Chris Essig
Data Visuals Editor
Austin, Texas, United States
Summary
👤
Senior🎓
Top SchoolChris Essig is a data visuals editor with 13 years of newsroom experience who leads a developer team at The Texas Tribune building charts, public databases, and data-driven reporting that holds elected officials accountable. He has a track record of turning complex public records into high-impact projects—from a widely viewed coronavirus tracker to a redesigned state salaries database and maps exposing gerrymandering. Comfortable across back end systems, mapping/GIS, and newsroom collaboration, he mentors reporters and developers to turn investigative questions into interactive tools. A former adjunct professor who taught open-source GIS to thousands worldwide, he blends practical teaching with production engineering to make data accessible to broad audiences. Based in Austin, he combines investigative instincts with technical stewardship to deliver measurable civic impact.
14 years of coding experience
7 years of employment as a software developer
Rochester High SchoolBachelor of Arts, Journalism, English, Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, English at Eastern Illinois UniversityMaster's Degree, Public Affairs Reporting, Master's Degree, Public Affairs Reporting at University of Illinois Springfield
English
Github Skills (28)
visuals10
converting9
row9
tabletop8
python-data8
scaffolding8
leaflet7
crossword7
typescript6
open-data5
spreadsheet5
django5
commons5
javascript5
jquery-plugin5
Programming languages (4)
Github contributions (5)
csessig86/leaflet-maps-intro
Jan 2016 - Mar 2017
Contributions:104 commits, 95 pushes, 6 branches in 1 year 1 month
csessig86/tabletop_to_leaflet
May 2013 - Oct 2015
Contributions:22 commits, 6 pushes, 1 branch in 2 years 5 months
leafletgoogle-spreadsheetconvertingtabletopspreadsheet
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