HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

From LSPS

PRESIDENTIAL PRIVILEGE

Dear Membership,

Do you ever think about why you became a Land Surveyor? What is it that really pulls people into this profession? How do you get someone new to like it and stick with it? We have two younger professionals at our company, and I often find myself pondering ways to promote fulfillment in their chosen career: work outside on some days, work inside on other days, and maybe throw in a special project or two where you have to go on the roof of an old New Orleans church, or something like that. Does it have to be a 70°-day with clear skies to enjoy the workday? That’s definitely ideal, but I guess not very practical to prioritize.

I believe many of us can be considered at least mildly romantic about surveying. I started over 22 years ago when I was 15, and some of the most demanding jobs that I probably hated at the time are now some of my favorite memories. This collection of memories is something that likely makes all of us smile, or at least smirk, at some point.

Maybe it’s the stories with the people you’ve worked with over the years that have captured more of your memories. Earl LeBlanc was a rodman at our company for almost 40 years, and most of our holiday gatherings still turn into storytelling time about the almost fabled Mr Earl; whether it’s throwing rattlesnakes out the way with his bare hands or purposely letting the steel chain tap the electric fence to antagonize the poor soul holding the other end. We still have a crew chief working that started with us in 1977! A lot of these field techs often claim (sarcastically) to be “living the dream” when you ask how they’re doing, but my suspicion is that they really do like what they do. I mean, you kind of have to if you’re going to stick around for a few decades, right?

So, aside from obvious reasons like having a dependable job, what is it that keeps people around surveying? What’s the first thing you talk about when you speak to someone about your profession? Again, I urge all of you to continue exploring different ways that you can be of service to your community and to your profession. Consider volunteering for things like judging an FFA competition, demonstrating for a Scout Troop, and serving for your LSPS district. Please feel free to contact me or your local district chair with any questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Dufrene

THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS FOR DONATING TO THE
2022-2023 “EVERY MEMBER CAMPAIGN!”

Benefactor Level
Dufrene Surveying & Engineering, Inc

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LSPS DISTRICT INFORMATION

District Announcements:

DISTRICT 4 – Jason Tuggle, Chairman
From Jason: Hey guys, I hope everyone is enjoying this cooler weather and getting ready for the Holiday Season. An announcement will be sent out soon regarding the annual Christmas Party so be sure to check your emails and we hope to see you there!
DISTRICT 6– Jean Reulet, Chairman
District 6 met on Thursday, October 27th. Mr. Tony Cavell spoke on the 2016 South Louisiana Control Update, and Mr. Richard Savoie gave a presentation on Professionalism and Ethics.
DISTRICT 8 – Lee Broom, PLS, Chairman
District 8 has not met since our August meeting but is planning to meet again possibly in early December.

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.

NICHOLLS GEOMATICS PROGRAM UPDATE

By: Dr. Esra Tekdal-Yilmaz

Greetings from Nicholls State Geomatics program.

Doosan Mobility Innovation Inc. gave a presentation at Harold Charlie Poche Laser Scanning Lab, Gouaux Hall 310 Geomatics Program, Department of Applied Sciences and made a demonstration of their long-endurance Hydrogen fuel cell drone at the Nicholls farm on September 22nd, 2022.

Dr. Tekdal Yilmaz got tenured and became an Associate Professor of Geomatics.

Dr. Dennis organized, along with assistance from the Dept. of Biology and BTNEP (BaratariaTerrebonne Estuary Program) the 2nd FFA-ENR (Future Farmers of America Environmental and Natural Resources) State Competition out at the Nicholls Farm on Oct. 15th. This event is one of the FFA’s Career Development Events (CDE) which is used to expose students to a range of competitive events, including working with GNSS. These events allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and develop an interest in careers that include the environmental and natural resource industry. This year’s winner was West Ouachita High School.

In early October, Dr. Dennis gave a presentation on the historical development of property lines at the UESI 2022 Surveying & Geomatics Conference in Lawrenceburg, IN.

Dr. Dennis will be hosting the first of several ‘Geomatics Flight Plan workshops beginning November 2022 at the Lafourche Parish Library. Additional workshops are scheduled to take place at other parish libraries and other community centers. These workshops are designed to incorporate interactive activities and demonstrations for the general public and grades 9-12 that build students’ interest in Geomatics.

Dr. Dennis was recently asked to serve as Secretary for the ASCE Surveying and Geomatics Division Education Committee.

