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NSPS
Since its creation in 1980, NSPS has had 34 Presidents serve as leaders of the organization. After serving as President, many, in fact most, have continued to serve the profession's national organization in a number of ways. None more so than James F. Boyer from Corryton, Tennessee. Jim served as President of NSPS in 1993, having served as Chair of the Board of Governors (1989-1990). He later served as President of ACSM. During, and after, his service in leadership, Jim continued to mentor others who came to leadership, showing us that leadership is an exercise in giving and grace. Recently, Jim again agreed to serve his home state society (Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors) as NSPS Director.
It is with great sadness that I report to you that on October 8, 2016, Jim passed away, surrounded by his family, at the Ft. Sanders Regional Hospital in Knoxville, TN. He was 76 years young.
Jim was indicative of the best of NSPS leadership. He was a small business owner with a love for the profession, and a calling to work on its behalf, even at his own expense in many cases. He will be sorely missed by the surveying profession, its state and national organizations, and mostly by those of us whose lives he influenced.
Rick Howard
NSPS Business Meeting - October 8th & 9th, 2015 - Sandusky Ohio
NSPS Director/CT, and pass Chair of the NSPS Board of Governors, Rick Howard shares with NSPS News & Views readers his reflections on the recently held 2015 Fall Business meeting of NSPS.
NSPS
The Board of Governors of the American Land Title Association (10/8/15) and the Board of Directors of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (10/9/15) have each approved the 2016 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys. This approval comes after continual acceptance, review, and response by the joint ALTA/NSPS Liaison Committee to questions/suggestions related to the standards since they were last approved in 2011. As NSPS News & Views readers are aware, many of the questions posed, and the response to them, are posted in this publication. Readers will note the name change for the standards. In consideration that ACSM was merged into NSPS a few years ago, both organizations agreed that the name should be reflective of the organizations approving the document.
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Joe Dolan, Chair, NSPS Foundation
Greetings All!
I have just returned from our NSPS national meeting, held in conjunction with the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio, in Sandusky Ohio, at the Kalahari Resort and have a few announcements.
The winning ticket for your Foundations vacation package raffle was held by Randall Myers. We will be contacting Randall, so he can choose which one of the three vacations he wants to go on!
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of James Boyer, past NSPS President, Past Chairman of the Board of Governors, current Foundation Trustee and Tennessee Director. I am proud to say he was a dear personal friend and colleague! Jim died on October 8, 2015 and is being buried today, October 12, 2015. Jim suffered from an extremely aggressive form of cancer and left us so quickly!
Jim along with Sam Best of Alaska and Charles "Chuck" Tapley, now deceased of Iowa, were the driving force in creating the NSPS Foundation! Without their efforts, there probably would not be a Foundation! Our profession is better because Jim was in it! He was such a positive force for over three decades and will truly be missed!
The health of both John Abenroth, past NSPS Treasurer, and Marlow McGowan, past NSPS Area 5 Director, has improved. Please keep them and Jim in your thoughts and prayers!
So with those thoughts in mind, I am asking all of you to seriously consider donating to the Bonnie S. Atwell Memorial Fund. This fund was established by David Atwell of Kentucky, a longtime NSPS member, officer and Foundation Trustee, after the passing of his beloved wife Bonnie in 1994! It is designed to assist surveyors that are facing medical bills not covered by insurance. You can find details of this fund and application information under the Foundation pull down on the NSPS web site.
Don’t think you need to make a large contribution all at once! Consider a small amount on a regular basis! President Jon Warren donates to the PAC on a regular basis by having a designated amount deducted from his paycheck. Most of us use online banking all the time; you can make a donation of $10.00 a week, or any amount you desire on your bill pay! You won't even have to think about it!
Remember that none of us can foresee the future! We don't know what life has in store for us! So please consider donating to the Atwell fund, you might need it tomorrow!
Joseph M. Dolan, NSPS Foundation Chair
NSPS
Host Curt Sumner will be attending a conference on Monday, October 19. Therefore, the NSPS Radio Hour will be a replay of a prior show. Please join us on October 26 for a visit with Jim Demma, a surveyor/attorney in Maryland.
If you are unable to listen to the show when it is being broadcast, listen to the archive of the show at http://www.radiosandysprings.com/showpages/ACSM.php. Archives for each show are typically available for listening within a few days after the show airs.
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NSPS
Despite a common nationwide refrain that a gridlocked Congress is accomplishing nothing, NSPS members at the fall conference in Sandusky, Ohio heard the society has been successful in making strides on a number of important issues. NSPS Joint Government Affairs Committee (JGAC) Chair Pat Smith presided over a committee meeting and presented a legislative and regulatory update to the Board of Directors. Highlights of accomplishments and progress include: Submission of a NSPS Statement for the record on pipeline safety during a field hearing held by a Senate panel last month in Billings, Montana; securing Senate Appropriations Committee report language for funding of the USGS 3DEP program; inclusion of major provisions of the FLAIR Act in a major energy infrastructure bill in the Senate; and a coalition letter sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging prompt final rules for integration of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS).
