’t worry about making mistakes. You don’t learn much when everything goes right.

Felicia Whalen grew up in Northern New Mexico but has lived in the Houston area for many years. She just finished my third year with Precinct 2. GIS is a mid-life career change for her. She loves her field and says she wishes she had known about it years ago. Her undergraduate degree is in computer science, which, she says, has been very helpful for her new career in GIS. She says, “It is not a necessity, but it makes some of the things I need to do a lot easier when I can write a short piece of code to do it.”