Jami Dennis

Jami Dennis, GISP, has spent more than 30 years helping people understand, use, and communicate geographic information. As a longtime GIS practitioner, instructor, and presenter, she specializes in making complex spatial concepts clear, practical, and approachable for learners at all levels.

Throughout her career, Jami has taught introductory and intermediate GIS courses to working professionals, introduced elementary school students to mapping and spatial thinking through hands-on classroom programs, and delivered dozens of conference presentations on GIS tools, data, and visualization. Her work spans socioeconomic research, transportation GIS, database design, cartography, web mapping, and data visualization—experience that informs the real-world examples and plain-language explanations throughout GIS For Dummies.

After 25 years working in state and regional government in Arizona, Jami founded her own GIS consulting practice, where she continues to help organizations turn raw data into clear, meaningful maps and visuals. She also co-leads professional development workshops through her partnership at Level Up My Skills, focusing on GIS fundamentals, data visualization, and effective communication for technical professionals.

Jami is deeply engaged in the GIS community and has served on the boards of the GIS Certification Institute, Women in GIS, and the Geospatial Professional Network (formerly URISA). She is a frequent mentor and advocate for making GIS more accessible to new learners.

GIS For Dummies (2nd Edition) is her first book, written for anyone who wants to understand GIS without needing a technical background—or a graduate degree.