OSN Summer 2025 Final by ohiosurveyor

hio Surveying News

A publication of the Ohio Society of Professional Surveyors

Greg Biedenbach, P.S., shares his knowledge of leveling equipment and processes.

Ohio

Surveying News - Summer 2025

2025 OSPS State Committee Chairs

Surveying Represented at Yellow Springs Employment Expo ....................................... 8 License Renewals to be Sent Nov. 1 ............ 8 Thoughts on Professional Practice and Education - Faculty Licensure ................9-10 OSPS Membership Renewal ..................... 10

PLSO PAC ....................... Inside Back Cover

Sustaining Members ................... Back Cover

2025 OSPS State Officers

President

Jonathan Link, P.S.

President-Elect

Joshua Mihelcic, P.E., P.S.

Secretary

Andrew Jordan, P.S.

Treasurer

Raymond Foos, P.S.

NSPS Director

Thomas Silva, P.S.

Immediate Past President

Jeffrey Waggamon, P.S.

The Ohio Surveying News is the official publication of the Ohio Society of Professional Surveyors and is published as a service for the surveyors of Ohio and the profession in general.

Opinions expressed in articles and editorials in this newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of OSPS or any professional firm, governmental agency, or university department employing such authors.

Patrick M. Ernst, P.S., Editor

Gary Schuller, P.S., OSN Committee Chair

Awards & Recognition ..... Kevin Woeste, P.S., PLS Communications ............Joshua Mihelcic, P.E., P.S. Education ...................... Terrence Wright, P.E., P.S. Fundraising .......................... George Hofmann, P.S. Legislation .................................. Doug Nihiser, P.S. Management Review .................Jonathan Link, P.S. Membership ....................... Jeffrey Waggamon, P.S. Nominating ....................Joshua Mihelcic, P.E., P.S. Ohio Surveying News ................ Gary Schuller, P.S. Past Presidents Council ..... Jeffrey Waggamon, P.S. Political Action ....... Richard Fredrickson, P.E., P.S. Program ........................................ Kevin Stacy, P.S. Scholarship ....................... Matthew Newsome, P.S. Scholarship Fund Board ........ Franklin Snyder, P.S. Trig-Star........................................................... Open Website & Social Media .................................. Open Workforce Development ........... Thomas Silva, P.S. Young Surveyors Network............ Jonathan Youmans, P.S.

Special Committees

2022 Survey Datum ................. Raymond Foos, P.S. State Line .............................Dean Ringle, P.E., P.S. Strategic Planning .............. Jeffrey Waggamon, P.S.

2025 OSPS Chapter Delegates

Askega ...................................... William Loetz, P.S. Central Ohio ............................... Doug Nihiser, P.S. Cincinnati............................. David Hulsmeyer, P.S. Cleveland ................................. Michael Straub, P.S. Congress Lands............................... Isaac King, P.S. Firelands ................. Richard Fredrickson, P.E., P.S. Miami Valley ......................... Patrick M. Ernst, P.S. Mohican-Killbuck Valley .......... D. Lynn Snyder, P.E., P.S. Muskingum ............................ Michael Nichols, P.S. Northwest Ohio........................ Thomas Henry, P.S. Ohio Valley............................. Michael Austen, P.S. Scioto Valley ....................... Charles Chapman, P.S. Southwestern .................................... Eric Lutz, P.S. Toledo ........................................ Martin Farkas, P.S. Treaty Lands ...................... Jeffrey Waggamon, P.S. Tuscarawas Valley .................. David Bodo, Jr., P.S. Western Reserve ....................... Joseph Fenicle, P.S. University of Akron ................. Joseph Fenicle, P.S.

Greetings from the President

We are in the dog days of Summer and I know I’m not enjoying the August weather.

It’s hard to believe that I have been President for 5 months already, boy time has passed. In the first 5 months we have been working on updating our Constitution and Bylaws for the name change. Thank you to everyone on the committee.

The Awards and Recognition committee (Kevin Woeste, P.S., Committee Chair, Misha Lawson, Matt O’Bryan, P.S.) has put together some new forms for Member of the Year, Surveyor of the Past and Life Membership, which can be found on the web page. . They are working on creating some new categories/competitions to recognize work within our profession for both professionals and technicians. If you have someone in your chapter that has done outstanding work promoting the profession and/or our organization, make sure to nominate them for Member of the Year.

