Johnson Was Unanimously Chosen to Receive the Organization’s First Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trailblazer Award
REDLANDS, Calif.—November 2, 2022— Clinton Johnson, who leads Esri’s Racial Equity & Social Justice Solutions team, has been recognized by the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) for his work advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
WGIC awarded Johnson its inaugural DEI Trailblazer Individual Champion Award at its INTERGEO 2022 conference in Germany on Friday, Oct. 20. This award category calls for nominations from individuals who approach leadership through a holistic lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and demonstrate solid commitment to advancing the awareness and knowledge of DEI within the broader community.
WGIC recognized Johnson for his work as president and founder of NorthStar of GIS. This nonprofit organization magnifies the work and talent of Black professionals in GIS, geography, and STEM careers. Northstar of GIS showcases technology advancing racial justice and promotes belonging and collaboration for Black GIS students, educators, entrepreneurs, professionals, and allies.
“When it comes to issues of social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and access—geography matters,” said Johnson in accepting his award in a video message. “And it’s all of our work. This work is about better policies and investments in our communities, and communities themselves form at intersections of people, history, culture, and place. This work is about ensuring that people of all communities have the resources they need to prosper without the need for assimilation.”
Johnson was chosen unanimously by WGIC’s judges for the award. Informing him of his win, WGIC Executive Director Barbara J. Ryan commended Johnson on achieving “tangible results in the geospatial community.”
“We hope you will continue to encourage the greater geospatial community to move beyond awareness, and into action in this domain,” she wrote.
Johnson spent nearly two decades with the city of Philadelphia’s IT department before joining Esri—the global leader in location intelligence—in 2016. His approach to technology is empathetic, with a conviction for finding creative ways to implement practical solutions for real-world challenges faced by diverse communities.
To learn more about how GIS can help advance racial equity, social justice, and sustainable, inclusive development visit esri.com/en-us/racial-equity/overview.
About Esri
Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.
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