Keynote Address

Michael Mears, Eureka County Assessor
“Evolution of a GIS Program”

Michael grew up in Oregon and studied business management and administration at Oregon State University. Michael moved from Oregon to Eureka, Nevada in 1996 and went to work for the Eureka County Assessor’s Office in 1997 to help develop the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS), which earned him an Esri SAG award in 2015.

Michael was elected as County Assessor in 2006 and is currently serving his 6th and final 4-year term in office. He is a certified real property tax appraiser and member of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) and the Nevada Assessor’s Association, serving twice as president. Michael has been married to his wife, Heather, for 29 years and together they have four children: Kelsey, Brendan, Delaney and Donovan.

Michael is very involved in his community serving as a volunteer fireman and member of the Eureka Lions Club. He also volunteers his time with the grade school and high school music programs. Michael loves playing and performing music and he plays multiple instruments including saxophone, guitar and piano. He and his partner, Ralph Cuda, started Eureka’s very own Irish band, 2 Blokes and a Squeezebox, over 10 years ago, and perform regularly in Eureka and around Nevada.