President Mark L. DeMulder

 In September, 2008, Mr. DeMulder returned to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), after having served for more than two years at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In his new role at the USGS, Mr. DeMulder, a member of the Senior Executive Service, has responsibility for the National Geospatial Program of the USGS, including its topographic mapping and digital data programs. He has also been selected by the U.S. Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) to serve as President of the US National Section to the Pan American Institute of Geography and History, a specialized organization of the OAS. Mr. DeMulder also serves as the Principle Representative from the Department of the Interior to the US Board on Geographic Names, Domestic Names Committee. Mr. DeMulder holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. Degree from George Mason University, both in Geography. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and the Federal Executive Institute. Mr. DeMulder completed the Department of the Interior's Senior Executive Service Career Development Program in 2003. In 2007, Mr. DeMulder received the Open Geospatial Consortium's Vision Award for his work to advance the international geospatial community, and in 2008 he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Science at George Mason University. Mr. DeMulder resides in Springfield, Virginia with his family.
 En septiembre de 2008, el Sr. DeMulder regresó al Servicio Geológico de EE.UU (United States Geological Survey, USGS), despué de servir durante má de dos anos en el organismo Nacional de Inteligencia Geoespacial (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, NGA). En su nuevo rol en el USGS, el Sr. DeMulder, un miebro del Servicio Ejecutivo Superior, es responsable del Programa Nacional Geoespacial del USGS, incluyendo su cartografía topográfica y programas de datos digitales. También ha sido seleccionado por el embajador de EE.UU. en la Misión Permanente de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) para servir como Presidente de la Sección Nacional de EE.UU. al Instituto Panamericano de Geografía e Historia, organismo especializado de la OEA desde 2007. El Sr. Demulder tambiín sirve como el representante principal de Departamento de Interior a la Junta de Nombres Geográficos de EE.UU., Comité Domestico de Nombres. El Sr. DeMulder obtuvo su licenciatura en la Universidad de Connecticut y su maestría en la Universidad George Mason, ambas en geografía. Así mismo, es graduado del Programa de Estudiantes Ejecutivos de la Escuela de Gobierno Kennedy de la Universidad de Harvard y del Instituto Federal de Ejecutivos. En 2007, recibió el premio Visión de Consorcio Geoespacial Abierta (Open Geospatial Consortium) por su labor en la promoción de la comunidad internacional geoespacial y en 2008 fue laureado con el premio al Alumno Sobresaliente (Outstanding Alumni) del del Colegio de Ciencias de la Universidad George Mason. Reside en Springfield, Virginia junto con su familia.
mdemulder@usgs.gov 

 Vice President Jean Parcher

  Jean Parcher currently serves as the Senior Advisor for International Coordination within the Land Remote Sensing program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia. In this position she promotes effective strategies to advance the National Land Imaging Program globally by collaborating with foreign space agency partners to develop effective strategies for providing earth observation data to monitor environmental issues such as climate change and natural disasters. Other duties include providing leadership for the USGS participation in the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites and negotiating international agreements for the USGS Landsat ground control stations and for earth observation climate research. In addition to her duties, Jean is the Vice President of the U.S. National Section of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History. Previously she served as the Geography and Central Region lead for the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative. In addition to supporting the multi-disciplinary research efforts of the project, she directed the development of the Binational U.S.-Mexico Border Geographic Information System. Jean has more than 28 years of experience with the U.S. Geological Survey as a geographer, cartographer, and computer specialist. She received her Master of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Texas in 2003. Her research interests include social vulnerability analysis from climate change, the integration of geospatial data across international borders and environmental health risks.
jwparcher@usgs.gov 

 Cartography Commission Representative John O. Gates

  In October 2010, Mr. John Gates was assigned to the NGA Support Team to the Department of State as liaison to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Immediately prior to this assignment he held positions as senior planner in the Expeditionary Operations Directorate in NGA Headquarters and as geographer to the Afghanistan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office while deployed to Kabul in 2008. He began his federal career in 1978 with the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) in San Antonio, Texas, as a photogrammetrist and computer programmer. He has held key managerial positions in production, customer liaison, international co-production, and training. Previous positions include senior civilian representative to the U.S. Central Command Forward Headquarter, Doha, Qatar; Chief of the Colombia-Venezuela Branch in Reston, Virginia; National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) Latin America Co-production Manager in Bethesda, Maryland; NIMA Liaison to the U.S. Southern Command in Panama; DMA Country Liaison to Peru; Latin American Program Manager and Instructor in the Defense Mapping School in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and Cartographic School in Panama; and cartographer in the DMA Chile Project. He has spent a total of 17 years in overseas positions in Latin America and the Middle East. Of note, he supported the resolution of two border disputes in Latin America: with the US Department of State as U.S. Government Technical Expert during the Ecuador-Peru peace negotiations and most recently with the Organization of American States as arbiter for the final resolution of the El Salvador-Honduras boundary. A native of Syracuse, New York, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse; and a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, Washington, D.C. John and his wife, Isabel, are residents of Falls Church, Virginia, and parents of two adult children.
john.o.gates@nga.mil  

