PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
OVERVIEW: UPCOMING EVENTS 2024 Surveyors’ Conference January 21-24, 2024 | Hershey, PA Visit Conference Website
Message from the President Thoughts on Professional Practice & Education: Multiple Discipline Licenses & Certifications Side-Shot From Harrisburg NSPS: Capitol Contours Rain Day 2024 Surveyors’ Conference Member Spotlight: Larry Leso, PLS, PE PA Surveyors Store Before You Go..
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Here we are with only a few days left in 2023. It feels like yesterday when Terry McMillen Jr. (Immediate Past President) handed me the gavel at the conference. This year really flew by, but I know we accomplished a lot together! As your President, I attended the New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey Surveying Conferences, and Larry Leso (PresidentElect) attended Maryland’s Surveying Conference. Mike Given (PSLS NSPS Director) and I helped proctor the Trig Star competition at PSU Wilkes-Barre. Mike and I also represented the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Day on the Hill event in Washington, D.C., discussing legislative matters with our Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives. I represented the Executive Board at several chapter meetings with the Susquehanna Chapter, Harrisburg Chapter, South Central Chapter, and organized a joint meeting with Southwest and Laurel Highlands Chapter. Attending these chapter meetings across the state was very rewarding for me! I met several wonderful surveyors, and we had great discussions about our profession. The PSLS State Board of Directors facilitated the process of filling our representative’s seat on the State Registration Board. PSLS sent support letters to the candidates and are assisting them with the process. Although the positions haven’t been filled yet, the candidates are prepared for when the selection process comes. Bob Regola (PSLS Legislative Chair and PSLS Lobbyist) and I met with Senator Pat Stefano R-PA (Senate District 32), Executive Director Jen Smeltz, and District Director John Frick at the Senator’s office in Connellsville, PA, to discuss several legislative matters impacting our profession. The PSLS sponsored a hole for Senator Pat Stefano’s golf outing in Bedford Springs, PA. Bob and I attended and had productive conversations with the Senator before the outing and after the reception. PSLS also sponsored, and Bob and I attended a benefit for Senator Kim Ward (Senate President Pro Tempore). She is the first woman in the history of the Pennsylvania Legislature to serve as Senate Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader in either the Pennsylvania House or Senate. At the benefit, Senator Ward updated us on several matters currently affecting the Senate this term. South Central Chapter members met with Representative John Joyce of Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in Gettysburg. They discussed “The Sense of Congress” resolution. Legislatively, SB 403 was voted out of the Senate CPPL committee in November. From our meetings with Senator Stefano’s office, we have defined a path moving forward with old HB 609. We also finalized the next steps for the Right of Entry and State Plan Coordinate System Law. To continue this momentum, I encourage everyone to donate to the PSLS PAC Fund. Together we were able to grow the PAC Fund this year, but we are still behind. These funds provide PSLS the opportunity to make our voice heard. We must stay active in protecting our profession!
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
PRESIDENT‘S MESSAGE - CONTINUED
The PSLS Education Committee has been very busy organizing the upcoming Surveyor’s Conference to be held in Hershey, PA, from January 21-24, 2024. The matrix of classes being offered is complete and touches a wide variety of topics. Currently, registration is open. The PSLS Education Committee also organized 12 webinars/virtual events throughout the year. The PSLS Membership Committee has also been very busy and met many of our goals this year. Membership numbers are up again this year from last year, which is fantastic! The student and associate categories grew the most which was a focus of the committee. PLS memberships also continued to grow. We have organized a VIP party at the conference, and I encourage all members to attend. The Membership Partner Program continues to be a big hit. Check out the website on how to become a Partner. Also, if you are not yet a PSLS member, please look on our website for details on how to become a member. As I leave my PSLS President position, I want to thank all of you for your hard work this year. All of us are volunteers, and I know firsthand the commitment it takes to make this Society a success. It is a team effort and I want to thank all of you! A special thanks to Kelly Ameen, PSLS Executive Director. I want to welcome Larry Leso as our next PSLS President. Larry is very passionate about our profession, and I know he will do a great job leading this Society in 2024. Finally, I want to stress the importance of investing in our profession. As we experience a decrease in the number of surveyors getting licensed, investment is now more important than ever. We need volunteers to serve on our committees, executive board, and chapter boards. If you want to volunteer, please contact us at psls@psls.org or look for signup sheets at the conference. Get involved in the current legislative matters by reading the publications we send out and talking to your representatives and senators. Please continue to be active in your chapters. Continue to get together, discuss our profession, and bounce ideas on how we can continue to attract more young people. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Pete E. Brothers, PLS 2023 PSLS President
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
F e a t ur e d Series
THOUGHTS ON PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & EDUCATION SERIES:
MULTIPLE DISCIPLINE LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS BY: KNUD E. HERMANSEN P.L.S., P.E., PH.D., ESQ.
