Planning Welcomes Chase Marcum

Chase Marcum, Planning’s most recent hire, grew up in neighboring Loudon, TN, later moving to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee. Unsure of what he wanted to major in, Chase was drawn to technical subjects. With that in mind, he signed up for an introductory geography course and it all just clicked. He says he had always been good with spatial data and maps, but he didn’t see how it would all come together until he was enrolled in the class. He graduated from UT in the spring of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in geography and a concentration in GIS.

Chase began working part-time with Planning last October and started his full-time position in July. As a GIS Operator, his role is to provide support to other staff for various projects. Despite his familiarity with maps and geography, he says he’s learning an incredible amount about the field of planning and gaining a deeper understanding of the diversity of work produced by the agency.

Thus far, most of his projects have been focused on analysis and quality control. His biggest accomplishment to-date has been updating Knox County’s Parental Responsibility Zones (PRZ) for school zones and generating maps to accompany that information. He has also worked with addressing staff on geocoding. When asked what he most looks forward to in this position, he said he wants to improve his programming skills so he can integrate that into GIS processes to improve workflow and efficiency.

When he isn’t working, you will probably find Chase outdoors. A lover of natural areas, he enjoys spending time in parks, camping, and exploring East Tennessee’s natural beauty. He often hikes, camps, and kayaks. He also plays the guitar and loves live music. One thing he is most looking forward to once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides is the return of concerts.