Caron Beesley, Editor, [acronym]
Mike Evanoff, Geospatial Engineer for Google Earth Enterprise.
Originially published in [acronym] magazine, Issue 11
Mike joined Google’s federal team in June 2006, and has traveled the globe to help a broad range of federal, state and international government agencies put Google Earth to use in their organizations. Earlier in his career, Mike was a Navy Commander. Google Earth Enterprise helps organizations with imagery and other geospatial data make that information accessible and useful to all employees who need access via an intuitive, fast application.
Q: If I weren’t talking to you right now, I’d be…
A: Stressing out about all of the emails that are piling up and making travel plans for my next Google trip.
Q: A phrase I use too often…
A: Any phrases with the words “render”, “visualize”, “data”, “raster” or “vector” in them. I think half of the sentences that come out of my mouth have one of these.
Q: I wish people would take more notice of…
A: How cars ruin cities, communities and ecosystems.
Q: The most surprising thing in my career was…
A: Getting called back to the Navy for a year in 2001. I did not see that one coming.
Q: A common misperception of me is…
A: That I am quiet and reserved. That is just the outer public shell.
Q: Five famous people I would love to have dinner with…
A: Sir Richard Branson, Madonna, Ted Turner, and Anthony Bourdain (I know that’s just four). I like people who have re-invented themselves during their lifetime.
Q: I’m good at…
A: Bridging the gap between technical and non-technical people. This seems to be a role that I have fallen into in a number of my jobs.
Q: I’m bad at…
A: Networking, keeping in touch, and building a Rolodex.
Q: In moments of weakness I…
A: Eat Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia in a waffle cone. Size large. This usually happens in airports during layovers.
Q: I am an Engineer but in a truer life I’d have been…
A: An Engineer. At least I got myself into the right field.
Q: The most interesting digital design-related project I have worked on:
A: Google Earth, no doubt about it. Second place was a real-time system that recorded 1000 channels of accelerometer data off of a submarine.
Q: In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:
A: Be fiscally conservative, socially liberal, hug your kids and brush your teeth.