This is the ninth article I have prepared in the series offering thoughts on professional practice and education. In this article, I discuss multiple discipline licenses ance certifications. Contrary to many of my other articles, I doubt there are opposing sides that wish to argue or advocate for or against what I write. Though I suppose there will always be one or two readers that may wish to dispute what I have written. I use the term ‘license’ and the term ‘certificate’ to indicate separate and distinct achievements. As I will use these terms in this article, a license is an authorization to practice that is governed by a separate government board. Various state laws require a person have this authorization in order to provide some defined service to the public. A certificate, on the other hand, is generally an accomplishment used to indicate some special knowledge, achievement, or skill set of the certificate holder. Many certifications are controlled by private or government organizations that have taken it upon themselves to exert knowledge or skilled based dominion over some special body of knowledge or skill. The necessity of having the certificate to provide a service is usually governed by private contract, local law, or agency regulation rather than state statute or mandatory regulation. What I mean by multiple licenses or certifications is that the licensed surveyor is also licensed or certified in some other profession, specialty, practice, or trade. For example, in addition to my surveying license, I also hold licenses as a professional engineer and attorney at law.
I think a vast majority find their licenses and certificates useful and profitable. After all, if not useful or profitable, licenses and certificates can be dropped or relinquished. Some of the most common licenses that are held by land surveyors in conjunction with their survey license include: professional engineer, forester, landscape architect, attorney, realtor, and septic system designer. Certifications are more numerous and widespread among surveyors. Certifications that are popular among licensed surveyors include: photogrammetrist, wetlands specialist, notary, OSHA, federal surveyor, project manager, floodplain manager, drone operator, and hydrographer, to name a few. The term ‘certification’ is often attached to the name of the specialty, the entirety abbreviated, and placed after the surveyor license such as a certified floodplain manager (CFM) or certified federal surveyor (CFedS). Additional licenses are not easy to obtain and often require extra college courses, additional degrees, experience, and testing. Though there are exceptions to this statement such as the licensed real estate agent (realtor). I am unaware of any state that offers a realtor degree though I would not be surprised to be informed of some university program that does offer such a degree. Thirty years in college teaching has shown a degree is easily initiated at an institution based on the attraction of the degree name among the inexperienced youth rather than the needs of society or demands of the society. I am not going to discuss how to obtain two or more licenses in detail since state law often governs the ease or difficulty of such endeavors.
I don’t think multiple discipline licenses or certificates are always necessary. I do think other professional licenses and certifications can be helpful and profitable especially if connected to land surveying services. I would estimate that half the licensed surveyors that have practiced for ten or more years hold other professional licenses or certificates along with their survey license.
