Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast

Jim Coan joins host Curt Sumner to talk not only about his perspective as the NSPS Director representing the Land Surveyors Association of Washington (LSAW), but also about his career and dedication to teaching those who are interested in becoming involved in surveying. He also talks about his most recent motorcycling adventure.

This episode of “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” highlights the Trig-Star program with a conversation with Jerry Juarez, Chair of the Trig-Star Committee. He recently sat down with Tim Burch to talk about the history of the program, how it works with local surveyors and schools, and the latest advancement in online testing for the competitions. Jerry shared his “sales pitch” to educators and administrators of the how the program shows the students real world applications of higher-level math. He also talks about the prize money for local, state, and national winners. Jerry also discusses scholarship opportunities for students who continue into surveying-based curriculum at colleges and universities.

If you are interested in giving back to students through surveying, then Trig-Star is your answer! For more information, go to trig-star.com for more information. And stay tuned for more great episodes of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Matt Morris, NSPS Director representing the Montana Association of Registered Land Surveyors (MARLS), joins host Curt Sumner for a conversation about his career as a licensee and business owner in Choteau, Montana.

Continuing to ask the question “What is Surveying?”, this episode of “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” connects us with Linda Foster, a professional land surveyor AND GIS professional (GISP) from South Dakota. Linda was recently appointed to the NSPS Board of Directors to represent the South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors (SDSPLS), where she served as President in 2019. Her degree in geological engineering opened the door to GIS for the forest service and an introduction to surveying. Linda recently sat down with Tim Burch to discuss our topic and provide a viewpoint as someone who wears several different geospatial hats. She shared her experiences with parcel mapping, data accuracy and precision in various uses, and how surveying, engineering and GIS complement each other. Linda describes how geospatial data will serve as guide not only for where we have been, but to also help us predict what data will be needed in the future.

Thanks for tuning into this next installment of our “What is Surveying” series and look forward to bringing many more viewpoints to you. Surveying has grown into much more than a measurement-based profession, and we will bring you those perspectives in future episodes of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

This week on “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” brings another opportunity to turn the tables on fellow surveying podcasters! Shane Neeley and Connor Brown are the hosts of “The Shane & Connor Show,” proudly presented by our affiliate and good friends at the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS). The duo recently connected with our own President-Elect, Tim Burch, to discuss how their webinar/podcast came to fruition and how giving back to the profession has become a focus point in their careers. Shane and Connor share their stories of getting started in surveying, how the profession is different in Texas versus the surrounding states, and how being involved in TSPS has provided them with personal relationships that have lasted a lifetime. They also share the importance of strong mentorship and how being open and available for those opportunities from both sides of a career-building relationship is key to enhancing one’s career.

This is a fun conversation with the “Abbott & Costello” of Texas surveying; a lighthearted talk full of wisdom and knowledge sprinkled throughout the laughs. NSPS appreciates the efforts from Shane & Connor (and TSPS!) so give their shows a listen (https://www.tsps.org/page/theshaneconnorshow). This episode of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast truly finds that surveying is alive and well deep in the heart of Texas.

This edition of “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” proudly brings a new series named “What is Surveying?” and will feature guests from all corners of the globe explaining what defines today’s surveying profession. The inaugural episode brings a titan of the GIS community, Mr. Brent Jones, URISA President-Elect. He currently oversees Esri’s worldwide strategic planning, business development, and marketing activities for land records, cadastre, surveying, and land administration. Brent recently joined our own President-Elect, Tim Burch, to discuss how technology has led to widespread geospatial data usage, advancements in the cadastral layer, and how a licensed surveyor measures up with a geographic information system professional (GISP).

This latest offering from the NSPS headquarters starts strong with Brent but look for more great guests very soon. Thanks for listening and how your own definition of surveying compares to other industry stalwarts. We hope to help answer the question of “What is Surveying” right here on the latest episode of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Are you fully caffeinated and ready for an energetic guest? Then we have the episode for you! “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” introduces us to Sherry Toutges, a professional land surveyor from California. She recently joined Tim Burch to share her career highlights from discovering surveying at Fresno State University to her current role at Caltrans. Sherry talks about providing training to new employees and utilizing her teaching skills for promoting the NSPS Trig-Star program. She also talks about the importance of mentors in surveying and how effective listening and useful criticism is key to creating great relationships. Sherry also reminded us how important being involved with your surveying associations helps building lifelong professional relationships.

We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Sherry and look forward to seeing her back in action with upcoming Trig-Star competitions. Thanks for listening to a busy episode of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

In the past, NSPS has brought you conversations with our Government Affairs about the issues, but what about the people behind the work? “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” brings a behind-the-scenes talk with the NSPS Federal Lobbyist, John “JB” Byrd. He recently joined Curt Sumner and Tim Burch for an in-person interview after our first non-virtual NSPS Executive Committee meeting in 18 months. JB shares his background into his political career to becoming a federal lobbyist; from growing up on a farm and orchard to working as a staffer on Capitol Hill, he allows a peek into his philosophy of how business, politics, and our lives in the US interact to get things done. He explains the role of lobbyist and how developing long-lasting relationships with legislators AND staffers is key to the success of our political endeavors.

Besides being able to record in a face-to-face environment, it was a pleasure to hear JB provide great insight into the sometimes-aggravating world of US politics. Thank you for tuning into this great sit-down with JB, Curt & Tim on this episode of “Surveyor Says!”

This episode of “Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast” catches up with Nolan Mark, a professional surveyor licensed in Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. He currently leads the ISPLS Young Surveyor Network and coordinates their monthly “Roundtable Tuesdays” featuring guest speakers and happy-hour networking. He recently put up his own shingle, On the Mark Surveying, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, all while he and his wife are busy raising two young boys. Nolan recently chatted with Tim Burch to discuss how an opportunity to job shadow led to his interest in surveying, how mentoring has played an important role in his career development, and his plan on carrying the survey torch by paying it forward. He shares his thoughts on the crucial role surveyors fill in today’s business world and how geospatial data is embedded in everything surveying.

Thank you for listening to this great conversation with Nolan as we appreciate your time for listening to this episode of “Surveyor Says!”