Ballots for NSPS Officer elections have been emailed. Look for an email from the NSPS ballot service: NSPS@intelliscaninc.net. If you are a voting member of LSAW and did not receive a ballot from NSPS, please reach out to the LSAW Executive Office at info@LSAW.org or 888-994-2845.

Candidates for NSPS Secretary

Nancy Almanzan (WFPS Endorsed Candidate)

Craig Amey (Incumbent)

Candidates for NSPS Vice President

Jeff Clendenning (WFPS Endorsed Candidate)

Tim Murphy

James Nicolau, IV

Additional candidate information including bios and podcasts are avaialable at: https://www.nsps.us.com/page/Meetthecandidates

LSAW encourages you to research the candidates and cast your vote by the December 21st deadline.

Western Federation of Professional Surveyors (WFPS) held a Meet the NSPS Candidates Town Hall. The event was recorded and is available at https://tinyurl.com/tujjzjc3

NGS and LSAW want to thank all participants in the GPS on Benchmarks campaign to update GEOID18 and the transformation tool for the next NSRS Datum release. 

NGS is still accepting GPS on Benchmarks for future use and now accepts observations using Real Time Networks!  

If you or anyone you know was involved in sending data to NGS for the GPS on Benchmarks Campaign, we want to hear your story. 



Please send a short synopsis including people involved, company/organizational support, data sheet, recovery notes and photos of the observed points for future coverage by LSAW including a possible article in the Evergreen State Surveyor or LSAW newsletter. 

Send information to NSRS Chair Tom Barger at npslsaw.secretary@gmail.com.

The LSAW Board of Directors met at Clark College on November 4, 2023. Below are the highlights from the meeting and reports included in the agenda.

The Fall Seminar on November 3^rd was well attended with featured speaker Kris Kline providing an overview of the LSAW Common Law Book update. The book is available for purchase at www.lsaw.org for $149 (Member price).

The 2024 Conference will be held February 28 – March 1 at the Tulalip Resort & Casino. The Conference Committee has confirmed featured speakers including Gary Kent, Davey Edwards, Dave Doyle, and Brian Ballantyne. Program information and registration are available at www.lsaw.org

LSAW will return to the Tulalip Resort & Casino in 2025 and then head to Spokane in 2026.

Officer Elections were held and the 2024 LSAW State Officers are:

Amanda Free, President (by succession)

Desi Schilling, President-Elect

Luke Lymangrover, Vice President

Brett Flippo, Secretary (serving first year of first two-year term)

Doug Vogt, Treasurer (serving second year of first two-year term)

Tony Chenier, Immediate Past President (by succession)

The Executive Office will lead an effort to update the 2011 Reference Manual along with the support of a newly created Reference Manual Ad Hoc committee.

The LSAW Legislative Committee, chaired by Mike McEvilly, plans to host an in-state lobby day this upcoming year.

A LSAW strategic planning session will be held following the May 2024 Board of Directors meeting.

The last membership dues increase was in 2019. Based on the increased cost of supplies, meetings, etc. the Board approved a membership dues increase of $15 for 2024.

A position for LS Member of the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors will be opening when Jim Wengler completes his term in 2024. Those considering applying for the position that would like an endorsement from LSAW should contact the LSAW Executive Office. An overview of the position was provided at the November Board meeting:

• The term is five years and a member can be appointed for a second five-year consecutive term.
• Position requires attendance at six board meetings, the NCEES annual meeting, and NCEES Western Zone meeting.
• In addition to meetings, board members also review enforcement cases.
• Including the travel and attendance at meetings, the position averages seven hours a week.

The Evergreen State Surveyor (ESS) magazine will be published four times per year now. Editor Ben Petersen encouraged LSAW members to help support the magazine by adding their business card to help offset the expense of the magazine. Larger ad space is also available for survey firms desiring more exposure and is great for firms recruiting efforts. Information on advertising is available at: https://lsaw.org/ess_magazine.html Special thanks to ESS current advertisers Frontier Precision and Carlson. Your support is appreciated!

NSPS elections will take place soon. Watch for your ballot to be sent via email. The spring meetings and NSPS Lobby Day will be held at the end of April.

