Published on March 30, 2026
Syracuse Mayor Sharon F. Owens announced that the City’s Office of Analytics, Performance and Innovation (API) has been selected to receive a Special Achievement in GIS (Global Information Systems) Award by Esri, a global leader in location intelligence, for building a cross-department network of teams throughout the City using Esri technology to its fullest. The City is among the approximately 200 organizations chosen to receive the recognition this year out of over 700,000 organizations worldwide that utilize Esri technology.
“Our partnership with Esri has allowed us to innovate City operations and meet our residents where they are in an increasingly digital world,” said Mayor Owens. “I am proud of our API team, and everyone involved in using GIS for working to enhance service delivery for our residents through this data-driven approach.”
The API team has used GIS and other Esri technology to develop several public-facing and internal tools that work to increase both the transparency and efficiency of day-to-day municipal operations and resident services delivered by departments across the City. Tools like Look Before You Rent, the Lead Service Line Map, and the Open Data Portal equip residents with data to help inform their decisions and allow for greater transparency in City operations.
As a result of the API team’s efforts to institutionalize the GIS infrastructure it has developed over the years, departments like Water, Public Works, and Neighborhood and Business Development now incorporate and rely on the use of GIS for project planning and analysis, proliferating the use of data to inform decisions and elevate City services. To further integrate the use of GIS and other Esri technology with municipal operations, the City recently promoted Joanna Bailey, who has led GIS operations citywide, to GIS Administrator, where she will work to develop a cohesive strategy for the deployment of Enterprise GIS and Esri technologies across City departments.
The City previously received a Special Achievement in GIS Award in 2022, when API and the Department of Public Works were recognized for their collaboration with Esri and use of GIS tools to create the City’s first-in-the-nation Winter Weather Operations tool.
For media inquiries, members of the press should contact the Office of Communications by emailing press@syr.gov.