Our Program Committee (Kevin Stacy, P.S., Committee Chair) has been working hard on lining up presenters for both Fall Conference (October 16-17 in Hamilton) and the 2026 Annual Conference (February 18-21). They are working on adding technician sessions for Friday at the Annual Conference. Keep your eyes open for early registration for our members.

I would like to thank our Scholarship Fund and Scholarship Committees for their hard work this year. We were able to award four (4) scholarships worth a total of $6000 to students pursuing surveying degrees.

I’m still looking to fill two (2) committee chairs. One for the Social Media and Website and the other for Trig Star. If you’re interested, please contact me or Paula Hammer. If you would like to get involved at the state level, Josh Mihelcic, P.E., P.S. (President-Elect) is looking for candidates to run for officers.

I hope to see all of the Chapter Delegates and Committee Chairs for the next Board of Directors meeting on September 10th at 5:00 pm, which will be hybrid with the in person at Columbus State Delaware Campus.

Thank you,

Jon Link, P.S.

2025 PLSO/OSPS President

2025 PLSO President

Jonathan Link, P.S.

From the Editor’s Desk

Students of all ages throughout Ohio will soon be returning to campus continuing their education and the Ohio Society of Professional Surveyors (OSPS) is here to support the next generation of surveyors. This edition of the Ohio Surveying News (OSN) highlights the efforts of several members to make direct connection to middleschool and high school students. We welcome all of the new OSPS members and congratulate the recently registered professional surveyors along with fifteen (15) new student members.

Representatives from the Ohio Valley Chapter hosted a Land Surveyor Workshop in Belmont County demonstrating the various technologies utilized in data collection along with processing the data through software applications. At the other end of the state, Yellow Springs Middle/High School held an Employment Expo at its Greene County facility which was under construction at the time of the event. Miami Valley Chapter members participated in the event attended by approximately 350 students. I encourage other Chapters to work with the Workforce Development Committee to sponsor or participate in similar events.

Retired University of Maine faculty, Knud Hermansen, PhD, P.E., P.S., Esq. has generously provided OSPS with his follow-up article on Professional Practice and Education, offering insights on a proposal to mandate the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) examination as a requirement for degree completion. He lays out his reasoning in three (3) purposes all focused on the success of the graduate to obtain licensure and further their career along with counter-arguments against the requirement.

The end of 2025 marks a renewal period for all professional engineers and professional surveyors. We are reminded that the Ohio State Board of Registration (Board) will be notifying registrants via email beginning in November. Please note that the Board no longer accepts any type of paper renewals. There is still time for those that still need the required number of Professional Development Hours.

Lastly, please consider an active role in OSPS by volunteering for positions in your local chapter and/or state Executive Committee officer.

Respectfully submitted,

Patrick M. Ernst, P.S. Editor, Ohio Surveying News

Ohio Valley Chapter Hosts Workshop for Students

SubmittedbyAlSmith,P.S.,OSPSOhioValleyChapterPresident

On March 14, 2025, the Ohio Valley Chapter of OSPS began an early celebration of National Surveyor’s Week by conducting a Land Surveyor Workshop at the Belmont County Fairgrounds. The event was hosted by The Ohio State University Extension office. Megan Watson, OSU Extension Educator, was instrumental in helping to organize the program.

Opening remarks were delivered by Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively and students were welcomed by Al Smith, President of the Ohio Valley Chapter. Smith said the purpose of the event was to increase public awareness and to spark interest in a surveying career. Chapter members demonstrated multiple facets of the surveying profession and field and office processes at stations including Antique Instruments; Belmont County GIS; Robotic Stations; Leveling; Laser Scanner Mapping; GPS; and UAV Surveying.

Following the demonstrations and question and answer opportunities, lunch was served in the hall at the extension office. Active and retired members, surveyors, and other planners and attendees included Al Smith, Terry Lively, Greg Biedenbach, Thomas Crawshaw, Levin Marling, Joe Schott, Bryan Butler, Jim Ruckman (WVSPS), Roger Claus, Rick Meade (Belmont-Harrison Career Center Carpentry Instructor), Cory Weir (GHG), Andy Hadzima (Assistant Belmont County GIS Director).

