News
Meet Ruth McColly, Senior GIS Analyst
Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born and raised in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Washington). I had a few stints in New York and Texas in my younger years and traveled around and worked on the West Coast after graduate school. I made my way back to my home state…
Grant Herbert, GISPMeet Jerry Oelerich, Senior Analyst
Where are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in Iowa along the Mississippi River. I remember that there were a lot of cornfields, but I don’t like corn! So perhaps that wasn’t the ideal setting for me. My family moved to the Pacific Northwest when I was a teenager and…
Tyler VickSchool District Planning Takes Center Stage at FLO’s WASBO Conference Presentation
Join us for a presentation on the fundamentals of successful school district planning activities, focusing on enrollment forecasting, school siting, and boundary reviews. We will cover how to plan for these activities, how to do them, and why doing them is important. Central Valley School District staff will speak to their planning best practices, so…
Jerry OelerichNow Working at FLO: New Professionals Join the Team!
Get to know the newest members of the FLO team! Alison Guse, GIS technician, has a diverse background in GIS, environmental science, and environmental engineering. She has served as project manager for several air- and water-related projects, most recently for an environmental consulting firm in Southern California. She is uniquely experienced with integrating air dispersion…
Leora WernerWhere are you from and where do you live now? I was born and raised in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Washington). I had a few stints in New York and Texas in my younger years and traveled around and worked on the West Coast after graduate...
Grant Herbert, GISPWhere are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in Iowa along the Mississippi River. I remember that there were a lot of cornfields, but I don’t like corn! So perhaps that wasn’t the ideal setting for me. My family moved to the...
Tyler VickJoin us for a presentation on the fundamentals of successful school district planning activities, focusing on enrollment forecasting, school siting, and boundary reviews. We will cover how to plan for these activities, how to do them, and why...
Jerry OelerichGet to know the newest members of the FLO team! Alison Guse, GIS technician, has a diverse background in GIS, environmental science, and environmental engineering. She has served as project manager for several air- and water-related...
Leora WernerAfter working with land trusts across the Northwest and with nonprofit land trust advocates Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and Land Trust Alliance, senior GIS analyst Jenny Axelrod has some thoughts on how conservation organizations can use...
Jenny AxelrodTwo experienced GIS professionals have joined the FLO team—McKay Larrabee, senior GIS analyst, and Jenna Putnam, GIS technician. Both will lend their skills and experience primarily to our growing school district work. McKay is a North...
Leora WernerA version of this article was originally shared in the Washington State Chapter of the Urban and Regional information Systems Association (WAURISA) newsletter in fall 2018. Building the Data Pillager by Grant Herbert GIS are an...
Grant Herbert, GISPTwo new experienced GIS professionals have joined the FLO team—Elliot Frank and Jenny Elstrott. Elliot comes to us from the Big Apple, where he worked as a GIS aide at the New York City of Transportation, honing his skills in spatial...
Leora WernerWhere are you from and where do you live now? I’m originally from New Zealand, and now I live in Seattle, Washington. What do you do at FLO? I manage a number of Local Government and Utilities Sector projects, including those we...
Leora WernerCongratulations to Rachel Roberts, who was recently promoted to GIS Technician 2! Clients and FLO team members alike recognize Rachel’s commitment to excellence in her work, keen analytical perspective, and an ability to calmly juggle a host...
Jenny AxelrodAttendance area boundary updates are just like a "giant sudoku puzzle" as one Bend-La Pine Schools boundary update committee member recently put it. I couldn't agree more. Boundary updates are also complex, lengthy, and can be quite...
Tyler VickAt the Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council (IACC) Conference, senior GIS analysts Grant Herbert and Ruth McColly will be presenting on the nuts and bolts of GIS technology, its ability to manage assets, and considerations for...
Leora WernerThe Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and FLO partner to run the GIS Consortium, an AWC program that helps Washington cities and non-city entities (conservation districts, utility districts, and more) implement or improve the use of GIS....
Grant Herbert, GISPExtreme summer heat, mega forest fires, super storms and flooding—global climate change is already having a significant impact on communities and the environment across the United States, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. How...
Jenny AxelrodIn 2016, FLO joined a multidisciplinary team tasked with evaluating Pierce County’s existing land use policy for designating agricultural resource lands (ARL)—lands that “have long-term significance for the commercial production of food...
Jenny AxelrodCongratulations to North Clackamas School District on the new boundaries! It’s another boundary review success! After many months of hard work on the part of District staff and community members, the North Clackamas School Board approved new...
Jenny AxelrodThe Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and FLO partner to run the GIS Consortium, an AWC program that helps Washington cities and non-city entities (conservation districts, utility districts, and more) implement or improve GIS for their...
Ruth McColly, GISPWe are excited to welcome a new senior GIS analyst to our growing team! Ruth McColly comes to us with 12 years of professional GIS experience, both as a consultant and as an in-house GIS expert. Ruth’s extensive capabilities include...
Leora WernerThe 26th Annual GIS In Action Conference, hosted by the Columbia River Region of the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and the Oregon-Southwest Washington Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems...
Leora WernerAt FLO, we specialize in enrollment projections for school districts. Why? Because they’re the building blocks of effective school district planning. Only with detailed and accurate projections are districts able to site schools in the best...
Tyler VickGeographic Information Systems (GIS) provide local government with tools to improve the lives of citizens through increasing internal efficiency, boosting citizen engagement, and improving the delivery of services. But when it comes to...
Grant Herbert, GISPAt some point during the year, most school districts will fall into one of these three areas: Thinking about planning a bond or levy measure Attempting to pass a bond or levy Trying make the most of the bond or levy they just...
