LA County Public Works Specialist, and Lifelong Humanitarian Mapper
In the fast-paced world of geospatial technology, few professionals embody the perfect blend of technical mastery, community leadership, and quiet determination quite like Tia Morita. A self-described “tech savvy, friendly, yet tenacious, disciplined, and hardworking GIS professional (and a GIS evangelist at heart),” Morita has spent nearly two decades turning spatial data into real-world impact across California’s public sector.
Whether she’s mapping hate-crime trends for community safety, updating enterprise GIS systems for Los Angeles County infrastructure, or volunteering her skills to disaster-prone regions overseas, Tia Morita proves that GIS isn’t just software — it’s a superpower for positive change. If you’re searching for inspiration in public-sector GIS, career transitions, or humanitarian mapping, this is the definitive profile you’ve been looking for.
From Non-Linear Beginnings to GIS Mastery
Tia Morita’s path into GIS wasn’t a straight line — and that’s exactly what makes her story so relatable. She earned a BA in Women Studies with a focus on Latino and Latin American Studies, followed by a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Washington and a Master of Science in GIS from the University of Redlands.
That interdisciplinary foundation gave her a unique lens: she doesn’t just analyze data — she understands the human stories behind every polygon and layer. By the late 2000s, she was already applying GIS to tribal infrastructure projects, including a notable water utilities mapping effort on the La Jolla Indian Reservation. Her early work at Booz Allen Hamilton set the stage for what would become a hallmark of her career: using cutting-edge geospatial tools under tight deadlines for high-stakes outcomes.
The 2011 GISCorps Turning Point: Volunteering That Shaped a Career
In 2011, while still at Booz Allen Hamilton, Morita answered the call from GISCorps for the Wide Availability Response Project (WARP) in the Caribbean, partnering with MapAction. The mission? Rapidly build and deliver critical GIS datasets for emergency preparedness and response across the region.
Her own words still resonate more than a decade later:
“Working on this project has been a highly rewarding experience, and indeed will provide value and essential GIS data for emergency preparedness and response in the Caribbean region. Volunteering is not easy, and certainly requires careful planning of one’s time, but it is well worth it.”
She went further in an ESRI ArcUser feature, declaring:
“GIS is a powerful tool and a unique skill set that only a few across nations have. It is incumbent upon us skilled GIS users, creators and developers to put our unique trade to use to impart positive results for changing lives, policy and decision making for the better.”
This single volunteer deployment became the bridge between her early career and her current expertise. The rapid-response mapping, data validation under pressure, and cross-border collaboration she practiced in the Caribbean directly sharpened the skills she now uses daily in Los Angeles County’s most urgent projects.
Today: GIS Specialist Driving LA County’s Public Works Mission
As of 2026, Tia Morita serves as a GIS Specialist at the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works — a role she has held since at least 2020. In one of the nation’s largest and most complex public works agencies, she supports everything from survey mapping and property management to authoritative infrastructure inventories and emergency response readiness.
Her contributions are highly visible:
- Co-developed and presented LocateHateLA (launched March 2021), a public GIS platform that lets Angelenos self-report hate crimes, visualize trends, and empower communities and officials with data-driven insights.
- Contributed to the LA County Equity GIS Hub, helping make geospatial data more accessible for equity-focused decision-making.
- Leads enterprise GIS updates, including ArcGIS Online enhancements that benefit not only LA County but also broader California GIS professionals.
Morita’s work directly supports LA County’s core mission: keeping roads safe, water flowing, and communities resilient in the face of wildfires, earthquakes, and urban growth pressures. In an era when public infrastructure data can literally save lives, her tenacious approach ensures the maps are accurate, up-to-date, and actionable.
Community Leader, Mentor, and California GIS Powerhouse
Tia Morita doesn’t stop at her day job. She is a past chair of the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) and remains an active board member. In 2022–2023 she helped organize and present the CGIA Climate Change Speaker Series, showcasing how GIS delivers evidence and solutions for one of California’s most pressing challenges.
She is also a proud board member of Women in GIS, regularly celebrating International Women’s Day by spotlighting “GIS Heroes” and encouraging others to share their stories. On LinkedIn, she actively recruits the next generation of mappers, sharing job openings for GIS Technician roles at LA County and urging professionals to “do GIS for the County.”
Her evangelism isn’t performative — it’s practical. Whether moderating panels, updating nonprofit ArcGIS accounts for CGIA, or mentoring early-career analysts, Morita lives her belief that skilled GIS users have a responsibility to lift others up.
The Lasting Humanitarian Legacy and Lessons for All of Us
More than 15 years after her GISCorps deployment, the Caribbean WARP data continues to underpin regional emergency planning — a quiet but powerful reminder of volunteer GIS impact. Morita’s story shows how a single short-term mission can ripple outward: the same rapid-data skills she honed in 2011 now help LA County prepare for its own disasters.
She often reflects that volunteering requires sacrifice but delivers unmatched fulfillment. In a field where burnout can creep in, her balance of demanding public-sector work, board leadership, speaking engagements, and family life offers a masterclass in sustainable impact.
Why Tia Morita’s Story Matters in 2026 (and Beyond)
At a time when GIS roles are exploding across government, emergency management, and equity initiatives, Tia Morita stands as proof that technical excellence and human-centered leadership are not mutually exclusive. She’s the GIS evangelist who actually walks the talk — mapping hate out of communities, climate resilience into policy, and opportunity into the next generation of professionals.
If you’re a GIS student wondering how to break in, a public-sector analyst seeking inspiration, or simply someone who wants to see what “making a difference with maps” really looks like, follow Tia Morita’s example. Start small, volunteer boldly, stay tenacious, and never stop evangelizing the power of spatial thinking.
Ready to map your own impact? Check out GISCorps volunteer opportunities, explore LA County’s open GIS data, or connect with Tia and the CGIA network. The next generation of GIS heroes is already being trained — and leaders like Tia Morita are lighting the way.
Article researched and written with the latest publicly available U.S. professional records as of March 2026.
Writer at instablu.org
who loves to write about Business, Celebrities and Tech guides.
