CURISA and its members pride themselves on being part of the larger GIS community in the Carolinas. We endorse policy that creates structure to the industry and we support initiatives and organizations that advance the GIS profession. To do this CURISA maintains partnerships with organizations such as: The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) URISA is our parent organization and is considered to be a premier organization for the use and integration of spatial information technology. Our chapter works closely with URISA to coordinate events, observe industry trends and monitor policy in the Carolinas. The Geographic Information Systems Certification Institute (GISCI) URISA has been an advocate of the GIS Professional (GISP) designation and fully supports the need to promote it and further its recognition throughout the industry and beyond. Many of our members are GISPs and would be happy to assist others in the application process. The NC Center for Geographic Information & Analysis (NCCGIA) CURISA is co-sponsor of the biennial NCGIS Conference with NCCGIA. Our chapter works closely with NCCGIA to organize this continually successful conference every two years and coordinates the pre-conference workshops. The Carolina Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) For the past two years CURISA and CGITA have teamed up to hold the annual CURISA and CGITA Conference. CURISA is known for an annual conference, but this partnership allowed the two organizations to join forces and bridge the gap between CURISA’s traditional local government membership and CGITA’s usual utility oriented membership.