May 2024

LSPS DISTRICT INFORMATION

District Announcements:

DISTRICT 4 - Jason Tuggle, Chairman
District 4 is planning a meeting to discuss the Standards of Practice in the next few weeks. Details on the meeting will be sent out as soon as everything is confirmed.
DISTRICT 6 - Mike King, Chairman
District 6 held a meeting on March 28, 2024 at NTB Associates, Inc. in Zachary. We enjoyed crawfish from Tony’s Seafood and a discussion on House Bills 642 and 713 led by Mr. Derek Wheat, PLS (Surveyor of the Year!). We are planning to have our next meeting in July.

If you are not an LSPS member, we would like to invite you to attend a District meeting in your area. Contact the LSPS office at lsps@lsps.net, or the chairman in your area noted above for details about upcoming meetings.

***Click here to advertise with L’Arpenteur Louisiane***

63RD ANNUAL LSPS CONVENTION

*A stormy day turned out to be a beautiful day to play golf!*

Hosted by District 8, Convention Chairman, Lee Broom, P.L.S.

The 2024 Annual Louisiana Society of Professional Surveyors (LSPS) Convention was once again hosted at the Golden Nugget Resort & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Marking the third consecutive year at this venue, the event drew a total of 302 in-person attendees, including board and committee members and 38 guest registrants, demonstrating a growing enthusiasm and engagement within the LSPS community.

A heartfelt thank you goes to all LSPS board members for their unwavering support and responsiveness, especially Shawn MacMenamin, Dillon Baronne, Derek Wheat, and Jason Westerman. Special recognition is owed to Mrs. Liz Kearney, the LSPS Executive Administrator, whose exceptional organizational skills ensured the event's success. Additionally, a sincere thanks to my wife, Hanna Broom, whose professional event planning expertise made the planning process seamless and the convention itself run flawlessly.

Kickoff with the Annual Golf Tournament

The convention began on Wednesday with the eagerly anticipated Annual LSPS Golf Tournament at The Country Club at the Golden Nugget. The tournament saw 48 players, including students from Nicholls State University and Louisiana Tech, compete for prizes and bragging rights. Coming away with the win was Team Chris Cothron, Jacob Jarrell, David Jarrell, and Kenny Boagni. A big thank you to the Nicholls and Tech student volunteers who managed registration and assisted during the event.

*Exhibitors setting up before convention begins*

Engaging Sessions and Dynamic Presentations

The educational segment kicked off with Dr. Tony Nettleman, RPLS, delivering an ethics presentation, followed by a lively Exhibitor Reception in the Grand IV ballroom, complete with a DJ, complimentary drinks, and delicious hors d’oeuvres, courtesy of Gold Sponsors Navigation Electronics, Inc., and g360.

Thursday's agenda began with a networking breakfast with exhibitors, followed by insightful presentations by Dr. Nettleman on “The Surveyor’s Report” and “Surveyor as an Expert Witness.” Dr. Esra Tekdal Yilmaz also provided an update on the Nicholls State University Geomatics Program. LSPS President Jeff Messinger, PLS, introduced the society’s new lawyers during lunch, with subsequent presentations by NEI & G360. Later, Mr. Warren Ward, PLS, gave a fascinating talk on how surveyors contributed to building the country, emphasizing the importance of eliminating "pin cushions." Mr. Walt Ballard, PLS, provided an update on the Louisiana Tech University Surveying program and LSPS Student Charter during a break in Ward's presentation

Thursday evening brought a change of scenery with an extremely well attended Surveyor’s Party at the Blue Martini, featuring great food and a live band, which was a hit with all attendees.

Informative Sessions and Annual Business Meeting

Friday began with another hearty breakfast, followed by a presentation from Mr. Stan Ard, PLS, on the newly released LaDOTD Surveying Manual. Mr. Michael O’Pry then updated the society on SLCC’s program. The LSPS Annual Business Meeting was called to order by Mr. Jefferey Messinger, PLS, where awards were presented: Mr. Derek Wheat, PLS, received the Surveyor Excellence Award; Mr. Lee T. Broom, PLS, was presented with the Young Surveyor Excellence Award; and Mr. Jerry Middleton, PLS was awarded the LSPS Life Member Award. Following the meeting, presentations were given on the Louisiana and Mississippi Standards of Practice by Mr. Stan Ard, PLS, and Mr. Tim Brewer, PLS, respectively. The 2024 LSPS Convention wrapped up with a strong feeling of achievement and fellowship.

On behalf of LSPS, a profound thank you to all our sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, volunteers, and members for making this year’s event outstanding. We eagerly anticipate seeing you again at the 2025 LSPS Convention!

Surveyor Excellence Award

Derek Wheat & Family

Young Surveyor Excellence

Lee Broom & wife, Hanna

Lifetime-Jerry Middleton

NSRS MODERNIZATION NEWS

Issue 36 NSRS NEWS - aPRIL 2024

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by Elizabeth Duncan Harper

The Louisiana 2024 Regular Legislative Session came to an end Monday, June 3 at 6:00. This year, many bills were filed that impacted professional surveyors and related fields. Here are the key updates on specific bills that we have been actively following:

House Bill 713 by Representative Gadberry

Seated and ready to answer questions from left to right: Brad Holleman, PLS, Senator Gadbery, and Derek Wheat, PLS. Seated behind them are Elizabeth Harper, our Legislative Rep, and Stan Ard, PLS.

