Montgomery County was recently awarded the 2020 Geographic Information System (GIS) in Excellence Award for the County’s COVID-19 Hub and dashboards.

The hub provided the region with an up-to-the-moment integration of GIS map and health data about the spread of COVID-19. The award was presented by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) on May 11, 2021, at the 2021 Virtual PA GIS Conference.

Montgomery County GIS Manager David Long and GIS Analyst Jim Rebilas developed the hub, which was selected for the award by GIS professionals across the Commonwealth.

“Building trust with our communities by being transparent and delivering data-driven information about COVID-19 has always been a top priority from the beginning. I am proud that Montgomery County was able to lead the way in providing the most information about the pandemic in the region,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

“I congratulate Dave and Jim on the work they have done to help our administration and residents make informed decisions about staying safe during the pandemic,” she says.

The site began with a simple interactive map showing the location and demographics of COVID-19 cases in the County, and then evolved into a full hub site with case maps, hospitalization data, safety net and financial resources, and general information about the pandemic. The original site has over 8 million views and continues to get an average of 10,000 hits per day.

“In addition to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GIS has also played an integral part in other County business such as elections, local business growth opportunities and general public safety,” said Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr., Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “GIS data will also be critical in helping us rebuild our economy by identifying sectors, which have been hardest hit and need the most help.”

To read more on the GIS in Excellence Award and the current COVID-19 initiatives from the County, click here.