Tyler VickBefore we step into a new year, we’re taking a look back at some of our most popular news stories from 2017. Click on the links below to explore how we're helping school districts, government, utilities, non-profits, businesses, and more...
Leora WernerOrganizational sustainability. Important? We think so. Cities risk losing critical information when staff retire unless they focus on creating more sustainable data sharing systems within their organizations. One of the most common issues...
Leora WernerFLO and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) partner to run the GIS Consortium, an AWC program that helps Washington cities and non-city entities (conservation districts, utility districts, and more) implement or improve GIS for their...
Leora WernerAre you using the best possible data and analytics for school district planning? Here are three essential tools you can use to make more confident, data-driven planning decisions. 1. Accurate student enrollment forecasting, by...
Tyler VickWelcome to the third and final part of our series on updating school attendance boundaries. As we covered in posts one and two, a successful boundary update is both data-driven and consensus-based. In other words, it’s made up of accurate...
Alex BraschWelcome to part two of our three-part series on school attendance area boundary reviews, where we’re taking a look at how school districts can successfully update boundaries with a consensus-based and data-driven approach. If you haven’t...
Tyler VickSchool may be out for the summer, but for district leaders, the work continues. Many superintendents, assistant superintendents, and business managers will spend the summer break planning for future enrollment growth, or developing strategies...
Jenny AxelrodGeographic Information Systems (GIS) is an integral tool for cities to operate more effectively and efficiently. GIS enables smarter planning and implementation across all city departments. It can be used to engage and empower citizens,...
Leora WernerThe FLO team is attending the Washington Association of School Business Officials' Annual Conference this week, where we've been hearing from school districts across the state about their need for more in-depth and easy-to-access student...
Jenny AxelrodThe race is on to manage growth for many school districts, as the populations of cities and towns across the Northwest continue to rise. In just the past 30 days, more than 10 school districts in Oregon and Washington have been featured in...
Jenny AxelrodWith so many different environmental issues in the news, Earth Day is an important reminder of the work we have yet to do. But it’s also a day to celebrate how far we’ve come. Since the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, we have...
Jenny AxelrodGIS is an integral tool for cities. It enables efficient and effective planning and implementation across all city departments. GIS tools can engage and empower citizens, improving the relationship between local government and the...
Grant Herbert, GISPAre you a GIS professional? Join us at the 25th Annual GIS In Action Conference on April 17 and 18, where Grant Herbert, FLO’s Senior GIS Analyst/Developer, will present during the Python learning session. Grant's talk will introduce...
Leora WernerCongratulations to Washougal School District! The School Board unanimously voted to approve new elementary and middle school boundaries, after a six-week boundary review process lead by the FLO team. We worked closely with district...
Alex BraschThe FLO team is proud to be again sponsoring Northwest Land Camp, a conference for NW land trust leaders, for the third time. We can't wait to head to the Sponsor Reception on the first day of the conference to catch up with previous land...
Jenny AxelrodLast week the FLO team attended the Oregon School Boards Association Conference in Portland and this week we'll be heading to the Washington State School Directors' Association Conference in Spokane. We're using these opportunities to talk...
Tyler VickWe are excited to once again be attending the National Land Conservation Rally - held in Minneapolis, MN October 28-30th. This year, we’ve been working on some great projects with land trusts throughout the pacific...
Jenny AxelrodWe’re happy to announce that FLO has been chosen to work with the Washington Department of Veterans affairs in choosing a location for a new veteran’s cemetery. Our team will conduct informed demographic, feasibility, and siting analyses...
Tyler VickIt's been a big year for us and as our client sectors and services expand, so does our team! We've welcomed five new employees this year, each with different backgrounds and talents, to help us continue to meet customer needs and solve...
Jerry OelerichWe recently wrapped up the boundary review process for Central Valley School District and are happy to announce the approval of 13 new elementary school boundaries. This approval is the result of eight weeks of facilitated committee meetings,...
Jenny AxelrodWe're happy to announce our ongoing work with Whatcom County Public Works Department. After conducting a peer review of the current process used to generate the Whatcom County Stormwater Fee Roll, our team has been selected to optimize the...
Grant Herbert, GISPFLO has teamed up with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) to provide cities in Washington with easy and affordable access to GIS services. The AWC GIS Consortium offers four tiers of annual service, ensuring that we can meet the needs...
Tyler VickThis week, we'll be exhibiting and presenting at the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Conference at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Everett, WA. Stop by booth 35 and chat with us about using GIS to build smarter...
Tyler VickToday we're exhibiting at the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) Conference in Tacoma. Stop by booth 25 in the main exhibit hall and talk to us about our geographic approach to student enrollment forecasting and...
Leora WernerFor the past two months, our team has been engaged with Central Valley School District administration, parents, and community members to conduct a comprehensive boundary review of elementary and a subset of middle school attendance areas. To...
Jenny AxelrodWe've been assisting school districts by preparing student enrollment forecasts in an effort to help them successfully plan for the future. Our unique approach goes beyond traditional enrollment forecasting by providing insight into the...
Leora WernerAs part of a multi-disciplinary team, we are setting out to evaluate Pierce County’s existing land use policy for designating agricultural resource lands (ARL). This evaluation process will also include our recommendations for alternative...
Jenny AxelrodWe are happy to announce that our team has been chosen to complete a boundary review of solid waste and recycling collection certificate areas in Washington County, OR. History: Solid waste and recycling collection are regulated by code...
Grant Herbert, GISP