RESUME

VALERIE JAFFE

2623 Tea Road · Helena, MT 59602 · (406) 458-3835 · val@teagardenstech.com

QUALIFICATIONS

GIS and Data Management

Land and water resource mapping · Geodatabase design, construction and management · Data collection and conversion · Feature edits and Spatial analysis using ArcGIS for land use, natural hazards, public water utilities, road inventory, watershed management, fire suppression, land rehabilitation, and environmental monitoring · Imagery integration · Metadata · User Manual construction · Training materials preparation, publication and delivery.

Communications and Coordination

Client and customer support · Contract negotiation · Grant writing · Project and fiscal reporting · Proposal, contract, and technical writing · Public presentations · Marketing materials development and distribution · Office, project, and business management · Multimedia presentations · Website design, publication, and maintenance · Training, instruction, and mentoring in GIS · Program and project facilitation · Inter-agency and organization coordination.

Resource Management and Conservation

Landowner assistance and instruction on Forest Stewardship Plans · Agricultural Extension · Land Title and Survey research and documentation · Conservation Easement inventories · Data collection and compilation · Land Survey assistance · Environmental Assessments · Academic, economic, and legal research · Stream measurement and riparian monitoring · Fire suppression · Commercial farming · Vegetation management · Reforestation · Watershed restoration · Urban and plantation tree care.

WORK HISTORY

2000 - 2005 Consulting GIS and Data Management Specialist / Freelance Writer; Tea Gardens Technology, LLC

2005 - GIS Technician; Road Inventory & Mapping Section, Montana Department of Transportation, Helena

2004 - 2005 Contract GIS Specialist, NRIS, Montana State Library

2001 - 2002 GIS Programmer Analyst; HAZUS Program, Helena/L&C County

2001 Forestry Technician; Helena National Forest

1999 - 2000 GIS/ Remote Sensing Specialist; Integrated Geoscience, Inc.

1997 - 1999 GIS Technician; Maxim Technologies, Inc.

1996 - 1998 Forest Stewardship Advisor; Montana Forestry Extension

1992 - 1997 Water Information Specialist; NRIS, Montana State Library

1990 - 1992 Hydrology Technician; Helena National Forest

1989 - 1990 Range and Engineering Technician; Helena National Forest

1986 - 1989 Forestry Technician; Zoned Timber Program, Helena National Forest

1984 - 1985 Research Assistant; Forest Science, Oregon State University

1983 - 1984 Forestry and Range Technician; Ochoco NF, Prineville and Burns, Oregon

1977 - 1981 Forestry Services Contractor; Marmot, Inc., Seattle, Washington

EDUCATION

M.A., Remote Sensing Applications, School of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 1986

B.S., Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 1977

A.S., Commercial Agricultural Production, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, Amherst, MA. 1975

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Digital Video Editing –2004, Helena Adult Learning Center · Firewalls –2004, MySQL –2003, MS SQL Server –2001, Computer Institute of the Rockies · Basics of HAZUS-MH/TrainTheTrainer –2003, Data Preparation for HAZUS-MH –2002, FEMA-EMI · Geodatabase Design and Geodatabase Modeling with CASE Tools –2002, ESRI · Urban/Wildland Interface Fire Risk Assessments Using GIS and IKONOS Satellite Imagery –2000 · Basics of ArcInfo 8, ESRI Virtual Campus –2000 · Wetland mapping using digital orthophotography, Helena –1996 · GIS Database Creation, USGS, Denver –1995 · Real Estate Appraisal, NAIFA, Helena –1992 · AutoCad, Helena Adult Education –1991 · Hydrology Technicians Workshop, USFS, Helena –1990 · GIS Internship, NRIS, Helena –1989.