 Geography Commission Representative Patricia Solís

  Dr. Patricia Solís is Director of Research and Outreach for the AAG where she designs and implements special projects to promote studies, education, and public understanding of geography. She directs the Secretariat for the multi-sector global My Community, Our Earth partnership, focused on geographic learning for sustainable development. She contributes to core discipline-building activities, including AAG grants and awards, enhancing diversity, careers, and graduate education, among others. In her role at AAG, she performs liaison with many external organizations, such as the US Agency for International Development, the US Department of Agriculture, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and many others. She has designed, funded, and implemented programs for 120+ participants in 30 countries, including in Africa, Central America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. She resides in Panama, where she has worked since 2005 on special projects, including the establishment of AAG's Developing Regions Membership program. Solís is the first female recipient of the Enlaces Award for building linkages with the Latin American research community. She serves as POC for the AAG's Observing Organization Status to the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change and as invited representation for partnerships to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. As a geographer, her academic research and activities have focused on sustainable development, water resource issues, geographic technologies, and international affairs, particularly with respect to Latin America. BS in Physics, BA in German Literature, MA in Geography, Kansas State University; PhD in Geography, University of Iowa. Since 2003, she has also held the position of Assistant Professorial Lecturer at The George Washington University Department of Geography.
psolis@aag.org 

 History Commission Representative Erick D. Langer

  Erick D. Langer is Director of the Center for Latin American Studies and Professor of History in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He received his Ph.D. at Stanford University in 1984 in Latin American History. Before coming to Georgetown in 1999, he taught for 14 and a half years at Carnegie Mellon University. He is author and co-author of various books, most recently Expecting Pears from an ElmTree (2009) and editor of Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America (2003). He is also presently Editor in Chief of the online data base Latin American Studies (Gale) and Senior Editor of the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. His research specialties include peasant movements, nineteenth-century economic development, and frontiers in Latin America. Dr. Langer is working on a monograph showing how indigenous peoples contributed to economic development in the Andes during the nineteenth century. He is also finished an edited work titled Indians, Frontiers and the State in Nineteenth-Century Latin America. Erick D. Langer es Director del Center for Latin American Studies y Professor of History en la School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Recibió su Ph.D. en Stanford University en 1984 en Historia de América Latina. Antes de entrar a Georgetown en 1999, ensenó por 14 y medio anos en Carnegie Mellon University. Es autor y and co-autorde varios libros; su obra más reciente es Expecting Pears from an ElmTree: A History of the Franciscan Missions Among the Chiriguanos in the Heart of South America (2009) y fue editor de Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America (2003). Es Editor Principal de la base de datos Latin American Studies (Gale) y Senior Editor de la segunda edición de la Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Sus temas de investigación incluyen movimientos indígenas y campesina, Desarrollo económico en el siglo XIX y las fronteras en América Latina. Dr. Langer está escribiendo una monografía sobre como los indígenas contribuyeron al desarrollo económico en los Andes durante el siglo XIX y está editando un libro titulado Indians, Frontiers and the State in Nineteenth-Century Latin America.
langere@georgetown.edu  

  Geophysics Representative Christopher L. Castro

  Christopher L. Castro became a faculty member in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona in August 2006. His doctoral and postdoctoral work at the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University applied a regional atmospheric model to the investigation of North American summer climate. Current research within his group at the University of Arizona focuses principally on physical understanding and prediction of climate in North America through regional atmospheric modeling and analysis of observations. His main research emphasis is the North American Monsoon. As the Chair of the Geophysics Commission of the U.S. National Section of the Pan American Institute for Geography and History, Dr. Castro also helps facilitate joint research in this area between investigators in the United States and throughout Latin America.
castro@atmo.arizona.edu  

 Daniel W. Cento

  Daniel Cento serves as Alternate U.S. Representative to the Organization of the American States at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. During his 25-year career in the international arena, Mr. Cento has represented the United States Government at numerous international conferences and three Summits of the Americas. At the U.S. Permanent Mission to the OAS, he has served as U.S. delegate to the Specialized Organizations of the Inter-American System, as senior advisor to the Ambassador, Permanent Representative, and, currently, as Deputy Chief of the Mission's Political Situation. The U.S. Department of State has awarded Mr. Cento ten medals of honor in recognition of his efforts to foster stronger U.S. relations with the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture presented him with its International Award for advancing U.S. agricultural priorities in the Americas. Mr. Cento is a graduate of the Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and has completed courses of study at the Universidad Cumplutense de Madrid and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
CentoDW@state.gov 

 Angel R. Santiago

  In July 2009 Mr. Santiago became the Chief of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Regional Office in Guatemala. His office is located at the Instituto Geográfico Nacional of Guatemala with the mission of developing and managing co-production programs of data compliant with NGA standards with the national geographic institutes of Central America and the Caribbean region. In addition, the NGA Guatemala Regional Office provides tailored geospatial data and services to US Government agencies represented at the USA Embassies in the region. Mr Santiago has worked 24 of 33 years at NGA and its predecessor agencies in programs directed to the development and modernization of the geospatial production capacity in Latin America. Under the former Inter-American Geodetic Survey (IAGS) of the Defense Mapping Agency, he worked in the IAGS offices in Panama, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. For 9 years he led the NGA team dedicated to support the US Army's humanitarian, medical, infrastructure development and civilian affairs operations in Latin America. Mr. Santiago has a BA in Geography from the Universidad de Puerto Rico ? Río Piedras.
santiagoar@nga.org.gt