Spotlight

Meet Ethan Poole, GIS Analyst

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born and raised in Berkeley, California and Portland, Oregon. The two places are similar in many ways; one is just much rainier.

What do you do at FLO?

The quick answer is, I make maps! I also prepare enrollment forecasts, analyze enrollment trends, and help redraw attendance area boundaries for our school district clients.

What’s rewarding about your job?

On a personal level: I get to make maps, which is something I’ve done since I was a kid (ask me about my super cool, overly thought-out D&D campaigns!). On a larger level, I enjoy encountering different communities and learning about the unique history and demographic trends of an area.

Why is what you do important?

Many people lack the time or resources to be experts on how their communities are growing and changing. While I focus on numbers, community members are freed up to bring their lived experiences to a decision-making process. Our expertise can help them fill in and craft narratives around how, why, and which changes are made.

What skills do you bring to your work?

A strong interest in how communities develop, evolve, and grow, both in the past and in the future.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from a work colleague?

Listen; don’t worry.

If you were not a GIS technician, what would you be?

I spent a good portion of my earlier years studying Latin and Ancient Greek—I’d love to get paid (well) to learn and write about ancient history and languages.

What’s on your bucket list?

Living abroad. I love learning new languages and different cultures. It’d be wonderful to spend a few years traveling around the world, meeting people, and drinking in strange places before retiring somewhere quiet with a big house and a nice garden.