Waterloo native Mark Munsell, considered as one of the national geospatial industry’s most respected and well-known leaders, has signed on to guide St. Louis’ geospatial ecosystem into its next phase of growth. 

GeoFutures – the strategic initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. working to advance this region as the global center for geospatial technology – announced that Munsell, a former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency executive, will serve as its new project lead.

He will oversee the continued growth of the region’s geospatial sector. 

“There is no one in the geospatial industry better qualified to help St. Louis write the next chapter of geospatial excellence than Mark Munsell,” said Dustin Allison, Interim CEO for GSL. 

Geospatial technology encompasses the tools and techniques used to collect, analyze and visualize geographic information. It involves mapping, measuring, and analyzing data points tied to specific locations, revealing patterns and insights that might not be obvious otherwise.

Munsell is a 1986 graduate of Waterloo High School and 2015 inductee onto the WHS Legacy Wall of distinguished alumni. 

“As a St. Louis native, I cannot think of anything more important than working with the community to bring new emphasis to job growth, startups, and capital investment, as well as assist existing geospatial technology companies grow business in the region,” Munsell said. “The intersection of geospatial with agriculture, biosciences, and defense – all accelerated with common AI innovation – is St. Louis’ greatest opportunity for long-term growth.”

Munsell earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from Southeast Missouri State University and began a career in federal service working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Norfolk, Va. He wrote software to more accurately map oceans and helped improve the accuracy of the world’s measurement systems.

Munsell transferred to Washington, D.C., where he developed the country’s new nautical charting system. This saved the government millions of dollars, and he was awarded the NOAA’s Bronze Medal.

Munsell returned to St. Louis to work for the NGA. He designed and built a system that supplies navigation information for the Department of Defense’s aircraft operations. Every aircraft that flies for the military relies on this system to safely navigate around the world.

Munsell formed IMAPS with another WHS graduate, Jim Lewis. They built the online flight planning company of about 80 employees in Columbia before selling it to SAIC.

Munsell most recently served as chief artificial intelligence officer and director of digital innovation at NGA, where he oversaw integration of that agency’s AI efforts. He also held roles as chief technology officer and various operational and technical executive positions. 

Munsell is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award and NGA’s Distinguished Civilian Medal, Department of Commerce Bronze Medal, and a host of other government leadership, and military awards.