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
MULTIPLE DISCIPLINE LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS - CONTINUED
I believe two or more licenses is best obtained while young with grand plans or while old and unfulfilled dreams (bucket list), or frustrated with just one license. I make this statement because the work and effort required for the second license is not always commiserate with employment, family, and other commitments that the typical life of a middle age married adult with children will allow. I should note that often one license can be obtained with just an undergraduate degree in surveying and a second license obtained with a graduate school degree in another field. Such is the case when obtaining a law degree. Certificates are easier to obtain as they seldom require a specific degree, though wetlands specialist is often an exception requiring a degree focused on soil science, biology, or botany. Most certificates are gained by experience and testing or in a few cases, just testing. Information for obtaining certifications is readily available on the internet. Experience has shown that many certifications are gained by happenstances where services are performed in the area leading the practitioner to conclude the next step toward certification is easily taken or they wish to focus on providing certain services where a certification makes it more likely they will be contracted for the services. I would encourage surveyors to seek licenses or certifications in fields or services they enjoy or wish to pursue. I would encourage young people about to embark on the path to a surveying career to examine their options and to make the most of their college experience. I suspect I am not the only person that wishes they had deviated somewhat in youthful pursuits to make the most of a professional career. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Knud E. Hermansen began his surveying career in the United States Marine Corps over 30 years ago. After completion of basic training, Knud was sent to surveying school and spent the next three years with the 2nd Topographic Platoon, 8th Engineer Battalion performing control surveys throughout the world. After his discharge from active duty as a sergeant, Knud worked for various consulting firms providing a wide range of services involving boundary surveys, site development, and engineering. During the last several years, Knud has provided consulting services in land surveying, civil engineering, and law. Much of Knud’s present consulting activities involve boundary disputes, easements, land development, liability, title, and contract issues. * Other books and articles by Knud can be found at https://umaine.edu/svt/faculty/hermansen-articles/
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
SIDE-SHOT FROM HARRISBURG As the first half of the 2023-2024 legislative session comes to an end, the legislators will be returning home for the holidays. We had several key meetings, had many discussions and attended several events. With regards to the above hard work, SB 403 (licensing update) and removing an existing barrier to becoming a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor was voted unanimously out of the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. The next step will be for a full Senate vote and then moved to the House. With regards to the residual of the PSLS agenda, as of now, we will be addressing the following: 1. Right-of-Entry 2. Updating the Registration Law (Act of 1945) 3. State Plane Coordinate System Law With everything that was mentioned, we will have a very active second half of the legislative session. The proposed 2024 legislative session schedule for the first half of the year is as follows: House Session Schedule: Jan. 2 - non voting Feb. 6 March 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 April 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30 May 1, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22 June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Senate Session Schedule: Jan. 2, 16, 17 Feb. 5, 6, 7 March 18, 19, 20 April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30 May 1, 6, 7, 8 June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
With the amount of legislation that PSLS is attempting to get done and to accomplish our agenda, we must continue to donate to the Political Action Committee (PAC). This will enable us to discuss pending legislation affecting the profession and allow us to protect the interests of surveyors. I encourage everyone to consider donating to the PAC so that we can protect our profession! Let’s not forget that the PAC is our voice!! Please visit our website at www.psls.org to donate.
BOB REGOLA, PLS STATE LOBBYIST, REGOLA CONSULTING, LLC 6
DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
CAPITOL CONTOURS A few highlights since our last update include: In October, the Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on H.R. 2855, the Sinkhole Mapping Act, sponsored by Reps. Darren Soto (D-FL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). Rep. Soto highlighted that the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society (FSMS) and NSPS are supporters of the bill. In October, new regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon Act went into effect. The Davis-Bacon Act requires the payment of the "prevailing wage" to workers involved in any federally funded construction project. This includes state or local projects that include federal funds. The prevailing wage is established by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. The act applies to "laborers and mechanics." The new regulations expand the application of the act to certain members of survey crews and deems certain activities of survey crews to be defined as laborers and mechanics. The rule only applies to surveying services such as "construction stake out" and does not apply to other activities such as topographic or boundary surveys. A licensed professional surveyor and a party chief are considered supervisory and not subject to the act. The new rules are very muddled, particularly with regard to their application to survey crews. NSPS opposed new rules during the public comment period. Inasmuch as President Joe Biden has repeatedly bragged about being "the most pro labor union president in history" efforts to exempt or be more limited with regard to survey crews have fallen on deaf ears in the Department of Labor. A legal challenge to the new regulations was filed by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). In November, Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) introduced legislation to overturn implementation of the Biden Administration's controversial new regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon Act. The resolution, H.J.Res.103, introduced with 22 co-sponsors, utilizes a law known as the Congressional Review Act to rescind the rules. Approval by the House and Senate, and a signature by President Joe Biden, is required for the resolution to become law. NSPS is listed in the Congressional news release as a supporter of the resolution. In November, President Biden signed an Executive Order on artificial intelligence that seeks to balance the needs of cutting-edge technology companies with national security and consumer rights, creating an early set of guardrails that could be fortified by legislation and global agreements. The order, which will likely need to be augmented by legislation, seeks to steer how AI is developed so that companies can profit without putting public safety in jeopardy. