As I begin this report, I want to take a moment to honor and dedicate it to my predecessor on the WFPS board, Ron Whitehead. Since my last report, as many of you already know, Ron passed away on Sept. 25, 2023. Before I took over, Ron served as your representative to the WFPS for more than 20 years. While we don’t know the exact duration, we estimate it was over two decades of dedicated service to UCLS through WFPS — along with countless other contributions to the profession, not only in Utah but throughout the West and across the country. When people describe someone as the “salt of the earth,” Ron truly embodied that phrase.

I can’t pinpoint exactly how long I knew Ron — probably since I began attending UCLS board meetings as the Salt Lake chapter president in 2007. Let’s call it 16 years. When I was elected chairman-elect of UCLS in 2010, I had the privilege of traveling with Ron to WFPS board meetings across the Western U.S. The following year, when I became UCLS chairman, the new chairman-elect wasn’t keen on attending the WFPS meetings. Without hesitation, Ron declared, “Mike will keep going this year then.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Little did I know, Ron was grooming me to one day take his place on the board. In 2012, Ron personally asked me to run for Utah’s WFPS director. I was taken aback and said, “No way! That’s your position; I could never take that from you.” But Ron replied, “No, Mike. I’m stepping down from the board, and I want you to take over. I have family commitments, and you’re ready to lead Utah on the WFPS board.” I was humbled that someone who had served so long and with such distinction had handpicked me as his successor. Thanks to Ron’s encouragement, I accepted the role, and I’m still carrying on his legacy today. Like Ron, I’ve chaired WFPS and taken over every committee he led, including the legislative and conference committees. I’ve done so with pride because Ron mentored and prepared me for this responsibility, and I’m proud to follow in his footsteps.

Over the last decade, Ron and I developed a wonderful relationship. His sense of humor could always brighten a room. I’ll never forget the UCLS dinner when we all introduced our wives. As I stood up, Ron called out from the back, “That’s not the woman you had with you in Idaho, Mike!” That was classic Ron — he could lighten any moment, even during heated discussions, with his perfect sense of timing.

There are countless stories I could share — like the time in Oakland when our cab driver nearly wrecked us five times between the restaurant and the hotel. Or the time Carla from Washington almost got us into a fight over college football. Ron and I would often reminisce about those WFPS trips. While they were filled with hard work to advance the profession, they also brought us closer as friends.

In 2019, I had the privilege of nominating Ron for the UCLS Lifetime Achievement Award. Sadly, I couldn’t attend the ceremony because I was at the WFPS Conference, but I’ll never forget the call I got from Ron the following Monday. “Was this award your doing, Mike?” he asked. I proudly answered, “Of course it was — congratulations, old man!” Ron wasn’t just a fellow surveyor to me — he was a mentor, a friend and someone who will always hold a special place in my heart. Rest in peace, my friend.

In Ron’s spirit, let’s move forward with the WFPS report.

In my opinion, one of the most significant benefits of WFPS is the collaboration between the 13 member states. For instance, if UCLS faces challenges in passing a bill through the legislature, CLSA might have already navigated a similar legislative process on the same issue. CLSA can provide guidance, insights, ideas and lessons learned to assist UCLS in achieving success. Here are some highlights from each state, as summarized during our last meeting in June of 2024.

Highlights From the 13 Western States

Alaska (ASPLS), Gary Gervelis: ASPLS was not in attendance. The 2025 ASPLS Conference will be held Feb. 19-21, 2025. General information about APLS can be found on their website, alaskapls.org.

Arizona (APLS), Mike Fondren: Current membership is 405. After the Senate refused to agendize the House bill, which would extend the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (BTR), APLS and APLS members participated in a grassroots effort to ensure the continuation of licensing in Arizona. Ultimately, a new bill was introduced that extended the BTR. Unfortunately, some troublesome restrictions were added. APLS thanked NCEES and WFPS for writing letters to support this effort. APLS will be hosting a strategic planning meeting in the fall where they hope to leverage the momentum of their Young Surveyors Network to allocate resources to outreach and member engagement. More information about APLS can be found on their website, azpls.org.

