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Friends of Geography

National Advisory Council

Brian Haslam
Brian is the President and CEO of Azteca Systems LLC which produces the Cityworks® public asset management platform for government entities to help them become more resilient, sustainable, and safe through location intelligence. Brian founded the DIGIT Lab for the Department of Geography, University of Utah, where he earned a BS and MS in Geography and GIS, as a space to provide students real-world experience in GIS analysis and application design that can positively impact public and private initiatives. While there, he came to realize GIS is foundational to improved infrastructure management, community development and building smarter communities.

Rob Elkins
Rob is the ArcGIS Platform Group Product Manager for Esri where he has worked for the past twenty years. Prior to joining Esri he earned a BS in GIS from Brigham Young University.

Chris Pratt

Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas recently retired from a 38 year career in the Air Force and Intelligence Community. He spent most of his Air Force career as an intelligence analyst, operations support officer, and international affairs officer. During his career with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) he was NGA’s liaison to NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa. He was also a policy, international affairs, and technology officer. His career-long passion was supporting U.S. and foreign partner deployed forces with accurate, timely, and relevant intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Mark has degrees from Whitman College and the National Intelligence University and was a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School during the 2012/2103 school year. He and his wife are residents of Provo and have five children and 11 grandchildren.

Mentors:

Please visit the front office on the 6th floor of the Kimball Tower to inquire about mentor contact information.

Scott DeAngelo
Scott is a Faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership. His focus is delivering leadership development programs in the classroom and on-line. Scott also currently runs his own consulting business that focuses primarily on leadership development and executive coaching both in the US and overseas. He has worked extensively in coaching and mentoring prospective employees on best practices for interviewing as well as talent managers on effective hiring techniques.

Scott is a former career intelligence officer who spent 27 years with the Central Intelligence Agency. He held a wide range of analytic and management positions both domestically and abroad. He has an in-depth understanding of the Intelligence Community and has partnered effectively with a wide range of intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, The National GeoSpatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He has received commendations from both the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Scott has also worked closely with the US military in war zones.

At CIA, Scott was a pioneer in the development of the analytic discipline of Leadership Analysis, helping design and deliver the Agency’s first ever training programs for leadership analysts. He also helped design and deliver groundbreaking training programs for intelligence analysts that encompassed analytic tools and techniques, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. He has helped train and coach first line supervisors both in the US and abroad.

Scott earned B.A degrees in Political Science as well as Italian Studies from the University of California at Sacramento. He did post-graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley in Italian Literature and earned an M.A. degree in Comparative Politics from Claremont Graduate School. He is a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Firo-B. He also is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Scott is a recipient of the Career Intelligence Medal. He is a PADI certified Open Water Scuba Instructor and enjoys working with local veterans suffering from PTSD using Scuba as therapy.

Mark Thomas
(See NAC bio above)

Endowments and Donations

The Mary Ann Kimber Endowed Fund in Geography (MAKE Fund)
A Note from the Kimber Family (November 2018):
Mary Ann Kimber wouldn't consider her life very noteworthy, but to those who knew and loved her, her legacy is one of strength, wisdom, and joy. This endowment was established to allow others to learn from her legacy. Throughout her life, Mary Ann was a champion of the underdog, a true friend to those in need, and a strong advocate for children and families. Mary Ann loved BYU until her untimely death in 2016 due to complications relating to Alzheimer's Disease. At her graveside, our family sang the BYU fight song. We're sure she was smiling and clapping along in spirit. We hope students and faculty will be inspired as they learn about Mary Ann's legacy. Be enthusiastic. Aim high. Look for opportunities to teach and serve with love. Last of all, always fight a good fight.

The MAKE Fund is being used to make impacts across the globe, from the Tanzania to the Dominican Republic.

Donations

The BYU Annual Fund makes it possible for students to have the best experience possible while at BYU. Donations to the fund go to scholarships, mentored learning grants, new buildings and services, and various other projects that are only possible through generous donations from alumni and friends of the university. You can donate to the university as a whole, the college or the department of geography.

Friends of Geography who wish to donate to our department, click here. Thank You!