Despite our dedicated advocacy and your active participation, the bill to update the definition of land surveying did not make it through the legislative process this session. Our proposal encountered significant resistance in the Senate Commerce Committee, primarily due to opposition from third-party contractors in the agriculture and forestry industries. Throughout the session, we worked to address concerns and negotiate terms that would be acceptable to all parties involved. However, we were unable to reach a satisfactory agreement before the session concluded. This setback is not the end of our journey. We remain committed to modernizing the definition of land surveying and will continue our efforts to build consensus and support.

House Bill 716 by Representative Owen

This bill, titled the “Welcome Home Act,” made it through the legislative process and is awaiting Governor Landry’s signature. The legislation provides for universal recognition of occupational licenses. Key provisions of the bill require applicants seeking a license in Louisiana to hold a valid license in another state, have held the license for at least one year, have passed an examination in the other state, and have a clean disciplinary record. Boards can require applicants to pass a jurisprudential examination on state laws. The bill aims to streamline the process of transferring occupational licenses for individuals moving to Louisiana.

House Bill 642 by Representative Orgeron

Establishes the Louisiana Plane Coordinate System as the official state coordinate system. This bill requires the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to coordinate with the Louisiana Spatial Reference Center, as designated by the National Geodetic Survey, to prioritize getting Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) back to service after a disaster or emergency. The bill is awaiting the signature of Governor Landry.

Senate Bill 60 by Representative Pressly

This bill is identical to HB 716 by Representation Owen. It passed through the legislative process and has been signed by Governor Landy. It goes in effect on August 1, 2024.

Thank you to all of you who reached out to your legislators, participated in discussions and contributed to our advocacy efforts throughout the session. Legislators will continue to meet throughout the year in committees and possible special sessions. Together, we will continue to drive professional surveyors forward in our state’s legislative and regulatory framework.

NICHOLLS STATE GEOMATICS PROGRAM

By: Dr. Esra Tekdal Yilmaz

Nicholls State Geomatics program attended the LSPS convention with 15 students. We would like to thank LSPS for giving Geomatics students, future geomatics professionals, the opportunity to interact with geomatics professionals. It was a great opportunity for our students to network.

Nicholls Geomatics Program hosted the 2024 ASPRS Gulf South Region Business Meeting and Geospatial Conference, April 28-30, 2024, successfully. We had over seventy registered attendees with twenty-two of them attending the ASPRS certification workshop. We had fourteen industry partners sponsor the event in various levels Meals (1), Gold (10), Silver (3), and Bronze (1). It was wonderful way to showcase our Geomatics student to the Gulf South Region (Texas & Louisiana). Our own Navigation Electronics Inc (NEI) from Louisiana was the top sponsor for the event.

Geospatial Experts Panel was moderated by Dr. Ramachandran, Associate Research Professor of Geomatics, Nicholls State University. The panel comprised of Ms. Karen Schuckman CP, CMS-Lidar, PLS, RRC Companies and ASPRS Executive Director, Mr. Scott Dunham, CP, Gorrondona & Associates, Inc. and Mr. Bill Swope, CP, Halff.

Mr. Harold Rempel, CP, CMS-Lidar, GISP ESP Associates, Inc. presented a four-hour workshop on preparation for ASPRS certification. NEI and Frontier Precision demonstrated the latest drone/sensor technology on Tuesday, April 30 in the morning near the Nicholls Golf driving range.

Several of our students presented at the conference.

“Characterization of Louisiana Coastal Ridges Using LiDAR and Hyperspectral Imaging” by Mason Dupre (Presenter), Balaji Ramachandran, and Gary LaFleur – Nicholls State University. Mason Dupre, recent graduate of Geomatics currently working for LADOTD, Survey Intern 2.

“3D Model of the Nicholls Campus using LiDAR” – James E. Jones, III, Landon M. Neil, and William D. Hunter II – Mentor Dr. Balaji Ramachandran. Graduating seniors from GEOM 440- Senior Seminar course.

The biggest compliment at the end of the ASPRS Gulf South Geospatial conference after viewing our student presentations was enquiries from attendees whether our Geomatics program was a graduate program.

Nicholls State University is among a group of research institutions awarded up to $160 million over the next 10 years, part of the largest grant ever funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The consortium, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana or FUEL, includes more than 50 public and private partners. Nicholls is well-positioned to compete for a portion of these grant dollars with the deployment of the Coastal Data Refinery powered by HEWMEN® at the Coastal Center at Nicholls State University. Dr. Ramachandran, Geomatics faculty and students will play a significant role in the development of Geospatial Platform in the coming years. The leading institution is Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge.

Dr. Ramachandran is an Invited Expert Panel Member for “The collaborative Surveyor of the Future”, UESI Surveying and Geomatics 2024 conference, June 2-4, 2024, Corvallis, Oregon.

We are looking forward to Fall 2024 semester. Have a wonderful summer.

JOIN LSPS:
The Louisiana Society of Professional Surveyors is organized to enhance the Surveying Profession. Our goal is to carry out our mission by maintaining high technical and cultural standards in our field, working with educational institutions for the maintenance of high standards of education in Land Surveying, requiring a high standard of ethical practice by our members, and encouraging the personal and professional development of young Land Surveyors.

Become a member

WE’D LOVE TO FEATURE YOUR SURVEYING PICTURES IN OUR NEWSLETTER!

Click the link below to submit your photos.

EMAIL PHOTOS