Technology Leadership Award Winner Spotlight: Ben McDaniel

Ben McDaniel joined the Walton County Development Authority as the Vice President of Economic Development in January of 2025. Since then, he has leveraged his natural curiosity, creativity, and knack for technology to transform the way the Development Authority markets Walton County to site selectors and prospects.

Ben recalls that when he was first hired, Executive Director Shane Short gave him one clear directive: “Ben, you’re going to learn GIS.” He didn’t know much about it at the time, but he took that challenge seriously.

In the early days, Ben struggled to make sense of it all. He spent time in Udemy courses, took ESRI trainings, and wrestled with the basics. But then—everything changed when he discovered StoryMaps.

That’s when the lightbulb turned on.

Suddenly, GIS wasn’t just about maps and data—it was about storytelling. He learned how to create and import infrastructure layers like water, sewer, and gas lines. He figured out how to design buildings that matched real-world square footage. He dove into ArcGIS Business Analyst to pull drive-time data, demographic insights, and workforce trends. He layered in Lightcast data to round out the picture.

Piece by piece, he started building something more than just a map.

Now, Walton County’s StoryMap does what no static brochure or PowerPoint ever could—it tells the full story. It showcases:

• Transportation and logistics
• Economic outlook and target industries
• Quality of life (parks, libraries, retail, etc.)
• Our featured sites (with utilities, floodplains, and more)
• Drone footage and embedded videos
• And most importantly—our workforce development “secret sauce”

The Development Authority team uses ArcGIS StoryMaps to provide context during live site visits. Projected on their large touchscreen monitor, it’s more than a presentation—it’s an immersive experience. It’s ready at all times. It flows beautifully. And it wows people.

Walton County’s new storymap has changed the way the Development Authority tells its story.

View Walton County’s winning storymap here: Welcome to Walton County, Georgia!