Please join me in welcoming Jess Beutler to the OpenStreetMap US team! Jess has stepped into the role of our first Program Director and is working on a part-time basis to strengthen and expand the impact and breadth of OSM US program offerings. Do you have an idea for a program or an event in your community? Don’t be shy! Jess will be collaborating with the mapping community to understand and identify interest for new programs, so please reach out to her any time.
Much like the rest of the team, Jess has a diverse background ranging from environmental education to humanitarian and international development work. For the past decade, Jess has worked in nonprofit, academic research, and government settings centered around her passion for collaborating with communities to improve environmental and social justice through GIS and participatory mapping.
Jess joins us from Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) where she helped grow HOT’s Global Field Programs alongside leading data collection, training, and managing field operations. Through her four years at HOT, Jess led field projects and supported OSM communities across sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.
Jess discovered OpenStreetMap in 2014 while working in Vietnam and needed access to open geospatial data. Since then, she has supported a number of communities including OSM Africa, OSM Liberia and OSM US.
In her spare time, Jess has been mapping Grand Rapids, Michigan where she lives - particularly focusing on completing the sidewalk network and nearby parks. When not mapping or working, she loves to explore the many rail-to-trail bike routes in Michigan with her husband and their dog, Sparky.
Please help us welcome Jess to the OSM US community!
