Bio
Carrie Anderson is the owner and operator of The Virtual Inch. Formerly a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst, Digital Cartographer and GPS Specialist, she is highly-skilled with 17+ years experience in advanced desktop applications, creative design and high-end technologies.
Carrie’s formal education included Graphic Arts Administration at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) and receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and History from the University of Calgary. She has also completed a multitude of organizational, communication, health & safety and project management related courses and workshops.
Early in her career as a Digital Mapping Technician, she developed and refined her skills in a number of software and hardware environments, all of which included an underlying understanding and knowledge of various desktop applications. As her career developed, she was adding database skills, data management techniques and the proof-reading of multi-disciplinary environmental assessment reports to her growing repertoire of skills.
Extensively involved in the creation and implementation of the cartographic standards and templates, she was the cartographic quality control lead on all mapping products and gained extensive experience in the use of the Internet, protocols and Global Positioning Systems differential correction, plus various Trimble and Garmin GPS products.
Managing small to mid-sized projects, Carrie performed the analysis, modeling and generation of maps & related visuals using a varie
ty of commercial GIS software products. She was also responsible for creating graphic images for clients, public workshops and government hearings. Digital file management, database manipulation, spatial data capture and conversion, structuring and integration of GIS data themes, digital and visual quality assurance of cartographic display and output were all part of her skill set.
Carrie created and maintained her department’s Standards & Templates via the company’s intranet website and the department’s newsletter. Having a wide range of responsibilities, she became an expert in the advanced functions of desktop applications. Throughout the years, she increased her knowledge base and became proficient at managing multiple projects, objectives and deadlines.
Venturing out on her own, Carrie created her own GIS consulting company where she successfully met the challenge of applying the skills she had learned throughout the years. Finding herself needing a more balanced work and home life, Carrie made the decision to trade her life in the hectic, bustling city of Calgary for a peaceful life in the country. Desiring to create a business amenable to her new lifestyle while utilizing and improving the skill set she already had, Carrie’s research led her to the Virtual Assistant industry, Red Deer College’s Virtual Assistant Certificate Program and the creation of her own online-based company, The Virtual Inch.
Today, Carrie continues to expand her knowledge-base by taking courses, attending workshops, volunteering in various online and offline environments, networking, and participating in her local Toastmasters’ Club. In her spare time, Carrie enjoys reading scifi/fantasy novels, home improvement, and spending time with her dogs.