This was the second such workshop held by his chapter following their 2024 event in Monroe County and Smith concluded by stating that “we are hoping to offer such an event at other counties within our chapter. I’d like to see other chapters sponsor similar programs in their area. The students really enjoyed it and some asked when they could start working in surveying!”

OSPS members, instructors, and 37 students gather for the Land Surveyor Workshop.

Rob Barr, P.S., demonstrates measurements with Robotic Total Station and 360° prism.

Welcome New Members

The following members have joined OSPS between January 1 and June 30, 2025 and been approved by the OSPS Board of Directors. Welcome all new members and thank you for your support!

MEMBER TYPE NAME

Life

CITY, STATE CHAPTER/S

Albert J. (A.J.) Myers Bexley, OH Central Ohio

Dean Ringle Dublin, OH Central Ohio

Franklin Snyder, Jr. Jefferson, OH Askega

Professional James Abt Dayton, OH Cincinnati/Southwestern

Douglas Bachman New Philadelphia, OH Tuscarawas Valley

Daniel Baker * Ludlow Falls, OH Miami Valley

Arthur Balph Hamilton, OH Cincinnati

Joshua Cottingim Camden, OH Miami Valley

John Crawford Painesville, OH Askega

Gregory Crissman * North Royalton, OH Cleveland

Bart Dennison Mount Gilead, OH Central Ohio

Aaron Deitz * Plano, TX Out of State

Michael Downhour * Gaston, OR Out of State

Wendy Fuller Auburn Hills, MI Out of State

Daniel Hickey * Williamsburg, OH Southwestern

Eric Hilty * Bloomingdale, OH Ohio Valley

William Huffman * Brentwood, TN Out of State

Isaac Jordan * Louisa, KY Out of State

Victor Koehler Upper Sandusky, OH Congress Lands

Jacob LaRue Oregon, OH Toledo

Jason Littler * Buckhannon, WV Out of State

Patrick Luginbihl Maumee, OH Northwest

Thomas Mahon * West Lafayette, IN Out of State

Ryan Maxwell * Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati

Melissa Miller Jackson, OH Scioto Valley

Sara Morrisey Lima, OH Treaty Lands

Paul Naylor Uniontown, OH Western Reserve

Justin Niese Lima, OH Northwest

Jeremiah O'Dean * Butler, PA Out of State

Charles Price Columbus, OH Muskingum Valley

Robert Price Pittsburgh, PA Out of State

Timothy Roush Waterford, OH Ohio Valley

Marcus Stenger * Belmont, OH Ohio Valley

Timothy Stocker Jr. Geneva Askega

Jake Subler Greenville, OH Miami Valley

Scott Verner * Vienna, OH Askega

Kurt Vonderheide * Martinsville, IN Out of State

Raymond Wood Reynoldsburg, OH Central Ohio

Rakeem Wright * Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati

MEMBER TYPE NAME

CITY, STATE CHAPTER/S

Associate Bennett Bohne Columbus, OH Central Ohio

Benjamin Conrad West Chester, OH Cincinnati

James Duggan Bolivar, OH Tuscarawas Valley

Kai Kallio Painesville, OH Cleveland

Kevin Strauser Jefferson, OH Askega

Affiliate Jerry Binegar Hillsboro, OH Cincinnati

Bryan Calderhead Groveport, OH Muskingum Valley

Shawna Fischer Cleveland Cleveland

Christopher J. Fluegeman West Harrison, IN Cincinnati

Kurt Ingalls Medina, OH Western Reserve

Christopher Otten Cincinnati Cincinnati

Tommy Rolph Hillsboro, OH Southwestern

Chris Skipworth Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati

Justin Wollenberg Columbus, OH Central Ohio

Logan Woods Hillsboro, OH Cincinnati

Student Andrew Baker Mason, OH Cincinnati

Paul Bretz Massillon, OH University of Akron

Liadan Conner-Park Rockton, PA University of Akron

Jackson Crane Columbus, OH Central Ohio

Jonathan England Powell, OH Central Ohio

Hannah Fitz Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati

James Grattino

Lucas Gulas

Walton Hills, OH University of Akron

Chagrin Falls, OH University of Akron

Owen Kempf Coshocton, OH University of Akron

Lorenzo Linek Newbury, OH Askega, Central Ohio

Tessa Miller Uniontown, OH Tuscarawas Valley/University of Akron

Lillian Nummi Westerville, OH Central Ohio

John Randall Mount Vernon, OH Central Ohio

Zachary Stachera Akron, OH University of Akron

William Warren Berea, OH Cleveland

Retired D. Lynn Snyder Orrville, OH Mohican-Killbuck Valley

Sustaining David Russell (CTS) Reynoldsburg, OH Central Ohio

Surveying Represented at Yellow Springs Employment Expo

SubmittedbyPatrickM.Ernst,P.S.,P.L.S.

