IN Peters Township August/September 2018 | Page 12

DATES TO REMEMBER Aug. 7 Municipal Real Estate Tax Due at Face Value Aug. 18 Fishing Derby 10 a.m. to Noon @ Peters Lake Park Aug. 31 School Real Estate Tax Due at Discount Sept. 3 Labor Day All Offices Closed Sept. 4 Recreation Center: Session #5 Classes Begin Sept. 29 Fire Department Open House 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 5 & 6 Haunted Trail @ Peterswood Park Q: Tell us about your background, work experience, and education. A: I received my B.S. in Regional Planning from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in GIS/ Cartography. Upon graduating, I interned with the City of Pittsburgh Planning Department and then was hired by Allegheny County Department of Economic Development. I spent 11 years with ACED as a Planner in their Planning Division, focusing on subdivision and land development approvals, transportation initiatives, and largely tasked with all things GIS related for the department. Q. What made you excited about the position in Peters Township? A: The opportunity arose where I could solely focus on utilizing and developing my GIS skills in an environment that is more diverse in overall scope of work. Ultimately, the GIS related tasks I had performed in my previous role had always been more fulfilling to me than my other responsibilities as an urban planner, and I wanted to be able to cultivate that by being in a position that would solely focus on using those skill sets. For those that are wondering what GIS stands for, it stands for Geographic Information Systems, which is the representation of information and data in a geo-spatial environment. Q: What will be your primary responsibility as GIS Coordinator? A: My role as the GIS coordinator for Peters Township will largely focus on maintenance of the municipal spatial data infrastructure, as well as integrating and maintaining a new municipal information mapping system for Township employees. My goals are to give our staff the latest and most up-to-date information available to help assist in their daily tasks, decisions, and workflows, as we all work towards improving Peters Township for its residents. Q: What are some hobbies or activities you enjoy outside of work? A: I enjoy playing soccer in various co-ed soccer leagues in our area at least once a week, year-round. I also like to run the Pittsburgh Marathon with a group of friends in crazy costumes, to raise money for a local Pittsburgh charity. So far we’ve ran as Mario & Luigi, in business suits (twice), Star Wars characters, Ghostbusters, wedding dresses, and more. It’s a lot of fun, but, most importantly, raises money for a worthy cause, as we let our friends decide what the costume will be each year with voting via donations— the costume idea with the most donations wins. To date, we’ve raised nearly $10,000 for Project RUN through the Kids of Steel program. Vinh’s office in located at the Municipal Building, within the Engineering Department. Vinh can be reached at [email protected] or 724.941.4180. Peters Township Council Members Frank Arcuri 10 PETERS TOWNSHIP David M. Ball James F. Berquist Chairman Frank Kosir, Jr. Vice Chairman Robert Lewis Monica R. Merrell Gary J. Stiegel, Jr.