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is to create standards to ensure AI tools are safe and secure before public release. The Commerce Department is to issue guidance to label and watermark AI-generated content to help differentiate between authentic interactions and those generated by software. In November, Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Pete Aguilar (D-CA) introduced H. Res. 868, expressing support for National GIS Day, Nov. 15. In a news release announcing the resolution, Rep. Curtis recognized both his co-sponsor and NSPS. It included a quote from NSPS President Bob Akins, PLS, “The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) commends Representatives Curtis and Aguilar for their leadership and initiative introducing the GIS Day resolution. The land surveying profession and GIS community are working hand in hand in mapping and cataloging the nation's vast infrastructure, disaster planning and recovery efforts, floodplain management, natural resources and other important public policies for the protection and safety of the public.” NSPS assisted in drafting the 2023 resolution, to recognize both the private sector and public sector roles in GIS, as well as the importance of GPS: “Whereas GIS professionals store and manage their data in new ways given that high accuracy global positioning (GPS) technology has evolved greatly over decades, with 2023 also marking the 50th anniversary of GPS providing America and the world innumerable and incalculable benefits.” In November, as an affiliate member of the GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA), NSPS was involved in a forum and reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Global Positioning System (GPS). NSPS Federal Lobbyist John "JB" Byrd participated in the event where Senate GPS Caucus co-chairs U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) addressed the importance of GPS. A video produced for the celebration included positioning in surveying and the application of surveying to infrastructure projects, as well as precision agriculture. In December, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 6494, the Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2023. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety programs for the next 4 years and provides an efficient and effective framework to advance the safety of energy infrastructure across the United States. The bill expands leading practices for preventing excavation damage, directs the National Academies to study PHMSA's integrity management regulations and their impact on safety, and requires PHMSA to maintain a list of industry standards considered for adoption and the agency's adjudication of those standards, and creates a system to encourage voluntary information sharing from stakeholders.
JOHN "JB" BYRD FEDERAL LOBBYIST, NSPS 7
DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
RAIN DAY By: Eric Gladhill, PLS
The prospects of a rain day – a break in outdoor work activities – used to cause much excitement among the field surveyors. When rain was forecast for the day, the field crews would show up at the office and get several hours of pay, even if we didn’t go out in the field due to inclement weather. We were usually given some menial; seemingly trivial tasks that were much easier than cutting brush or pounding stakes. There were always steel tapes to clean and oil. We’d strip them off of the reels and string them throughout the garage or basement office where the survey crews met in the mornings. We also had some tool handles to replace. Each truck had spare brush hooks, axes, and sledge hammers, and usually one or two with broken handles. The machetes and brush hooks always needed to be sharpened. Learning theses skills of handle replacement and sharpening tools with a mill bastard file was as important as holding a plumb bob steady or “chaining” – measuring with a steel tape. If the boss really wanted to get his money’s worth from our two-hours of “show-up time”, he’d have us pull the toolbox from the back of the survey truck, clean out the truck and do any necessary repairs to the old plywood box to make it last another year. There was always a pile of sawdust laying in the truck. The hub stakes were made of oak, but the grade stakes were made of poplar. When that sawdust got wet, the sour, dank smell was unpleasant and we were glad to clean that up. After we completed the tasks assigned to us, we had the rest of the day to ourselves! That’s a dangerous prospect for a bunch of young men with nothing better to do than to find a bar that was open. What was even better was one that served a good sandwich and had a pool table. As the rain pelted the windows outside, we drank pitchers of beer, played music on the jukebox, and played game after game of pool. One day we discovered Pac-Man! Yep, that’s the era when this was the standard practice. Even my father, who grew up on a farm, used to tell me how much he would enjoy a rain day. His reasons were the same as mine; it meant a carefree day with a break from the normal work routine. He had to leave school after finishing the eighth grade so that he could work on the farm. Of course, in those days, the work was very laborious; plowing with horses, cutting trees with a cross-cut saw, and blowing up stumps with dynamite purchased at the local hardware store! He told me that having an opportunity to sit and read magazines or take a trip to the store was a nice reprieve from all of that hard work. In my early days of surveying, I did my share of working on projects that were more than two hours from the home office; in fact, that was the situation with my very first assignment. When working out-of-town and staying in a motel, rain days meant a full day of loafing. It could be boring, but we found it satisfying to have a day off while we sat in the motel room and watched cartoons, re-runs, and game shows. I wrote about some of our out-of-town shenanigans in my book Finding My Boundaries – Interesting People I’ve Met While Surveying, but I didn’t mention the long days that we spent inside when it rained all day. After we got tired of watching daytime television programming (usually around noon) we took a drive; maybe just to explore the surrounding communities, but more likely to get lunch in a smoky dive bar where the beer was cold and pool tables were open. Some days we even went to the laundromat to wash some of our dirty jeans and sweatshirts. These days, the survey technicians can usually find some office work to do; pulling deeds and plotting them, or getting coordinates set for upcoming stakeout jobs. Many of these young guys would rather don some rain gear and find something to do in the field. The robotic total stations and GPS receivers are mostly waterproof, but it only takes one broken seal to allow water into the circuits and ruin some components. I say, “Take it easy, and enjoy a rain day now and then!” 8
DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
We hope to see you at the conference from January 21-24 in Hershey, PA! Check out the great line up of sessions and speakers! There will be opportunities at the conference to network with others in the surveying community. We will also be hosting a “Member Appreciation Party” on Monday evening after the banquet full of games, live music, snacks, and beverages. This is a members-only event that you won’t want to miss! Bringing a guest with you? Check out the guest program agenda! The exhibit hall is sold out, but there are still sponsorship opportunities available. Check out the many ways you can market your company to the land surveying profession in Pennsylvania! We have revamped the sponsorship packages to give companies more exposure and recognition. View the conference website for more details.
