Park Ridge, IL - The California GIS Council (CGC), the primary geographic information systems coordinating council for the state, has formally endorsed the GIS Certification Institute's (GISCI) certification program for GIS professionals. California has joined New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and North Carolina as the five states to offer endorsements of the program.

"The California GIS Council recognizes and endorses concepts embodied in the certification program of the GIS Certification Institute," wrote CGC council member Michael Byrne, GISP. "The certification program of GISCI provides a firm basis for identifying requirements for those practicing the profession. The certification program and related programs provide a cadre of GIS professionals to develop and apply geospatial data to meet the needs of California."

Bruce Joffe, GISCI President, added, "We welcome California's endorsement.  As geodata usage and GIS services become more mainstream in government and industry, the identification of GIS professionals who are GISCI-certified becomes more valuable to both service receivers and employers, as well as to service providers."

The CGC is made up of representatives from local, regional, state and federal government agencies and the private sector. It was formed to coordinate the planning, implementation and maintenance of a California GIS infrastructure.  This includes strategic planning for systems, organizational structures. services, policy, standards, procedures, and other factors that affect the ability of member organizations to jointly develop or acquire, share and maintain spatial data adequate to their needs.

Currently, 122 certified GIS professionals (GISPs®) reside in the state of California. There are 2,125 GISPs as of March 25, 2008. To download application materials or for more information regarding the GISCI certification program please visit www.gisci.org or call (847) 824-7768.