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[ short takes ] Associate Member Spotlight

Dave Vaga has been a Party Chief
with M.J. Engineering and Land
Surveying P.C. for 10 years; he has
gained knowledge in every aspect of

FIG Working Week 2023 the profession and continues to stay
Save the Date: NGS @ FIG - May 31, 2023 up to date with the latest technology
as it becomes available.
NGS will be presenting a full-day’s worth of content on
NSRS Modernization during the FIG Working Week 2023 He settled on land surveying when he
meeting taking place at the end of May 2023 in Orlando, Dave at the US/Canadian discovered the job had many aspects,
Border near Rouses Point
he was interested in. He enjoyed
Florida. For the first time in over 20 years, this annual working outside and being in a different environment every day.

gathering of the International Federation of Surveyors He also wanted to get experience working with CAD and using
will be taking place in the United States, hosted by the math to solve problems. Dave grew up near Syracuse and
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). initially worked as a cabinet manufacturer. He found that
CALL FOR PAPERS
The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) is a United manufacturing was not a good fit for him, and he began to look
Nations and World Bank recognized non-governmental for a more challenging job from which he could make a career.
international professional organization. FIG was founded Eager to get into a career, he attended the NYS Ranger School
FIG WORKING WEEK 2023
in 1878 and represents national associations of surveying, to get into the field faster with real survey experience. He
cadastre, valuation, national mapping professionals, found his home at M.J. not long after. Work included a 50/50
CALL FOR PAPERS
geospatial experts and quantity surveyors working in both split of office work and fieldwork. He worked hard to learn
the public and private sectors, in the scientific, research how to process field data in the office as well as take the

and academic community, as well as from technology processed data gathered in the field and turn it into a final map
28 MAY - 1 JUNE 2023
innovators and industry from more than 120 countries in the office. He took on organizing and mapping a large
around the world. project that the company still works on.
SIGNIA BY HILTON ORLANDO BONNET CREEK,
We encourage you to attend the entire event and be sure Being exposed to different jobs has given Dave the opportunity
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, USA
to join us on the Wednesday after Memorial Day, May 31, to learn and develop different skills. He enjoys working on

2023 for an NSRS Modernization update. boundary projects the most. He learns something new
This Call for Papers is announced both for peer review
papers and non-peer review papers.
Register online at: whenever he gets the opportunity to work on a project field to
finish. He has an interest in history and enjoys doing research
https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datums/newdatums/fig-2023.shtml on properties he works on.
Dave has experience working with all the technology that M.J.
[ classified] utilizes, from using Robotic Total stations and GPS to the 3D
laser scanners and Mobile LIDAR. He has had the opportunity
to work on many unique projects in different places across the
SURVEY PRACTICE FOR SALE country. He worked on scanning projects with M.J. including

Location: Long Island, NY Belmont Park, portions of West Point, roadways and tunnels
in Colorado, and the annual monitoring scan of the earthen
Nassau County Land Surveying Practice for Sale. Over 6,000 embankment of the Conklingville Dam that holds back over
projects and 26 years of records. LEICA Robotic Instruments, 280 billion gallons of water.
GPS Receiver, Truck and Field Supplies included. Owners are
retiring, willing to say on if needed to ease transition. Over the last 10 years, he has worked with and learned from
some exceptionally talented people both in the field and the
If interested, please contact NYSAPLS and mention office. He likes to interact with other surveyors to share
ad #122744. information and stay connected. Dave is looking to the future
as he is currently working on getting licensed.

A special thank you to MJ Engineering for sponsoring the Associate
Looking for your dream job? membership dues for their staff and encouraging their participation
More Job Opportunities Available at: in our organization!
www.nysapls.org

EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 59 • NO 1/ 2023 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 19