Approximately 350 Yellow Springs students, grades 7-12, participated in the 2025 Employment Expo held on March 13, 2025 at Yellow Springs High School (YSHS) in Greene County. More than 25 various industry professionals set up booths to answer questions about the aspects of their career including the required education and state certifications.

The site of YSHS was under construction for a building expansion at the time and it provided an opportunity for students interested in civil engineering, surveying and mapping to learn the process of data collection through direct observations and remote sensing technologies.

A special thank you to the Montgomery County Engineer’s Office and LJB, Inc. for providing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This support enhanced the display of various equipment used in data collection and post-processing.

License Renewals to be Sent Nov. 1

On November 1, 2025, the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors will be emailing all active professional engineers and professional surveyors their 2026-2027 individual renewal information. Renewal notices will be emailed to the registrant’s email address on file with your online profile through the eLicense portal.

The license renewal period will run from November 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Any license renewed after December 31, 2025 will be considered late. There are no grace periods with licensure renewal. Effective January 1, 2026, all licenses not renewed will be considered expired and the registrant will not be eligible to practice engineering and/or surveying in Ohio. As of 2018, the Board no longer accepts any kind of paper/mailed renewal.

For complete details, visit the State Board’s website at peps.ohio.gov.

Patrick M. Ernst (Miami Valley Chapter) discusses the role of the professional surveyor in land development and construction activities to several students at the Yellow Springs Employment Expo.

Thoughts on Professional Practice and Education - FS Exam as a Student Graduation Requirement

ByKnudE.Hermansen,P.L.S.,P.E.,Ph.D.,Esq.

This is the second article focusing on professional practice and education. While I suspect there is support for the thoughts I am going to reveal among the profession, many academic administrators and faculty will disagree with what I am about to say. Agreement of all is never possible. Even the best of advice is often dismissed. (Not that my advice is always the best.) There is an old Jewish saying “If God lived on earth, people would break His windows.”

By way of introduction and upon which my thoughts will be measured, I introduce myself briefly. I taught surveying for more than 30 years and still do contract teaching for surveying and engineering programs. I was a surveyor and engineer for over twenty years in the military before retiring. I have been licensed in several states as a surveyor, engineer, and attorneyalmost fifty years as a surveyor. I still have an active license for each profession in at least one state.

The focus for this article will be to advocate requiring the fundamentals of surveying exam in order for a student to graduate from a surveying or geomatics program. Note, and I emphasize that I am not advocating the student pass the exam in order to graduate, merely be required to take the exam.

I suspect those reading this article are familiar with the three exams required for licensure. Briefly, the first exam is the fundamentals of surveying (FS) exam. The second exam is the professional surveyor’s (PS) exam. The third exam is the state specific exam. The FS exam tests the examinee on topics that a quality surveying program should cover in its curriculum. Most states, if not all states, allow senior college students to take the FS exam. Therefore, there is no barrier to prevent a surveying program from requiring students take the exam as a pre-requisite for graduation.

I provide three arguments for a surveying program to require students take the FS exam.

First, I believe a primary purpose for any surveying program is to provide graduates to feed the needs of employers and the profession. Whether the graduate seeks employment in the private or public sector, licensing is generally required to achieve more pay and higher positions. Licensing is required to own or manage surveying firms offering services to the public. What better way to begin the transition from academics to a professional stature than require the first professional exam while still involved in academic learning.

Second, the breadth and depth of surveying knowledge will never be more retentive than at or near graduation. After graduation, the graduate tends to increase their depth of knowledge in limited topic areas of surveying while forgetting knowledge in other topic areas. By way of example, the new employee who spends the next four years after graduation doing drone mapping is likely to have forgotten a great deal of knowledge they once possessed on boundary law, measurement adjustment, and so on. Therefore, the best chance for passing the FS exam that tests on a broad range of surveying topics is immediately prior to or shortly after graduation.

