Ian grew up and currently lives in rural Sullivan County, TN.  He graduated with honors from UTK in 2007 with his Bachelor’s and in 2010 with his Master’s degree, both in Geography.  Ian served as a Geospatial Specialist in his first professional appointment after graduate school.  He was promoted to a 3D Technical Lead position within the first year!  Those skills translated to a job at Esri in Charlotte, NC.  While there, Ian served as a Desktop Support Analyst specializing in 3D data and field solutions, a Senior Server Support Analyst for ArcGIS Enterprise, an Enterprise Group Lead, and then a Solution Engineer in the Geodesign division.  In the Solution Engineer role, Ian focused on creating 3D GIS solutions primarily for campuses and facilities and served almost every market that Esri supports, from State and Local Government to Commercial Real Estate and Planning.  Now, Ian currently works for Patrick Engineering as a Geospatial Consultant, supporting solutions for Campuses, Facilities and Renewable Energy.  Additionally, he teaches Introduction to GIS at Sullivan East High School in Bluff City, TN.  Ian’s not entirely sure how he ended up there, other than being innately curious about the natural environment and solving unique problems using maps and data.  Ian considers himself fortunate to work in this field of study and recommends the following advice to those searching for fulfillment in life – learn to love the process of learning, pursue as much knowledge as you can, and focus those efforts on the things you enjoy.