PRODUCTS and PUBLICATIONS

Montana bridges – MDT, 2005; Helena Area HAZUS Analysis – City of Helena / L&C County, 2002 (http://www.hazus.org/BigSkyHUG/index.htm); Millennium Forestry - Evergreen Magazine, 2001 (http://www.evergreenmagazine.com/mag_issues/articles/MillenniumForestry.html); Bozeman Banks On One-Meter Imagery. Imaging Notes, Aug/Sep 2000 (http://www.imagingnotes.com/julaug00/ja_feat1a.htm)

Applicant: Valerie Jaffe

EXPERIENCE DETAILS

Currently, I own and manage a small business, Tea Gardens Technology, LLC. I provide project coordination, mapping, technical writing, research, and data management services. My clients work in both public and private sectors. I am responsible for the planning and execution of contracts that best serve my clients, including delivery of correct legal and financial information. I keep up with industry trends and tools to provide innovative solutions to technical and natural resource problems. My broad network of contacts and colleagues assures each client that I access the most appropriate information and expertise to achieve their goals. I’m a current member of the Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals.

Example contracts and clients: Database updates and Metadata for the Montana Wetlands Legacy Program (Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 2005); Water utilities inventory including GPS data collection, post-processing, and mapping (City of Helena, 2002-2003); GIS software User Manual (PBS&J, Inc., 2003); Wildfire burn intensity mapping (Earth Analytic, Inc., 2001); Commercial database construction (Cary & Associates. 2001); Funding source research (Earth Search Sciences Inc., 2001); Land title research for statewide parcel mapping (Integrated Geoscience, Inc. 2000); Field reconnaissance and title research for land appraisals (AR Appraisers. 2001-2002); Freelance technical writing (GIS and forestry trade journals. 2001-2002).

As the sole business owner and operator, I’m the receptionist, marketing director, technical writer, fiscal analyst, project coordinator, field technician, computer network specialist, web developer, teacher, student, and errand runner. My jobs are local and national, for which I have traveled as needed.

In 2004-2005, I provided temporary GIS Technician services for the Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) - Montana State Library, and Departments of Administration and Transportation. Several projects required my skills in mapping, data preparation, editing, training, and project management. Contracted projects: Road and statewide bridge inventories (Department of Transportation and Administration-ITSD); In-stream inventory and permitting assessment (Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Natural Resources Conservation Service); Data preparation and GIS instruction for statewide Disaster and Emergency Personnel.

In 2001-2002, I served as a GIS Programmer Analyst for the City of Helena and Lewis & Clark County. My task was to implement a software program for estimating potential losses due to earthquake events. The project was multi-faceted and promoted to enhance local and countywide land use planning. It required extensive inter-agency, specialist, and stakeholder coordination. I authored the detailed project summary available online (http://www.hazus.org/BigSkyHUG/index.htm).

We produced a successful program and recommendations to protect area citizens and their property. As project manager, I was responsible for data inventories and analysis, documentation, map production, user training, public presentations, and website development. I was delighted to receive an award for my leadership from the City and County Commissioners upon completion of the project.

I worked on the Helena National Forest as a capable field and data technician in many areas for over four years: forestry, range, recreation, engineering, hydrology, fire suppression, fire rehabilitation, and GIS/remote sensing. My work in this regulatory agency has included field surveys, instruction, map production, data compilation and analysis, and inter-agency coordination. On occasion, I volunteer my services to produce instruction materials used at national training sessions. I have also received awards from the US Forest Service for my work and leadership.

My three years of work in local engineering firms has resulted in a comprehensive professional portfolio. The partial list of my projects involved land parcel mapping (Montana Dept. of Revenue), statewide fire districts (Montana Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation), environmental restoration and watershed characterization (Bureau of Land Management, Oregon), forestry (US Forest Service), land use planning (Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks), environmental assessments for linear facilities (Yellowstone Pipeline Company), and abandoned mine reclamation (Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality). In addition, I was responsible for proposal writing, cost comparisons and reporting, user needs assessments, marketing, data preparation, and project planning for customers and engineers.

While serving as the Water Information Specialist at NRIS for over five years, I provided library research services, data reports, and public access to a wide variety of online and offline databases. I designed, implemented, and maintained the initial NRIS Water Information System website for Internet access to water and climate information and successfully secured over $60,000 of grant funds to start the Montana Wetland Data Clearinghouse at NRIS.