About the NOAA Coastal Services Center

Nicholas (Miki) Schmidt joined the NOAA Coastal Services Center in 1996. After serving as a manager of the Center's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program for four years, Schmidt became deputy chief of the Coastal Geospatial Services division, which leads the Center's GIS and remote sensing activities. In 2004, he was named division chief.

An expert in applying geospatial technologies, Schmidt has had a long career with the federal government. From 1988 to 1991, he served as a civilian remote sensing scientist for the U.S. Army's Strategic Defense Command. He then joined NASA's commercial remote sensing program, working with private industry to develop new remote sensing products and services.

Schmidt holds a master's degree in geography and a bachelor's degree in marine science, both from the University of South Carolina.