THANKS TO OUR EXHIBITORS & SPONSORS
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
Member Spotlight Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in southern New Jersey, but moved to Delaware County, PA about 18 years ago. I now live with my wife Elena, son Connor (13) and daughter Maggie (10) in Havertown. I went to Drexel and obtained a Degree in Civil Engineering and then went to NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) and obtained a degree in Land Surveying. My claim to fame is that I have been in all 50 states, and I have driven across the country numerous times including a trip to Alaska and have been able to achieve the goal of having driven through all 49 continental states. I have been an active member of a Philadelphia String Band, with my dad, son and cousins for over 30 years and annually perform in the Philadelphia New Year’s Day Mummers Parade.
What is the most unique project you have worked on, and why? I had the opportunity to work on the home ballpark for the Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park, when it was first constructed and also in later years when alterations and additions were made. It was special as I worked on it while wearing both my Engineering and Surveying hats. Second to the ballpark, was my time spent working on the Wildwood Convention Center, in Wildwood, New Jersey. As a college student, it was really hard to top having a job that required me to complete a topographic survey of the beach, boardwalk and adjacent lands during the summer months.
Did you have a mentor, and if so, how did it affect your career? I did and still do have a mentor. I am proud to say that Glenn McAllister took me under his wing when I met him at work. Although I was working for the Civil Engineering Department, he made a point to come by and talk to me about Survey, ask for my help with tasks and other survey related items. He piqued my interest in surveying and then, over the next 5 years, helped me get my education. We still talk most weeks just to catch up, and I do not hesitate to call him when I need assistance with a problem. Without Glenn, I would not be where I am today.
What advice can you give to young surveyors? One of the hardest parts about getting started in surveying is understanding why your party chief is doing what they are doing. Learning the art and skill of being able to visually inspect a property and know where to look for property monument and evidence should be is a tough task, and I think by the time young surveyors realize how important it is (and that they haven’t mastered it), they have moved up on their career ladder and no longer get the opportunities to hone that skill.
If you were reincarnated as a famous landmark, what would it be and why? There is a national park in Iceland, Thingvellir National Park, where the Continental plates of Europe and North America meet. It is one of the few places in the world where evidence of the continental drift is visible. I always find it amazing when these concepts that we learned in elementary school as abstract ideas come back to us as real actual things. It’s amazing that you can stand in this place and see, how in as little as 100 years, the impact that two plates drifting apart can have on the terrain.
Tell us an interesting or funny surveying story. On my first surveying internship, my party chief drilled into my head the importance of not moving the instrument until we had completed the last check shot on our backsight. I quickly learned that without that check shot, we wouldn’t have any way to confirm that they previous locations were correct. One day, we were set up on the center of a railroad tie of a small tourist train route that ran twice a day….at a top speed of 10 miles an hour, we didn’t have active watchpersons, but we had permission from the railroad to be on the tracks for the survey. While set up there, I noticed the train, easily a mile away, coming toward me. I quickly radioed my Party Chief, who was a quite a distance from our backsight and asked, “Jim, what should I do, here comes a train?!” I didn’t realize how slow the train was moving, and thought he needed to run to get the backsight reading. Jim’s response over the radio was calm and simple. “Larry, if you don’t want to get hit by the train, you should pick up and move away from the track.” I still laugh at that situation, especially when I’m in railroad safety training. His answer was so simple and yet the thought never crossed my mind. I was so focused that we needed to get the check shot before I picked up.
