Laris Karklis is a cartographer and geospatial analyst with extensive experience using GIS, Earth observation, and visual storytelling to communicate complex environmental, climatic, and geopolitical issues. Before joining GWSC, he spent 25 years at The Washington Post, where he worked as a cartographer and held leadership roles including Senior Graphics Editor and Deputy Graphics Director.

His work at The Washington Post offered a comprehensive view of the spatial intersections of water, weather, food security, conflict, and geopolitics. He communicated complex environmental and geopolitical issues to a global audience through maps and visuals. His coverage included drought and famine in Africa; conflict and its effects on water and agriculture in Ukraine and the Middle East; the geopolitical implications of major water infrastructure projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; and natural disasters and community recovery, including the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Earlier in his career, he worked as a hydrographer at Dewberry, modeling floodplains and administering FEMA studies for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). He holds a B.A. in Geography and Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College.