California (CLSA), Kevin Nehring and Kristie Achee: The California Board of Registration is polling licensees regarding their interest in continuing education. More information about CLSA can be found on their website, californiasurveyors.org.

Colorado (PLSC), Todd Beers: Current membership is 347. PLSC is pleased to announce that legislation has passed that mandates the Department of Registration to promulgate rules to establish continuing education requirements for professional land surveyors. PLSC will assist in the development of continuing education requirements. PLSC continues to support the CST program and remains active in outreach activities. More information about PLSC can be found on their website, plsc.net.

Hawaii (HLSA), Alika Garo: HLSA was not in attendance. General information about HLSA can be found on their website, hlsahawaii.org.

Idaho (ISPLS), Austin Ishino: Current membership is 288. The 2025 ISPLS Conference will be held Feb. 2-7, 2025, at the Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho. The governor has initiated “zero-based regulation” to reduce regulation. ISPLS continues to monitor this issue. More information about ISPLS can be found on their new website, idahopls.org.

Montana (MARLS), Russ Kluesner and Stew Willis: MARLS continues to deal with the Department of Revenue regarding the refusal to issue tax statements on separate properties after surveys have been filed. MARLS will be hosting a golf tournament in conjunction with their fall board of directors meeting. Flathead Valley Community College is using PLSs from across the state to fulfill lab work in the field. More information can be found on their website, marls.com.

Nevada (NALS), Trent Keenan and Greg Phillips: Current membership is 307. Longtime Board of Registration Executive Patty Mamola has retired, and the board has appointed Mark Fakler, PE. A new four-year degree program at the College of Southern Nevada has been approved, and they are seeking an instructor. NALS continues to focus on outreach and has participated in multiple job fairs, STEM fairs and career technical education (CTE) events this year. More information about NALS can be found on their website, nvlandsurveyors.org.

New Mexico (NMPS), Darryl Coster: NMPS was not in attendance. General information about NMPS can be found on their website, nmps.org.

Utah (UCLS), Mike Nadeau: The Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) ruled that a county planner was practicing surveying without a license. UCLS reviewed the case and supported DOPL. However, the Utah attorney general overruled the action in favor of the county planner. The UCLS has published a Condominium Guide Document that can be found on the website. The UCLS Conference will be held Feb. 19-21, 2025, in St. George. More information about UCLS can be found on their website, ucls.org.

Washington (LSAW), Ben Petersen and Luke Lymangrover: Current membership is 868, an increase over last quarter. LSAW has confirmed its conference dates and locations for 2025-28. The next conference will be held Feb. 26-28, 2025, at the Tulalip Resort & Casino. LSAW has authorized $20,000 to participate in a collaborative media outreach campaign with PLSO and ISPLS. Outreach in Washington has increased dramatically over the last quarter, with more volunteers taking an interest in participating in outreach events. A fall seminar will be held in the Tri-Cities area and will feature Dave Doyle and Gavin Schrock. LSAW is excited to announce that the Young Surveyors Network is being revitalized, and Alex Chose has been appointed the WA-YSN Representative. More information about LSAW can be found on their website, lsaw.org.

Wyoming (PLSW), John Lee: Current membership is 124. PLSW held a training seminar in early November. Information about PLSW can be found on their website, plsw.org.

WFPS Professional Surveyor (PS) Exam Study Course

WFPS is in the process of developing a virtual study course for the NCEES PS exam. If you are interested in participating in this project, please email admin@wfps.org.

WFPS Fundamental of Surveying (FS) Exam Study Course

WFPS online FS Exam Study Course includes approximately 16 hours of videos and a manual. The program not only helps to bring affordable study resources to future surveyors but also generates revenue for our state association members. To date, WFPS has shared over $4,000 in profits with our state association members. Information on the program can be found at wfps.org.