For over 100 years, our cartographers have drawn America’s most iconic road maps and atlases — bridging the craft of cartography with modern GIS to keep the nation’s most trusted atlas accurate, mile after mile. Behind every Rand McNally atlas is decades of hands-on mapping expertise. Tom Vitacco and Steve Wiertz have a combined 75 years at Rand McNally, bringing generations of knowledge about cartography, GIS and the art of making maps people can trust. They also share that expertise through our Ask a Cartographer series. Have a question about maps, atlases or the fascinating details behind them? From longitude and contour lines to whether paper towns still exist, Tom is here to give you the facts straight from the source. Submit your question to printproducts@randpublishing.com with “Ask a Cartographer” in the subject line, and your question could be featured in an upcoming installment. Tom Vitacco serves as the Director of GIS for Rand McNally Publishing, bringing four decades of cartographic expertise to the nation’s most trusted atlas. Since joining the team in 1986, Tom has bridged the transition from traditional paper mapping to advanced digital GIS environments. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Illinois State University and specializes in the critical intersection of spatial visualization and vector data management. Steve Wiertz is a Senior GIS Analyst for Rand McNally Publishing. Since 1991, Steve has contributed to the success of various cartographic projects, including the most trusted road atlas in the country. Steve is currently the primary researcher for not only the road atlas, but also educational and other specialty map products. Over the last 15 years, he has developed many research techniques and procedures to keep Rand McNally’s map products as up to date as possible. Questions for the cartography team? Our cartographers have decades of experience—and they love sharing what they know. Have a question about maps, atlases or the fascinating details behind them? From longitude and contour lines to whether paper towns still exist, Tom Vitacco is here to give you the facts straight from the source. Have a question for our cartographer? Email us at printproducts@randpublishing.com with “Ask a Cartographer” in the subject line, and your question could be featured in an upcoming installment.The People
Behind
the Map
Tom Vitacco
Steve Wiertz
Charting the Great American
Road Trip, one edition at a time.Ask a Cartographer
Since 1986 · Director, GIS Services
Director of GIS