I’ve been fortunate to spend more than 30 years in surveying, working my way from drafting and field operations to licensure and leadership roles along the way. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with others. I’ve found a great deal of fulfillment in mentoring and helping those entering the field find their footing. That perspective has carried into my involvement with the Utah Council of Land Surveyors (UCLS), where I have served as chair, and as president of the Golden Spike Chapter. Those experiences have reinforced the value of staying engaged and contributing to something larger than day-to-day project work.
Building on that foundation, my role as Conference Committee chair this year is focused on delivering a conference that provides meaningful, relevant education while reinforcing professionalism and camaraderie within our industry. This includes coordinating speakers, structuring technical and leadership-focused sessions, and aligning the program with the needs of both seasoned professionals and those entering the field. As we continue refining the program, there is an emphasis on strengthening core principles within the profession while also addressing the evolving challenges surveyors face in practice. The objective is to develop a conference that goes beyond continuing education requirements by strengthening professional relationships, encouraging active participation and contributing to the long-term growth and sustainability of the surveying profession.
The recent Western Federation of Surveyors Conference, hosted in Las Vegas, brought together a strong showing of the profession through participation from seven state associations and more than 1,300 attendees representing over 30 states. A key component of the program included presentations from each participating state addressing licensure frameworks and how they are preparing for upcoming changes to national testing standards through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Additional sessions addressed the implementation of the State Plane Coordinate System 2022, as well as emerging technologies and evolving standards impacting daily practice.
The educational program was anchored by nationally recognized speakers, including Kris Kline, who presented topics such as trace evidence and boundary analysis, and Gary Kent, who provided updates on the latest ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards. The conference also included sessions tailored for technicians, along with presentations on laser scanning, risk management and U.S. mineral surveys, ensuring value across all levels of experience. In addition to the technical program, both the silent and live auctions were well supported and generated significant funding for state scholarship programs, reinforcing the profession’s ongoing commitment to education and workforce development.
Looking ahead, our next UCLS Annual Conference is planned for the week of President’s Day in February 2027 in St. George, Utah, and we look forward to building on this momentum.
