The Mapping Specialist

Vol XII, No. 1 - Summer 2004

Contents | In Focus | Anniversary | Awards | Profile

PROFILE
Going to Bat for MSL

Joe Benash, MSL's newest Project Manager.

From balls and strikes to bits and bytes, Joe Benash is a real team player.  Joe is Mapping Specialists' newest project manager, appointed in June 2003.  A good all-around guy, he has shown leadership both at work and on the baseball diamond.

Joe joined MSL in March 1997 after graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  He majored in geography with an emphasis in geographic information systems (GIS) and geology.  Because of this background, Joe is a natural to be assigned to manage projects involved with data management such as transformation of public land survey system (PLSS) data and digitizing land records.

Geography became an interest to Joe at an early age.  His father's job required frequent family moves.  He was born in Evansville, WI, but between first and fourth grades, the family moved to San Antonio, TX, to Saginaw, MI, then back to San Antonio.

While living in Texas, Joe learned one of the most important lessons of life - the value of a dollar.  He persuaded a younger neighbor boy to sell Joe the boy's go-cart for the princely sum of a bi-centennial quarter! The young lad had never seen such a coin and jumped at the deal.  So, Joe proceeded to buy some paint and engine parts.  Soon Joe raced his new ride around the neighborhood.  A prince indeed! Then the hammer came down.  The young neighbor boy's parents found out.  Joe had to return the go-cart, was grounded for two weeks, and was out the $20.00 he spent on parts…and, you guessed it, a quarter!

But, soon things settled down somewhat.  The family moved back to Evansville where Joe graduated from high school, excelling on the baseball diamond.  This guided him to Oshkosh, where he kept his interest in America's favorite pastime.  He continues playing the game as a second baseman for a competitive fast pitch softball team today.  Joe also is an assistant coach for a local high school girl's softball team.

Joe's 18-year involvement in fast pitch softball has led his teams to the national tournament every year since 1994.  This adds to his geographic experience since nationals have been held in Albuquerque to Fargo, Utah to Florida.  Teams compete from all over the United States as well as from Canada and Japan.  Last season, 2003, his team finished fourth in the national tournament where Joe was named to the all-tournament team as a second-baseman, batting .390 with a .950 fielding percentage.

A true team player, Joe will go to bat, not only on the playing field for his teammates, but for you, the client.

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