Company Bios

Charlie Regan

Vice President and General Manager

Charlie Regan is responsible for day-to-day operations of National Geographic Maps and for increasing their share in the outdoor recreation and adventure markets. He is committed to expanding NG Maps presence in the reference and education markets through new digital and print products and broad, global distribution. Regan has extensive experience within the mapping, education and publishing markets. Prior to joining National Geographic in 2007 as Vice President of Digital Maps, he spent 10 years with Maps.com, where he was responsible for business development, creating strategic partnerships, and leading the business strategy development team. Regan also worked for the National Geographic Society previously, serving its education outreach programs as Geography Education Program Analyst; Manager of the Canadian Education Partnership; and Manager of Special Outreach Programs. Regan holds a B.A. from Villanova University. He lives in Rockville, Md., with his wife and two sons.

Allen Carroll

Executive Vice President and Chief Cartographer

Allen Carroll is chief cartographer and executive vice president of National Geographic Maps. As chief cartographer, Carroll presides over the editorial and creative efforts of the Society’s map division, including its renowned reference and wall maps, globes, and atlases. He was instrumental in launching the National Geographic MapMachine, its first interactive atlas on the Web. Carroll has presided over the creation of the Seventh and Eighth editions of the World Atlas. He has spearheaded the creation of many new maps, ranging from decorative wall maps and supplement maps for National Geographic magazine to special projects featuring global biodiversity, environment, and international development. From 1991 to 1995 Carroll was art director of National Geographic, producing historical, scientific, and informational artwork, and leading an effort to establish a corporate identity program for the Society. Carroll depicted subjects ranging from the Big Bang to the evolution of planet Earth to the workings of the immune system. He served as art director of the Society’s Historical Atlas of the United States, a richly illustrated history of America in maps, pictures and text produced for the Society’s centennial in 1988. Prior to joining the Society in 1983, Carroll was a free-lance illustrator and designer in Washington, serving clients such as The Washington Post, Smithsonian Institution, Readers Digest, The New Republic, the American Film Institute, and Johns Hopkins University.

Dan Ortiz

Vice President, Products, Marketing & Operations

Ortiz oversees the product management of National Geographic’s retail maps and map software products, along with directing the Marketing department and the operations of the NG Maps office in Evergreen, Colorado. Prior to his current role, he managed the company’s consumer products and served as General Manager of its Evergreen, Colorado operation. Ortiz has been employed with National Geographic for twenty-three years, splitting his tenure between the headquarters office in Washington, D.C. and his current location on Colorado. He began his career as a cartographic researcher and after several years, joined the production group, focusing on the development of digital production techniques for desktop platforms. Since 1992 he has held a variety of management positions in the areas of project management, business development, operations, and product management. Dan has been actively involved with the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) since 1995. He served on the Board of Directors from 1997 - 2001 and was International President from 2000 - 2001. Ortiz has a Bachelor’s degree in the double major of Environmental, Organismic, Population Biology and Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He resides in Evergreen, Colorado and enjoys hiking, skiing, fly fishing, and mountain biking in his spare time.

Carol Randolph

Vice President of Finance

Prior to joining NG, Carol spent over 10 years in Dallas, TX, as the CFO of Siplast, Inc. and eventually moved to Denver to serve as Senior Manager in Arthur Andersen’s Business Process Outsourcing consulting practice. Carol is a former board member of Court Appointed Special Advocates for the 1st Judicial District Court of Colorado and has volunteered or consulted with Big Brother/Big Sisters, Children’s Hospital, Junior Achievement, and the University of Colorado Foundation. A resident of Evergreen, CO, Carol is an active member of the Colorado Mountain club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. She successfully completed an extended Outward Bound Wilderness course and dreams one day of completing her hike along the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. An avid sports fan, Carol can often be found attending local sporting events and cheering on her beloved Dallas Stars hockey club or West Virginia University football team (Let's go, Mountaineers!). Three rescue pets - Darby, Blitz, and Alleycat - call all the shots outside of the office.

Paul Glauthier

Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research and Development

A pioneer of interactive maps, Paul has been designing and authoring mapping software since 1994, when he first created TOPO!. Paul joined National Geographic Maps in 2000, when the company he founded, Wildflower Productions, was acquired to propel the National Geographic Society to the forefront of providing next-generation maps: individually customized products that harness digital technologies, including the internet, GPS, on-demand printing, and hand-held devices. In addition to evolving the TOPO! product line, Paul is now focused on innovations that will help bring the world-renowned cartography of National Geographic to new audiences in new ways. Digital versions of our Trails Illustrated maps, first introduced in 2006, are one example of this type of innovation; printed trail maps are now enhanced with trip-planning features only possible on a computer – features such as elevation profiling, 3D route fly-overs, and direct transfer of waypoints and routes to GPS. More innovation is sure to come…

Kevin Allen

Vice President of Map Services

Kevin Allen manages the cartographic team located at National Geographic headquarters in Washington DC. Kevin oversees Atlas and GIS database development, Custom Publishing in support of Mission programs and the NG Center for Sustainable Destinations - Geotourism map line, National Geographic’s retail wall map editorial updates and new retail product development, and mapping support services for internal NG magazines and departments. Prior to his current role, he has served as Director of Operations for NGMaps headquarters office, Assistant Director of Production, Divisional Production Manager, and Manager of NGMaps first computer mapping and imaging facility. Kevin has been employed for twenty-nine years joining National Geographic after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a brief period working for Alexandria Drafting Company. Kevin has served as a board member for the International Map Trade Association for three years in addition chaired the Map Report publication for IMTA. Kevin resides in Annapolis, Maryland and enjoys sailing, kayaking, fly-fishing, and blue crabs.

