City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly presented the City Manager Leadership Award winner for the month of August to IT Programmer Analyst Hoon Jo.

“Since his arrival in Costa Mesa in 2020, Hoon has supported and collaborated with nearly every City department providing them with his GIS expertise,” Gallardo-Daly said. “His efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I greatly appreciate his technical abilities and map-making skills. I am thankful he is part of our team and happy to present him with this award.”

Jo’s work includes creating maps and applications for Police, Fire, Dispatch, Planning, Transportation, Engineering, Maintenance Services, the City Manager’s Office, Parks & Communities, and others.

His effort includes responding to various map requests, maintaining data such as address and street layers, supporting mapping applications, administering the City’s GIS enterprise environment, and coordinating with outside agencies, including neighboring cities, the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Public Works, CAL FIRE, and sometimes even the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Jo has enjoyed maps since childhood. He majored in Geography and Environmental Studies at UCLA and completed a Master of Science in Geographic Information Studies at CSULB. Before Costa Mesa, he worked for the City of El Segundo, the Orange County Fire Authority, and Riverside County Flood Control on various GIS projects.

He is a certified GIS Professional, a credential that reflects years of professional experience, dedication, and study outside of work. He also holds an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate for drone operations. He looks forward to creating more maps and applications for the city to support better decision-making.