LARRY LESO, PLS, PE
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
RECORDED WEBINARS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! Are you looking to expand your professional development? The Pennsylvania Land Surveying Institute (PLS Institute) is a hub for recorded webinars on essential topics to the surveying profession. PLS Institute recorded webinars are eligible for credit/Professional Development Hours (PDHs) in Pennsylvania. We hope this allows you to learn and earn credit/PDHs when it is most convenient, to further your professional development at your own pace. There are currently fourteen archived webinars available for purchase. Pricing is $50 per hour for members and $70 for non-members. The webinars vary in length from 1-3 hours. Make sure to log into your PSLS online account to get the member discount.
JOB BOARD Assistant Surveyor and Regulator, City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Professional Land Surveyor - MDM Surveyors & Engineers, LLC; Warrendale (Allegheny County), PA
Books Available Survey Project Manager - Langan, Philadelphia, PA
Survey Instrument Operator - Robert E. Blue Consulting Engineers, P.C., Blue Bell, PA
Books make another great gift! Check out the books available through the PSLS store here. There are currently 7 books related to surveying available!
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PSLS Shirts Are you looking for a good gift for a fellow surveyor or for yourself?! PSLS now has button-down business shirts and crew neck sweatshirts available in the PSLS online store. Thanks to the Delaware Valley Chapter for coordinating the creation and distribution of this apparel. Get your new PSLS apparel before it sells out!
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
SPORTSBOOK PLS FOUNDATION FANTASY FOOTBALL PSLS and the PLS Foundation are excited to facilitate the 3rd annual Fantasy Football League. All proceeds go to the PLS Foundation to support its scholarship programs. The PLS Foundation Fantasy Football regular season ended with the Hungry, Hungry Hippos (Christine Kent) and the Urban Terrain Utes (Derek Horneman) wining their respective division titles and securing a first round playoff bye. The four other playoff teams: Big Mike's Posse (Mike Given), Ghost Riders (Katherine Shewman), Urban Bourbon (Logan Sayre) and Legion of Doom (Rich Shewman) were competing in the first round of playoffs this weekend. The winner will receive rights to the championship trophy and have their name engraved on it. The league championship trophy will be presented at the annual PSLS Surveyors’ Conference in January.
SURVEYOR CLIP FILE Submit GNSS or Leveling Data for Initial NSRS Modernization Rollout by February 29, 2024 Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half a Million in 2023, Says ABC Vantage Point: Reauthorizing the NFIP: 2023 Edition
Surveying for a Sustainable Future
Cyberhawk Selects Phase One to Revolutionize Drone-Based Industrial Inspection
Below are the teams that are participating (in no particular order). Urban Distilling (Randy Miller) Legion of Doom (Richard Shewman) Team Brothers (Pete Brothers) Step2TheSide (Michael Kreiger) Philly Philly Spellmania (Dave Spellman) Urban Bourbon (Logan Sayre) Ghost Riders (Katherine Shewman) PLI n’ at (Chris Walker) Urban Terrain Utes (Derek Horneman) King Henry’s Surveyors (Christine Kent) Big Mikes Posse It’s a Given (Mike Given) Control Pnt FT Warren, NJ (John Lynch)
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
BEFORE YOU GO...... “Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” THOMAS EDISON
Random Headlines: Decide what to eat: A tuna melt, brownies, and tender meatballs all made this list of the year’s most popular recipes. Let it snow: This map shows your probability of a white Christmas based on past satellite data. Watch: An expert explains how to wrap gifts. Feast your eyes: The 17 best streets in the US to see Christmas lights. Learn: Why Neanderthals might be responsible for your being a morning person.
