About CMPASS

IMAGIN + MiCAMP = CMPASS!

We're thrilled to share that CMPASS (the Community of Michigan Professionals Advancing Spatial Sciences) is officially here! After 2 years of collaboration, IMAGIN and MiCAMP have merged into one unified organization. A huge THANK YOU to our board members and the geospatial community for making this possible.

As of June 13, 2025, CMPASS members voted to approve new bylaws: 

Read CMPASS' New Bylaws Here


Meet Your 2025 Transition Board

As part of this transition, a unified CMPASS Board of Directors, composed of all current IMAGIN and MiCAMP board members, will serve through the end of 2025. This group will help guide CMPASS through its foundational year. Your current board includes:

Officers:

  • Ariana Toth (President)
  • Brent Thelen (Executive Vice President)
  • Erika Espeland (Co-Vice President)
  • Jon Merrick (Co-Vice President)
  • Ashley Hiles (Secretary)
  • Chad Misiuk (Treasurer)

Board Members:

Tony Bedogne, Kate Berg, Nathan Coon, Mike Cousins, Magda DiFranco, Trevor Floyd, Doreen Groth, Eric Kerney, April Kibby, Molly Marks, Sarah Merz, Nathan Miller, Mariah Modson, Neal Sabin, Pete Schneider, Jerry Swanson, Tom Van Bruggen, and Nathan Warrick.

Open elections for the next board term will take place later this year (dates TBD).

What’s Next?

We’re actively working with a superstar graphic designer to build a fresh, welcoming, and vibrant visual identity for CMPASS. In the meantime, both the IMAGIN and MiCAMP websites will remain live during this rebranding phase. We appreciate your patience and support as we shape the future of our united organization.

It’s an exciting time to be part of Michigan’s GIS community, and we’re so glad you’re with us on this journey. Here’s to a stronger, more connected future!

If you have any questions about the process, feel free to reach out to info@imagin.org.


History & Timeline

In 2023, the DTMB reached out to GIS professionals across the State of Michigan to gather their input for the Strategic Plan for Statewide Geospatial Coordination. The survey respondents and interview participants alike emphasized the value of the statewide professional GIS organizations IMAGIN and MiCAMP. They also stated a strong desire for a unified organization, leading to the creation of a dedicated team of ten individuals, five from each organization, to explore this transformative path forward.

Since then representatives from both IMAGIN and MiCAMP have been meeting to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to reflect the understanding and agreement between IMAGIN and MiCAMP for the consolidation of the two professional Geographic Information Systems (GIS) organizations within the State of Michigan into a new organization, but leveraging the structures and existing incorporations of one of the organizations.

On June 26, 2024, IMAGIN and MiCAMP’s boards of directors joined together to formally vote on bringing the MOU to their memberships for an official vote. IMAGIN voted ten in favor, two against, two abstained, and one absent. MiCAMP voted unanimously with nine in favor.

On August 23, 2024, the voting for the IMAGIN-MiCAMP MOU Consolidation Proposal ended. We're thrilled to share that our members showed strong engagement and support! 

✅ MiCAMP membership voted to approve the MOU and the request to dissolve the 501(c)(6).

✅ IMAGIN membership voted to approve the MOU and the bylaws amendment to incorporate MiCAMP membership.

More information can be found at these links:

Consolidating our two GIS professional organizations presented a remarkable opportunity to amplify our impact and transform the way we serve our respective community. The MOU represented the foundation for a partnership that seeks to turn this opportunity into action.

September 26, 2024 Update: We have taken steps to engage legal counsel to ensure all necessary steps are taken for a smooth and successful merger. As expected, this process involves complex legal considerations that will take more time to resolve. As a result, there will be a delay in the proposed timeline for the merger that was described in the MOU. While we are committed to moving forward as efficiently as possible, we want to ensure that all legal matters are fully addressed before finalizing the consolidation. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and will share a revised timeline once we have more clarity from legal counsel.

May 30, 2025 Update:  CMPASS became official!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We want to hear them!

Please share your thoughts with us via our consolidation by emailing governance@imagin.org



IMAGIN: Improving Michigan's Access to Geographic Information Networks

IMAGIN is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with offices at 416 S. Cedar Street, Suite H, Lansing, MI 48912

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