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| Privacy | Legal | Back | Cover | Issue 1 | 2007 |
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Alan
Christian, a native of Missoula, MT, works in the Lolo National Forest supervisor's
office in Missoula. Previously, he was a transportation planner on the Lolo
National Forest's Plains Ranger District.
Alan began his career with the Forest Service years ago when the Okanogan National Forest supervisor's office hired Alan as a transportation planner. Initially, he used paper maps and overlays to produce maps for forest projects, but soon he began using mapping software. He taught himself GIS (geographic information systems) and became the unofficial GIS coordinator and go-to guy on the forest. He assumed responsibility for maintaining the forest's roads and trails GIS layers. He continued to assist peers with CAD processes and other road design software, including hardware and software troubleshooting and electronic data collection. Alan represented the Forest Service on the Okanogan Transportation Planning Board.
Alan studied drafting and mapping for 4 years in high school. After graduation, he worked for the Exxon Mineral Department.
From 1975 through 1978, Alan served in the U.S. Army. While stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, he helped prepare map manuscripts for four NATO REFORGER military exercises. Alan also helped develop a prototype geographic simulation map that was used by the military for tactical combat planning. During his tour, he got married. He and his wife raised two children.
In Germany, Alan became certified in advanced first aid and rescue so he could be a ski patroller in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He traveled extensively, visiting 11 countries in 21 days. Alan received an Army Commendation Medal for outstanding conduct.
After
his discharge, Alan enrolled at the University of Montana in Missoula. During
the summers, he worked with the Bureau of Land Management on a crew surveying
water retention and pipeline projects in eastern Montana. In 1982, he received
a bachelor's
degree in geology with a minor in mathematics. He then studied engineering
at Montana State University in Bozeman.
Alan did not stay in Montana long, taking a job as an engineer technician at the Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada where he was responsible for design and survey of facilities and minor construction projects.
His first computer there was an early model Apple on which he cataloged all the facility drawings and processed electronic data collections. He received his first information technology award for his cataloging work. Although he began his design work using a mechanical drafting machine, he soon moved to computer-aided drafting (CAD) and design, becoming an AutoCAD geek.
Alan was heavily involved in youth soccer. He provided snacks to the players, assisted the coach, coached a competitive girl's soccer team for 4 years, was certified to referee high school soccer and state youth recreation, acted as database manager for the Washington State Soccer Association, and served on the soccer board in Okanogan, WA. He helped with the underground sprinkler systems and installation of the outdoor lighting systems for two Olympic-sized soccer fields built with donated community support and resources.
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