I have heard students claim they will be better able to study for the FS exam later, after they are employed and without the academic burdens of course attendance, homework, and course exams. I caution otherwise. My experience shows that the new graduate is often immersed in long hours at work and is soon distracted with marriage, home ownership, child raising, and family commitments. All too often the graduate who has not taken and passed the FS exam while in college, fails to pass the exam later or cannot commit the time to prepare and take the FS exam later.

For a third reason, I believe a graduate who has passed the FS exam, and placed this achievement on their resume at graduation, has many more opportunities for employment and advancement upon graduation than a graduate who has not taken the FS exam. An employer will seek out graduates and pay a higher wage to those who have already passed the FS exam. These students have proven a mastery of topics deemed necessary for professional practice and advancement.

Thoughts on Professional Practice and Education

Continuedfrompage13

While other compelling arguments can be made, I believe these three arguments are sufficient for those reading this article to understand the basis for my opinion. So why don’t all survey programs incorporate the requirement that students take the FS exam as a pre-requisite for graduation?

I will give two reasons that seem to be prevalent reasons told to me. The first reason is that some programs rely on, a large number of foreign nationals to increase enrollment numbers and finance university coffers that rely on tuition money. Foreign nationals have no interest or need to pass any professional exam that is not recognized or necessary in their countries of residence. Such is their disdain for this requirement that when forced to take the exam, they select answers without contemplation. These programs fear the foreign student will switch their studies to another program that does not require the FS exam for graduation.

The second reason, perhaps partnering with the first reason, is that program administrators do not want the FS scores to be used to judge the extent of their graduate’s knowledge and ultimately the quality of the surveying program. It is no secret among the profession that many surveying programs are on tenuous grounds due to low enrollment or faculty deficiencies. Often students who should not be in college, let alone a surveying program, are admitted and moved along much as many public schools move students along to graduation. Perhaps this happenstance is the eventual outcome of a society that gives a trophy to all participants, not just the winners. I will say no more as rational arguments sometimes get lost or ambushed when placed in this arena.

Having given my opinion, I now offer advice. My advice is for professional societies to press their local surveying programs to initiate this requirement if the requirement is not already a mandate. If the program seeks the support of the profession, then the profession should seek the commitment of the program toward the profession by demanding students take the FS exam.

† Other books and articles by Knud can be found at https://umaine.edu/svt/faculty/hermansen-articles/

Have you renewed your OSPS

Membership?

Invoices were emailed to current OSPS members in April. Members have until September 30, 2025 to renew before they are considered inactive.

Members can renew their membership online by logging onto their profiles at www.ohiosurveyor.org, sending a check to the OSPS Office, 6797 N. High St., Worthington, OH 43085, or by call 614/761-2313. If you did not receive your invoice, please contact OSPS at 614/761-2313 or info@ohiosurveyor.org.

The PLSO PAC Needs YOU!

The Political Action Committee (PAC) representing the interest of Ohio’s surveying community—the PLSO PAC—needs your help! This fund is used to support the efforts of our Legislative Committee by contributing to candidates who have been helpful in advancing the PLSO legislative agenda, and fund representatives to attend events that help PLSO build relationships and advance our issues.

PLSO could not have accomplished past legislative goals without the positive relationships with lawmakers built through PAC support.

The PAC is an important component of PLSO’s legislative efforts, and is in need of replenishing its funds for a busy year ahead, including defending professional licensing and obtaining immunity from trespassing through right-of-entry statute for surveyors. The fund may accept donations from individuals only (no corporate gifts permitted).

Please consider sending a contribution using the form below to PLSO PAC, 6797 North High Street, Suite 101, Worthington, OH 43085.

Together small contributions can make a BIG difference!

 Political action committees are prohibited from accepting cash contributions in excess of $100 from any one individual during the calendar year.

 Contributions must use personal funds. Ohio Campaign Finance Law prohibits political action committees from receiving corporate funds.

 Checks should be made payable to PLSO PAC CP39.

 Payments and contributions to the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio, Inc. PAC are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.