Congratulations to Shane Blaney and Chris Newbill! They both passed their drone pilot exams, and are now officially certified drone pilots. With GIS Manager Kadeem Pratt being certified earlier this year, we now have three pilots in our GIS Department! This is very exciting for our department as a whole, as we will be able to perform a wider range of projects.
Chris Newbill is a Hopeworks Alum and full-time GIS Technician. Shane Blaney is a Hopeworks Alum and a Townsend Scholar, and is currently the GIS Drone Intern. Both showed great initiative and drive to be certified as drone pilots to be more knowledgeable and to prepare for “several future clients who are interested in our Drone capabilities.”
Chris says Shane “was very motivated to attain his license, and loves being involved in all of our drone work.” When asked about the importance of drones in GIS, Chris said, “Drones make it very efficient to get your own up-to-date data, without just having to use Google Maps.” Chris is most excited about the types of projects GIS will now be able to do including “landscaping projects where we wouldn’t have physical access, but we now will have 3D footage with our drone.”
The nonprofit provides paid training, career support and real work to help 17- to-26-year-olds move into full-time jobs averaging $43K a year. In a bright room at Hopeworks Kensington, young adults sit at computers learning to code, build websites and prepare for careers many once thought were out of reach. Some come in unsure of […]
The Rutgers Camden Campus Center was transformed into a high-energy hub of professional development last week as Hopeworks hosted its third annual HOPE Summit. Headlined by Truist Bank, the event served as a critical bridge between young adults in the region and some of the most influential employers in the Greater Philadelphia area. The summit is a cornerstone of […]
Headlined by Truist Bank, the event removed access barriers to career readiness, connecting Camden, NJ – March 16, 2026 – On Thursday, March 12, Hopeworks, a social enterprise dedicated toempowering young adults to establish living wage careers, hosted its third annual HOPE Summit at theRutgers Camden Campus Center. Headlined by sponsor Truist Bank, the summit […]