Outreach Committee Chair, Chris Jepson will be sending a letter asking each Chapter to identify an Outreach Coordinator for their Chapter.

The Western Regional Survey Conference will be held at the end of March in Las Vegas.

GPS on Benchmarks has ended. Thank you to those who helped out with this effort!

Make sure you are signed up for the DNR Survey Advisory Board Listserv to stay informed of current actions. https://dnr.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c02727eba32708644be290819&id=8aea9a1d67

Be sure to subscribe to the LSAW Calendar (google calendar) or check back often as Chapter and other events are added.

Future Meeting Dates:

February 28 – March 1, 2024 – LSAW Annual Conference at Tulalip Resort & Casino

March 2, 2024 – Board of Directors Meeting at Tulalip Resort & Casino

LSAW CONFERENCE Traversing to Tulalip

February 28 - March 1

FEATURED SPEAKERS & PROGRAMS

DAVE DOYLE, PLS

DAVEY EDWARDS, PLS

GARY KENT, PLS

BRIAN BALLANTYNE, PLS

JOHN BROCK, PLS

CFEDS WORKSHOP

SURVEY TECHNICIAN TRACK

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Early Bird Pricing Ends January 30th

LSAW Member Rate: $475

Non-Member Rate: $650

HOTEL INFORMATION

Tulalip Resort & Casino

Room Rate: $159

Phone Reservations: 866-716-7162

Cut-off Date (phone reservations) January 30th

Cut-off Date (online reservations) January 24th

EXHIBIT & SPONSOR INFORMATION

Don’t miss this chance to secure an exhibit booth or one of our sponsorship opportunities! All exhibit space and sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

APS

Frontier Precision

Beasurveyor.com has undergone a complete redesign, tailored specifically to engage K-12 audiences. With a sleek new design and user-friendly interface, the website is geared toward making surveying accessible and exciting for young minds. The updated aesthetics, curated videos, and intuitive navigation are sure to captivate students and educators alike.

Surveying Outreach Resource Page

One of the standout features of the redesigned website is the Surveying Outreach Resource Page. This section is a treasure trove for surveyors interested in outreach and educators looking to incorporate surveying into their curriculum. It offers a variety of valuable resources. You can download lesson plans for classroom activities, access surveying presentations, play videos and even order materials for speaking engagements or career fairs. For those new to outreach, the "Outreach 101" section offers guidance on how to effectively engage students and the broader community in surveying. It's the perfect starting point for surveyors eager to share their knowledge.

Why Focus on K-12 Education?

The decision to cater to K-12 audiences is a strategic move. After a yearlong research project, results pushed for outreach efforts to be aimed mainly at K-12 demographics. By introducing surveying to students at an early age, beasurveyor.com aims to kindle an interest that could turn into a lifelong passion and a career choice. Although K-12 is the main target audience, the website and outreach plan will incorporate college students, ex-military, and others looking for a change in career.

Get Started Today

Together, we can inspire the next generation of surveyors and change the way they perceive the world around them. Visit the new and improved beasurveyor.com today and be a part of the surveying revolution!

Participating in career technical education (CTE) events, STEM events, and events focusing on school counselors, has proven successful. Special thanks to Trent Keenan for developing a poster that can be distributed at these events. The poster depicts the different paths to licensure and features QR codes along the path to resources such as Trig-Star, Get Kids Into Survey, Future Cities, NSPS CST, and more. If you are participating in an outreach event targeted toward counselors or CTE professionals and would like handout posters, please contact LSAW at info@LSAW.org

Each webinar features an NGS employee delving into a topic of interest, and generally includes a moderated question and answer session. These webinars are geared toward geospatial professionals as well as educators/students of geodesy and remote sensing. 

Registration is free, webinars are streamed via GoToWebinar, and video recordings are made available for later viewing. 

WFPS has captured over 18 hours of webinars with respected speaker Steve Parrish. The webinars are available to purchase as a full library or as individual modules.

LSAW members receive discounted member pricing! For more information, visit: http://wfps.org/ParrishSeminars.html