Most Popular Cars Experian released its list of the top 10 new cars by registration in the US last quarter. We’ll give you the make of the vehicle, but you have to determine the model. See how many you can get. 1. Ford _____ 2. Tesla _____ 3. Toyota _____ 4. Chevrolet ______ 5. Honda ______ 6. Toyota ______ 7. Nissan ______ 8. Toyota ______ 9. Toyota ______ 10. Tesla _______
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
PSLS OFFICERS
State Directors
Officers:
Allegheny Heartlands Chapter: Joseph Hood, PLS & James Mostoller, PLS Bucks Chapter: Brian Yorkiewicz, PLS & David Spellman Delaware Valley Chapter: Jason Bertzos, PLS & Karl Kriegh, PLS Harrisburg Chapter: John Clark III , PLS & James Hartman, PLS Laurel Highlands Chapter: Ryan Deglau & Randall Myers, PLS Lehigh Valley Chapter: Stephen Ombalski, PLS & Arthur Swallow, PLS Mid-State Chapter: David Archibald, PLS & Gregory Shufran, PLS North Central Chapter: K Robert Cunningham, PLS Northeast Chapter: Glenn Johnson, PLS & Brent Birth, PLS Northwest Chapter: Ryan Courtney, PLS & Allen Yard, PLS Pocono Chapter: Gregg Davis, PLS & Brian Zick, PLS Reading Chapter: John Fuehrer, PLS & John Huck, PLS South Central Chapter: Thomas Farcht, PLS & Timothy Rojahn, PLS Southwest Chapter: Donald Groesser, PLS & Vincent Paparella, PLS Susquehanna Chapter: Matthew Madden, PLS & Robert Weaver, PLS
Pete Brothers, PLS, President Lawrence Leso, PLS, President - Elect Dylan Sites, PLS, Vice President Troy Leighty, PLS, Secretary Terry, McMillen, Jr., PLS, Treasurer & Immediate Past President Michael Given, PLS, NSPS Director
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DECEMBER 2023 | THE PENNSYLVANIA SURVEYOR
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Sustaining Member Firms Carlson Software Attn: Mike Hyman 357 Baldwin Rd Fulson, NY 13069 P: 585-737-1800 mhyman@carlsonsw.com https://www.carlsonsw.com/ Civil Training, LLC
Attn: John Cooke 5300 Wellington Branch Drive, Suite 100 Gainesville, VA 20155 P: 732-859-8353 F: 732-377-5454 john.cooke@civiltraining.com www.civiltraining.com
Keystone Precision Solutions Attn: George Allport, Jr. 1670 East Race Street Allentown, PA 18109 P: 610-266-2699 georgejr@keypre.com www.keypre.com Klein Agency, LLC
Attn: Mark Amirault PO Box 219 Timonium, MD 21094 P: 410-832-7600 F: 410-832-1849 mamirault@eakagency.com www.kleinagencyllc.com
Porter Consulting Engineers, P.C. Attn: L. Ashley Porter 552 State Street, Meadville, PA 16335 P: 814-337-4447 aporter@pceengineers.com https://www.pceengineers.com/
Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Attn: Jason E. Chernich, PLS 279 N. Zinns Mill Road Lebanon, PA 17042 P: 717-272-7110 jchernich@steckbeck.net Szalankiewicz Engineering
Attn: James Szalankiewicz PO Box 206 Elderton, PA 15736 P: 724-354-4852 sellc@windstream.net
Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc. Attn: Eric Calladine 5300 Wellington Branch Dr., Suite 100 Gainesville, VA 20155 P: 703-679-5600 F: 703-697-5601 ecalladine@wetlandstusies.com www.wetlandstudies.com
Cooper Aerial Surveys
Attn: Pete Priestner 412 East Street Rd. Trevose, PA 19053 P: 800-229-2279 pete@cooperaerial.com www.cooperaerial.com
Keystone Custom Homes Attn: Thomas Blasi 227 Granite Run Drive, Suite 100 Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601 P: (570) 447-9380 tblasi@keystonecustomhome.com https://www.keystonecustomhome.com/
Precision Laser & Instrument, Inc. Attn: Robert J. Barth 85 11th Street Ambridge, PA 15003 P: 724-266-1600 F: 724-266-8161 rjb@laserinst.com www.laserinst.com
Answers: Daniel Radcliffe, Dakota Johnson, Travis Kelce, Jason Derulo, Brie Larson, Joe Jonas, Alex Morgan
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About The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors The Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS), a statewide professional organization, exists for the purpose of supporting, improving and enhancing the profession, its members, and the practice of land surveying. PSLS focuses on providing education, legislative involvement, enhancing the public awareness, and the promulgation of the ethics of the profession.
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HAVE A QUESTION? KELLY IS HERE TO HELP! (717) 442-1946
psls@psls.org