In August, LSPS President Jonathan Dufrene visited the Nicholls Geomatics program to present a donation of $100,000 from our society. The Nicholls Geomatics program is the only ABET accredited fouryear program for surveying in the state of Louisiana. This donation will help support a full-time faculty that will contribute to the high-quality surveying and mapping education offered at Nicholls State University.

LOUISIANA TECH UPDATE

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY SURVEYING OPTION PROVIDES STUDENT WITH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

When Construction Engineering Technology senior and Oak Grove native John Kyler Hill learned that the program was offering a Surveying Option, he knew he’d found the perfect course sequence to prepare him for the career he wanted.

Hill, who came to Louisiana Tech University with four years of pipeline construction experience, wanted a degree to train him for a well-paying career that he could do outdoors. The Construction Engineering Technology program also having approachable professors who showed an interest in his success – well, that was just lagniappe.

Next fall, Hill will be one of the first graduates to earn a degree in Construction Engineering Technology with the Surveying Option, which prepares students for surveying licensure in Louisiana, increasing pay and employment opportunities.

“A lot of people don’t realize that the job outlook for surveyors is growing. Right now, more surveyors are retiring than are joining the workforce, and there’s a growing demand for welltrained surveying professionals. On top of that, the surveying specialization offers multiple career paths. You can work on heavy civil projects, like roads and bridges, as a local surveyor measuring properties, or as a hydrographic surveyor flying drones over coastal areas or large bodies of water. There’s the potential for travel, maybe even contracting out to different countries. You could even work behind a computer after you get your surveying license.”

After taking three classes toward the surveying option during his junior year, Hill earned an internship with HGA. He says that while the courses’ handson experience with surveying equipment and the technical knowledge to understand the equipment, the accessibility of Construction Engineering Technology faculty contributed most to his success in the position.

“I’d like to thank Mr. [Jeff] Pike [Senior Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology], Mr. [Reginald] Jeter [Program Chair and Professional in Residence of Construction Engineering Technology], Mr. [J. Walter] Ballard [Adjunct Instructor of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology], and Dr. [Jason] Howell [Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering]. All of them are very approachable and more than willing to help students find internships and give us advice about jobs and equipment. Their interest in my education helped me get the internship with [Hunt, Guillot & Associates] HGA and find the right educational path for me.”

Ballard, a Survey Manager who supervised Hill’s internship at HGA, says that he was impressed with Hill’s performance on the job.

“Kyler gained valuable experience in assisting field personnel on a preliminary alignment survey to replace two large diameter pipelines from locations that conflict with the planned route of the Comite River Diversion Canal in East Baton Rouge Parish. He persevered through long days and challenging conditions to quickly earn the respect of the other field crew members. He was eager to learn and brought energy and a sense of determination to work each day.”

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

By: Harper Duncan & Associates, LLC

Louisiana Employment and Medical Marijuana Task Force

The Louisiana Employment and Medical Marijuana Task Force was created during the 2022 Louisiana Legislative Session. This task force is directed to look at protections for employees that use medical marijuana as well as considering what is safe for employers. Over the past month the committee has met three times to discuss the current issues surrounding medical marijuana and what would be considered impairment while on the job.

The task force created three subcommittees to tackle specific issues and give recommendations. The first subcommittee is to look at other states and their policies regarding employment discrimination and protections for both employers and employees. The second subcommittee is looking at how employers currently test employees and any scientific advances in testing. The third subcommittee will be looking at workplace barriers for employees and employers and the impact of usage for employed veterans and firefighters.

This task force is required to give a written report of its findings to the legislature by February 1, 2023. We will be monitoring this task force closely over the next few months as this committee will be drafting new laws that will impact all employers across the state. We anticipate legislation on this subject to be filed in the 2023 Legislative Session.

2023 Louisiana Legislative Session

The 2023 Legislative Session is set to begin on April 10th. The deadline to file bills is March 31st. Next year is a fiscal session which means legislators will be limited to 5 general in nature bills. There are also 22 term limited legislators this year. Legislators usually spend their final year taking one last crack at the issues they campaigned on. We will be paying close attention to the term limited legislators on the House and Senate Transportation, Highway and Public Works and Commerce Committees. These four committees have the most bills that could affect Land Surveyors in Louisiana.

SAVE THE DATE!

LSPS 62nd Annual Convention

April 19-21, 2023

GOLDEN NUGGET LAKE CHARLES

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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.

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November 2022