NSPS
The Maryland Society of Surveyors hosted a reception to unveil a newly restored instrument used by Mason and Dixon in their iconic survey forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (originally part of Virginia). The event, held at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, was hosted by MSS and the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers (MDSPE) during their joint fall conference. The transit will remain on display for two weeks before moving to its permanent home at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Pictured with the instrument are (L-R) Steve Jones, Patrick Simon and Chas Langelan.
NSPS
Surveyors interested in commercial operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are invited to special surveying, mapping and geospatial sessions at Drone World Expo, November 17-18 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California. The geospatial content will explore factors to consider when planning the start-up of a stand-alone UAS business, or a department in an existing surveying or mapping firm. It will kick off with a presentation on What You Need to Know Before Starting Up Your Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Department, as well as instruction on issues including system operating limitations, flight training, crew responsibilities, operator authority, client expectations, standards and licensing. MAPPS, the trade association of private sector geospatial firms, is the host of the geospatial sessions, which will make up the association’s Fall Policy Conference. Speakers at the Policy Conference will include Bryan Baker, UAS Sales Manager, Leica Geosystems; Jeff Lovin, Senior Vice President, Director of Geospatial Services, Woolpert; Andy Nickerson of Aerovel Corp.; Mike Tully, President, Aerial Services, Inc.; and David Yoel, CEO, American Aerospace, Inc.
NSPS
A dedication ceremony is scheduled for this Saturday, October 17 at 2:00 PM for the Mason and Dixon Mile Stone and MHT Historical Marker set on the east side of York Road (Maryland Route 45) at the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. The stone and sign shown in the attached pictures were set yesterday so all is ready for Saturday’s ceremony. Please attend if you can.
http://www.marylandsurveyor.org/events/event_details.asp?id=696650
http://preservationabc.org/event/unveiling-of-historic-road-marker-mason-and-dixon-line/?instance_id=2
Employment opportunities
NSPS
Employment opportunities are posted on the NSPS website.
Employers interested in posting job opportunities on the NSPS website should contact John D. Hohol at jhohol@gmail.com.
Upcoming seminars/conferences
NSPS
Due to the volume of requests we received to publish information about State Society conferences, use this link to access the information from the NSPS website.
NSPS
Registration is now open for the 2nd FIG Young Surveyors North American Meeting. Being held in conjunction with and generously hosted by the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) the meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Minneapolis, MN. As an added benefit young surveyors attending the meeting can attend the MSPS Annual Conference (February 11-12) at no charge (non-MSPS members only). The program is being finalized with these key speakers already confirmed:
- Prof. Mike Barry- Chair, Land Tenure and Cadastral Systems, Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary
- Terry Bennett- Senior Industry Strategist for Civil Infrastructure, Autodesk
- Don Buhler- Chief Cadastral Surveyor, US Dept of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
- Bryn Fosburgh- Executive Vice President, Trimble Navigation
- Ken Mooyman- President, Leica Geosystems (NAFTA)
- Jon Warren- President, National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)
- Dave Zenk- State Geodetic Advisor, NOAA- National Geodetic Survey
IMPORTANT NOTE: REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 100 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED! If you want to participate in the meeting, you must register by December 31, 2015 (subject to capacity limit of 100 attendees). Registration form and more details at: https://goo.gl/IbvayI.
Funding support for attendees provided by The FIG Foundation and Platinum Sponsors Trimble Navigation and Leica Geosystems.
The Washington Post
As rapid change and urbanization redraw the world, someone must refresh our maps so that the two-dimensional pictures that give us a common sense of where we live reflect the dynamic, shape-shifting places around us. Quite literally, this is how the U.S. government keeps track of such change: The little-known, 125-year-old U.S. Board on Geographic Names maintains a single repository of the definitive name and location of nearly every significant feature worth mapping in the United States, as well as another database of foreign places.
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GIS User
Using the power of Geographic Information Systems to track trends in everything from demographic information to pesticide and chemical use like the Pesticide Use Reporting system in California. There's also the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, filled with GIS information about crime in various areas around the country. But there's more. GIS is used to map history as well. Why is that useful?
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Dataconomy
One of the biggest challenges we face is cultural inertia, specifically resistance to change. Whether we look at academic institutions, government agencies, or commercial businesses, there have been a lot of folks who criticized, minimized, or otherwise ignored the revolution that was growing around them. Trying to get organizations, industries, or professions to change requires years of patience, persistence, and perspiration.
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Inside GNSS
Some 15 years ago, Bob Denaro predicted the disappearance of GPS into its various applications. That prediction by the former Trimble/Motorola/Navteq executive has largely been validated. Although GPS has survived in the popular consciousness as a global brand, connoting an almost magical source of location and tracking, general recognition and understanding of GNSS as a core technology within products and services has, indeed, remained murky.
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