One Year With Engineers

One Year at Maurer-Stutz: Building a Geospatial Foundation for the Future

A year ago, I walked into Maurer-Stutz with a mission: to build something new, something purpose-driven, something lasting. That something became Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services (MSGS). Now, 12 months in, I can confidently say we’re not just building a team—we’re building momentum.

Title slide of my pitch meeting before MSI hired me.

Starting From the Ground Up

When I joined the company on April 29, 2024, the Geospatial Department was more of an idea than an entity. With one GIS Specialist; Katie Kopkowski, who stuck around to be the anchor, we had talent, but we needed direction, structure, and an identity. I knew from the beginning that MSGS couldn’t be “just the map guys” on engineering projects. MSI leadership wanted us be strategic partners, not just a service department. Trusted advisors, not only task-takers.

Beigin at the begining

So, we began with the essentials. Working through the process as if we were starting a new business, but with the advantage of having supporting oversight structure.

• Conducted a full assessment of existing software, hardware, and workflows.

• Evaluated team strengths and gaps in a SWOT analysis.

• What engineering clients existed and which represented low-hanging fruit.

• Built a business plan with a six-year growth strategy, aligning revenue goals with staffing targets and market segments.

• Developed mission and vision statements to clarify who we are—and who we are not

Building the Right Team

This work isn’t possible without people. I’m proud to lead a growing team that now includes Geospatial Engineer Baylor Wagehoft, fellow ISU Redbird Ethan Geisler, and Geospatial Intern Michelle Wagehoft. Next month, we will welcome our sixth employee who will focus on the Agricultural market. Each team member brings a unique set of strengths to the table and we’ve focused on creating a collaborative culture built on professionalism, mutual respect, and shared accountability with our Team Operations Manual (T.O.M.)

Growing with Purpose

In just one year, we’ve:

• Supported multiple infrastructure and fiber deployments with precision GIS solutions.

• Partnered with our own MSI engineering groups without becoming “support-only” on projects.

• Initiated the modernization client GIS and database migration and tuning.

• Established professional partnerships in cloud architecture, economic development, utilities, and broadband.

A key part of our journey has been thoughtfully drawing a line between the way things have traditionally operated at MSI and the direction we're heading—evolving from a service-oriented support group into a focused, independent, growth-focused team—a shift that will require continued clarity, communication, and collaboration as we grow. We’re becoming a revenue-generating, client-facing, innovation-focused business unit. And our identity is no longer in question—we are MSGS, and we are growing.

Looking Ahead

Up And To The Right!

Year one was about foundations. Year two is about scaling.

We’re focused on:

• Expanding our managed services offerings.

• Growing cloud GIS capabilities.

• Deepening client relationships and building repeatable solutions.

• Recruiting talent that shares our drive for innovation and excellence.

I’m grateful for the leadership at Maurer-Stutz inc. for supporting this vision, and for my team for embracing the challenge. This isn’t just about GIS—it’s about transformation. At MSGS, our mission is: To transform our clients' and industry partners' unique visions into reality through specialized geospatial expertise. Our B.H.A.G. is: By 2030, MSGS will be a recognized leader in geospatial services industry by providing solutions in the broadband, utility infrastructure, and consultant engineering domains.

Here’s to year two—and all the vision, trust, and growth it will bring.

We will accomplish this by delivering quality services with integrity, care, and efficiency. Working with you by design.

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Mapping for a Cause

Mapping for a Cause: Supporting Camp Big Sky with GIS

At Maurer-Stutz, Inc., we believe in using our expertise to give back to the community. One of our on-going relationships is with Camp Big Sky, a nonprofit in Fairview, IL, dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities.

“We’d Like a Map”

Camp Big Sky recently inquired about the possibility of having Mauer-Stutz Geospatial create a large display map to provide visitors with a clear overview of the camp - similar to maps found at theme parks or the beginning of a hiking trail. That request for a single map began a series of conversations.

Through our discussions with Camp Big Sky, a robust GIS solution developed allowing for the creation of a whole variety of customized maps. We discussed their need for duplicatable, day-use maps, maps specifically tailored for grant applications, online maps, etc.— all of which can easily be created from the GIS that was already being built!

How We’re Helping

Using drone imagery, we captured high-resolution aerial views of the camp, allowing us to digitize important features with precision. This data forms the foundation of our maps, ensuring accuracy and detail.

We provided the founder of Camp Big Sky, Brad Guidi, with a poster-sized printout of the aerial imagery. He identified the names of the features that had been digitized so that we could develop a GIS database that includes:

• Natural features like lakes, trails, and tree cover.

• Infrastructure elements such as buildings, parking areas, and accessibility features.

• Points of interest that allow visitors and staff to both enjoy and navigate the camp more easily.

• Mapping paper products like a wall map with great imagery or a 8.5 X 11 photocopy to hand out to visitors.

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The Impact

These maps will help visitors, volunteers, and staff make the most of Camp Big Sky’s outdoor experiences. The GIS solution will also enable the organization to manage their property more efficiently and plan for future improvements. We have their GIS saved securely for continued updates or applications they may need.

By expanding beyond the original request for “a map,” we’re providing Camp Big Sky with tools that will help them enhance visitor experiences and support future growth and funding opportunities.

This project showcases how GIS technology can support nonprofits in meaningful ways, and we’re proud to contribute to Camp Big Sky’s mission.

To learn more about Camp Big Sky, visit their website at: https://campbigsky.org

If you have more question about how we can help you or your Organization with GIS, Contact us!

Ethan Geisler Joins Our Geospatial Team

Geospatial > The Layer File > Ethan Geisler Joins Our Geospatial Team

We are thrilled to welcome Ethan Geisler to the Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services (MSGS) team!

Ethan joins us as a Geospatial Specialist with a fresh degree in Geography from Illinois State University, and he's eager to hit the ground running. With a background in GIS software like ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, Ethan brings a well-rounded skill set, honed during his internship with FEMA where he developed a Tornado Awareness dashboard application. This real-world experience will help him seamlessly integrate into our projects, which often involve critical data and mapping needs.

What sets Ethan apart is his passion for using GIS to solve real-world challenges, a trait he demonstrated in his final project at ISU, where he worked on a pedestrian safety study using Survey123. Outside of work, Ethan’s organizational leadership skills shine as the former President of ISU's Music Business Organization, where he organized events and led a team of fellow students—skills that will serve him well as he collaborates with our team on diverse geospatial projects. He also plays drums and is deeply invested in the Game of Thrones franchise.

Ethan will be working closely with our team to support infrastructure mapping, perform spatial analysis, and contribute to the development of tailored GIS solutions for our clients. We’re excited to see his fresh perspective and strong attention to detail make an impact as we continue to grow our geospatial services.

Welcome aboard, Ethan!

Baylor is Back

Geospatial > The Layer File > Baylor is Back

We are very excited and happy to welcome back Baylor Wagehoft as a Geospatial Engineer to the Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services team.

His email to the Maurer-Stutz staff that announced his return was a geospatial take on the 1995 Michael Jordan Announcement of his return to basketball. I'M BACK.

Baylor’s ‘Fax’ email

Copy of Jordan’s actual Fax to several sports outlets

Baylor started at MSI in July 2017 as a Transportation Engineer. Then in October 2023 he took a GIS job at i3 Broadband. As we began putting efforts into developing our Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services group, Baylor stood out as a possible re-acquisition. Thankfully he was open to the idea and we came to an agreement. He finished out June at i3 then took a few weeks off in between to see a sister get married in Spain and will begin his second term at MSI as a Geospatial Engineer on July 30th. We are glad to have him back.