#OurMark

January 2024

Mark has worked with us as a GIS and Graphics Coordinator (Planning Services) for 2 and a half years. He works with Geographic Information Systems and graphic and data visualisation software to produce maps, plans, and dashboards for publication and collation of supporting evidence.

This can be as simple as an aerial photograph with a red line plan for planning committee or extracting ground elevation points from a LiDAR raster for export to CAD. He also enjoys training colleagues in GIS and Microsoft 365 applications.

Mark's role summarised as a newspaper headline would be: "Helping people make sense of place, community, and change." 

When asked what Mark's role is and why it's important, his colleague within the planning team says: "Mark's work helps to bring all the team's efforts to life in a visual manner that everyone can understand. With a move to more digital aspects of planning, Mark is setting the benchmark for modern ways of working and acting as the jam in the sandwich between planners and customers." 

Mark was asked what one of his biggest challenges at work so far has been. He says: "Apart from recently being compared to jam by a colleague, it's learning to love creating alt text. That sounds flippant, but making council documents accessible to everyone is important (and legislated!)."  

One of Mark's favourite things about his role at NFDC is his colleagues and working within the Planning Services team. "Nothing I do, or could take responsibility for, would happen without my colleagues' input and help every day." 

Mark's favourite part of the New Forest is the border and says: "I use it every day in GIS, and I always wonder how it was decided on."