2026 SAG Award Winners

County of Ocean, Office of Information Technology

Project Goal

The Ocean County I.T. Department sought to modernize the County’s use of GIS, which was fragmented across five departments, lacked a unified mission, and led to redundant datasets and avoidable costs. The team presented to County administration the need for a coordinated GIS strategy and partnered with Esri to conduct Roadmap Engagement meetings, where Esri outlined potential quick wins, long term initiatives, and recommended solutions. These sessions enabled the County to align business goals, establish a governance model, optimize GIS systems, and expand staff understanding of GIS. As a result, the County joined the Esri Advantage Program, launched award winning applications, hired additional GIS professionals, and begun building a countywide enterprise GIS network. The team continues to collaborate with departments to demonstrate the value of GIS and recently hosted the County’s first GIS Day with students from the County Vocational School.
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Business Problem Solved

The Ocean County I.T. Department addressed several key challenges, including fragmented GIS operations, the absence of a unified GIS strategy, and redundant datasets. Previously, the County maintained five separate Esri accounts, each with its own ArcGIS Online organization, resulting in department centric workflows and unclear authoritative data sources. By consolidating GIS licensing under the I.T. Department and establishing a single ArcGIS Online organization, the County streamlined its GIS budget and expanded overall capabilities. GIS staff now participate in the I.T. Steering Committee to evaluate new technologies and assess their geospatial impact. A formal data governance framework defines authoritative datasets and assigns responsibility for their maintenance. In addition, the County implemented a GIS onboarding process to ensure new users receive appropriate training and can effectively integrate GIS into their workflows.

Technology Implemented

The Ocean County I.T. Department has expanded GIS capabilities by deploying a range of Esri technologies. ArcGIS Enterprise now serves as the central platform for internal GIS data, maps, and applications, while a single ArcGIS Online organization supports all public-facing content and workflows. ArcGIS Pro is the primary tool for GIS analysis and data creation, and ArcGIS for Excel has streamlined data maintenance for staff who are new to GIS.
The team also leverages Dashboards, StoryMaps, and Experience Builder to develop award winning applications that highlight the County’s history, ongoing initiatives, and future planning efforts. These advancements were guided by Esri Roadmap Engagement meetings, and through the Esri Advantage Program the County continues to refine and expand its enterprise GIS vision.

Development Team Biography

Benjamin Brower has been a GIS Specialist at Ocean County since 2018. He has led the transition of the GIS program from being 911 focused to covering all County GIS operations. After years of teaching around the world, his career shifted towards GIS. He earned his Master’s in Geographic Information Systems in 2023.
Christopher Campbell has been a GIS Specialist at Ocean County since 2019. He has assisted the evolution of IT GIS Operations to cover Ocean County. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in GIS in 2019, Christopher also achieved his Master’s degree in GIS in the Spring of 2026.
James King has been a GIS Specialist at Ocean County since 2025. He assists with maintaining the 911 GIS system, along with helping in other GIS tasks. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in GIS in 2025.
We also want to thank Assistant Director Frank DeMarzo, Director Mary Lou Mycoff, Administrator Mike Firue, and GIS specialists and users across County Departments for their ongoing support