Eric Riback

Vice President of Sales

During a brief career in radio advertising, Eric sold some ads to a fledgling map company in Maine. He impressed the owner enough that he was hired in 1980 to run sales and marketing for DeLorme, where he developed national distribution for their state atlas line. He was president of the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) in 1994 and was a founding officer of the NorthEast Map Organization (NEMO). Joining MapQuest in 1996, Eric worked with partner National Geographic to initiate retail distribution of their maps and road atlases, and later launched the first comprehensive online map store. With National Geographic Maps since 2001, Eric oversees domestic and international sales and licensing. He can sometimes be found at Denver area clubs playing stand-up bass.

Mike Dyer

Director of Marketing

Discovered working as a Master Technician at a Bay Area REI Store in 1996, Mike joined Wildflower Productions, the creators of TOPO! Interactive Mapping Software, while completing his college degree in Cartography and Business from San Francisco State University. During his time at the SF based start-up he wore a variety of hats ranging from sales and marketing to operations and IT. After the acquisition of Wildflower in 2000, Mike moved to Evergreen, CO to oversee the day-to-day operations of the MapMachine kiosk program. More recently, Mike served as Digital Product Manager and today directs the division’s marketing efforts. Beyond his roles at National Geographic, Mike has served on three non-profit boards, authored a guidebook on Geocaching and Land Navigation, and worked in the world of independent book publishing. Mike is an avid fly fisherman and loves outdoor photography, hiking, camping, and mountain biking.

Kris Viesselman

Director of Digital Product Development

In early 2005, Kris Viesselman joined the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. She is responsible for the visual and content quality of map-based multi-platform projects created for many National Geographic divisions, as well as outside clients. She initiates and launches new products, working with mult-disciplinary teams. Her hands-on work includes designing prototypes to executing final map-based projects for print and online. Additionally, she is the Managing Editor and Art Director for an international National Geographic annual publication–EarthPulse—a visual report on global trends. Most recently, Kris was the Creative Director of the San Jose Mercury News. Before that, she was an editor and art director at the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register newspaper. She started her career as a designer and information graphics reporter at the The Sacramento Bee. During her newspaper career, Kris was a core team member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. She and her teams won numerous international awards. Kris has taught university courses and has been invited to speak across the U.S., in Europe and in Asia.

Juan Valdés

Director of Editorial and Research

Hired by the National Geographic Society in 1976, Juan leverages his proven experience in the field of cartographic content. As such, he is responsible for assuring NG Map’s standing as one of the world’s most authoritative cartographic houses. Prior to joining National Geographic, Juan grew in the field of cartography while interning at Washington’s National Capital Park and Planning Commission. He established his career while employed by the World Bank, where he worked on all aspects of map making in their Cartographic Division. A graduate of the University of Maryland, Juan holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in Cartography.

Rick Bullington

Director of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Rick oversees the GIS team at the headquarters office in Washington, D.C. In addition to providing GIS services for a wide range of NGS publications and products, he manages the development of a multiscaled cartographic database. Rick has been employed with the National Geographic Society for twenty-nine years. He began his career at NGS during the production of the Fifth edition World Atlas, eventually rising to Project Manager for the Seventh and Eighth editions. He resides in Bethesda, Maryland where he enjoys backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains, biking on the C&O Canal, and occasionally endangering his fellow golfers on local courses. Fore!

Debbie Gibbons

Director of Cartographic Production

Originally from England, Debbie overseas the design and production of all print maps created by the D.C. office. A 25-year veteran of the Society, she was initially hired as an intern in map research before moving into the areas of type production and name compilation. Debbie’s current responsibilities include the scheduling and production of maps for the National Geographic Magazine, coordinating updates for our line of reference maps, and managing large mapping projects for both internal and external vendors. Debbie is a graduate of the University of Alabama, holding a Bachelor’s degree in the double major of Geography and Urban and Regional Planning. A resident of Maryland she enjoys being active in sports, most recently riding her young horse, Devlyn. For the past ten years Debbie has spent her winter weekends as a ski instructor at a nearby resort in Pennsylvania.

Frank Biasi

Director of Conservation Projects

Frank produces conservation-related maps, websites, and databases for National Geographic and partner organizations. He is a lead architect and project manager for LandScope America: The Conservation Guide to Americas Natural Places (landscope.org). He also serves as an editor and consultant on mission-related maps, atlases, and articles. His primary focus is on designing and building online multimedia atlases, which serve the Society’s mission to “Inspire people to care about the planet.” Frank has been doing conservation mapping for twenty years. He worked 14 years for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), establishing their enterprise-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) and designing and executing enterprise and regional conservation information and planning projects. Prior to TNC, he served as a cartographer and GIS analyst for state and regional environmental agencies in Massachusetts. Frank is a past president of the Society for Conservation GIS, a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Conservation Commons. Frank holds a Bachelors degree in Geography and Art from Clark University and a Masters in Environment from Duke University.

Doug Volkel

Manager of Cartography

Since 1975 Doug has worked in the mapping business. While in college Doug started his first cartography job with a geologic mapping company in Denver, moving up through the company to the position of Senior Cartographer. Doug started with a small independent cartographic mapping company in 1992 that did all of the contract cartography for Trails Illustrated Maps. Trails Illustrated hired Doug away to work in the Evergreen, Colorado office. Doug’s skill set was based in hand drawn cartography, and he moved into digital cartography with the move to Trails Illustrated. Involved with every step in the conversion of a hand drawn data base of maps to the current digital data base of converted maps Doug has seen the complete change in cartographic mapping methods. In his current position as Manager of Cartography Doug supervises cartographers and editors responsible for the Trails Illustrated map products. Doug lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife Lorrie. They have two sons, Dusty (27) and Cody (24). Doug is an avid outdoorsman spending as much time outdoors as possible.