FEDERAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA COMMITTEE 

STEERING COMMITTEE 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

2023 CHARTER

Background 

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) have established 

the Executive Committee of the FGDC Steering Committee. The Executive Committee will 

include representatives of agencies with major programmatic geospatial responsibilities. The 

Executive Committee will be a subset of the larger FGDC Steering Committee. 

Purpose:

Provide strategic leadership, recommendations, and Federal interagency coordination to the 

FGDC in the development, implementation, and review of laws, policies, practices, and 

standards relating to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and implementation of the 

Geospatial Data Act. 

Membership

The Executive Committee’s standing membership will include Co-Chairs, and the Senior 

Agency Officials, or designees, from the following agencies:

• Department of Agriculture

• Department of Commerce

• Department of Defense

• Department of Energy

• Department of Homeland Security

• Department of the Interior

• Department of Transportation

• Environmental Protection Agency

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

• Office of Management and Budget 

The following FGDC representatives may attend as needed: 

• Head of the U.S. Delegation, United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial 

Information Management

• FGDC Ex-Officio member of the Federal Chief Data Officers Council

The Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee may add new members or invite additional attendees

as needed. 
Roles and Responsibilities 

The roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committee include: 

• Providing strategic and tactical advice to the FGDC Chair, Vice Chair and Steering 

Committee to support the Steering Committee 

• Providing executive leadership and recommendations to the FGDC in the development, 

implementation, and review of laws, policies, practices, and standards relating to 

geospatial data

• Supporting the FGDC in developing and reviewing policy proposals, including 

interagency funding proposals, as requested by the FGDC Chair, with the intent and 

purpose of facilitating and enhancing decision-making by the Steering Committee

• Providing executive leadership for FGDC initiatives and responses to national issues 

• Serving as an oversight body for the GeoPlatform 

• Providing a focal point for FGDC coordination with the National Geospatial Advisory 

Committee

• Coordinating with applicable Federal interagency bodies 

• Identifying and prioritizing potential agenda items for FGDC Steering Committee 

meetings 

• Developing and maintaining the FGDC annual work plan 

Chair

The Executive Committee will be co-chaired by the Executive Director of the FGDC and an 

annually approved Executive Committee member. 

Meetings and Decision-making 

The Executive Committee will meet monthly, or as needed, at the invitation of the Executive

Committee Co-Chairs. Meetings may be led by either of the Co-Chairs. With prior approval of 

the Executive Committee Co-Chairs, an Executive Committee member may send a proxy to a 

meeting. Meeting summaries, including Executive committee activities and recommendations or 

impacts to the FGDC Steering Committee, will be provided to the FGDC Chair and Vice Chair. 

As described in the FGDC Steering Committee Charter, final FGDC decisions are made by the 

Steering Committee. The Executive Committee provides consensus-based recommendations to 

the Steering Committee. When consensus cannot be achieved, the Co-Chairs of the Executive 

Committee may request a motion for a vote. A quorum, a simple majority of Executive 

Committee members, must either attend an Executive Committee in-person, virtual, or hybrid 

meeting for a vote, or provide responses to a digital vote. Each agency is entitled to one vote. 

Votes will be decided by a simple majority of votes cast.

Ethics

Members who are appointed to the Executive Committee in their official capacity as Federal 

employees are subject to applicable Federal ethics statutes and regulations, to include applicable 

exceptions and exemptions.
Support

The FGDC Office of the Secretariat will provide administrative support to the Executive 

Committee. The Executive Committee members may also provide staff support to assist in 

Executive Committee activities as needed. 

Approval

This charter supersedes all previous versions. This Charter will remain in effect until amended, 

replaced, or rescinded by the FGDC Chair. The Executive Committee Charter will be posted on 

the FGDC website (www.fgdc.gov). 

________________________________ ______________________________ 

Tanya Trujillo Date 

Assistant Secretary for Water and Science