International man/woman of mystery is: international; from an NMA
The OS has responded to our latest FOI request to try to establish more details about its international expert. And what do you know, they really are international.
And they used to work for a national mapping association (but not OS.)
Keep your ideas coming….
1) Is the “internationally recognised expert (a) British or (b) a foreign national?
A foreign national.
2) Is he or she a (a) currently employed in a UK academic institution, or (b) employed in the UK, or (c) employed in a UK government department, or (d) a UK government agency or trading fund.
No.
3) If so, which institution, business/fund or arm of Government?
Not applicable.
4) Has the person retired from any of those listed in (2)?
Not applicable.
5) Has the person ever been employed by the Ordnance Survey and if so on what basis (eg full-time, continuous part-time, etc)?
No.
6) Has the person ever been employed by a foreign National Mapping Association, and if so on what basis (eg full-time, continuous part-time, etc)?
Yes; full-time.
(This would be why Ed Parsons – well, we had to ask – and Dave Lovell, executive director of Eurogeographics, have turned out not to be the person. Only 5,750m people to go then…)
- The following posts may be related...(the database guesses):
- That international consultant and man of mystery is... (updated) (23 July 2009; score: 59.83%)
- ..but we're just as quick: more questions re the international man (or woman) of mystery (31 July 2009; score: 57.8%)
- International man/woman of mystery: the silent, uncommunicative type, apparently (3 September 2009; score: 56.33%)
- Well, that was quick: OS responds to FOI re international expert; mystery deepens (if that's possible) (31 July 2009; score: 51.86%)
- OS publishes almost unredacted version of international study (26 July 2009; score: 48.84%)

August 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 pm
What about some of the Australian ANZLIC crew: Mark Taylor, Steve Blake John Hockaday et al?
August 14th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Could it be someone from over the pond at the USGS?
http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/ngp_officials.html
National Geospatial Program: Key Officials and Contacts
The National Geospatial Program (NGP) is a component of the USGS Geospatial Information Office.
Key Officials
Geographic Information Integration and Analysis
Mark DeMulder, Chief
511 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: 703-648-5569
E-Mail: mdemulder[at]usgs.gov
Geographic Information Coordination
Ivan B. DeLoatch, Chief
590 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: 703-648-5740
E-mail: ideloatch[at]usgs.gov
National Geospatial Program Partnerships
Vicki Lukas, Chief
590 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: 703-648-4646
E-mail: vlukas[at]usgs.gov
National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
Kari J. Craun, Director
USGS Mail Stop 705
1400 Independence Road
Rolla, MO 65401
Phone: 573-308-3802
E-mail: kcraun[at]usgs.gov
Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science
E. Lynn Usery, Director
USGS Mail Stop 505
1400 Independence Road
Rolla, MO 65401
Phone: 573-308-3837
E-mail: usery[at]usgs.gov
Emergency Operations
Mark D. Naftzger, Chief
590 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: 703-648-4653
E-mail: mnaftzge[at]usgs.gov
August 14th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Or their Associate Director, Kevin Gallagher
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/bios.asp?ln=Gallagher
August 17th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Highly unlikely since the open data policy of the USGS is anathema to the government trading fund model of OS. http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/pricing.html
or: http://www.opendataconsortium.org/