Page 5 - NYS_ESS_11-2025

NYSAPLS, Inc.
President and CEO [ president’s message ]
Jeremy E. Thompson, LS
Executive Board
Steven J. Willard, LS
Executive Vice President Happy Fall, All,
Scott A. Gillis, LS
Vice President This has to be the third, if not fourth time, I have sat down
Scott B. Allen, LS to write this message. In the past, I have either been pulled
Treasurer away by students during my office hours, sidetracked by my
William R. Eggers, LS
Secretary children’s sporting events, or obsessed with the abundance of
Daniel E. Marvin, LS surveys that I have been fortunate to have to work on. Either
Executive Director way, if I don’t write something now, there won’t be time to have
Board of Trustees anything included in the ESS, and while I am still not quite sure
Robert R. Allen, LS what to write, here we go.
J. Steven Boddecker, LS
Patricia P. Brooks, LS As October draws to an end, and winter begins to knock on our door, I am reminded
Gregory J. de Bruin, LS, PE that this is the second to last time I will have the honor to write to you as President of
John R. Ennis, LS NYSAPLS. Even though my term is drawing to an end, it still seems surreal, the fact that I
Roy B. Garfinkel, LS
R. Ronald Kreiling, LS was selected to be the President of this amazing organization. NYSAPLS is filled with so
Joseph G. Malinowski, LS many industry experts and professionals that work for the betterment of our organization
Daniel E. Marvin, LS and to further the acknowledgment of the surveying profession. I am humbled, honored,
Daren L. Morgan, LS
Robert A. Smith, LS and proud to be in your company.
Edwin A. Summerhays, LS With that being said, as a surveyor, at times, I tend to focus on details; I tend to formulate
Gary L. Thompson, LS
Glennon J. Watson, LS strong opinions based on those details, and then, I tend to challenge anything (or anyone)
Marie T. Welch, LS that might have a differing opinion of those details. I tend to be traditional; resistant and
NYSAPLS Headquarters reluctant to change, with an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” type of attitude.
146 Washington Avenue While I thought these traits had served me “ok” in the surveying profession, when I pivoted
Land Surveyors Building
Albany, NY 12210 and entered the world of teaching, I quickly discovered that I had much to learn. Even though
518-432-4046 I vividly remembered my college experience (I am proud to say that I still have most of my
www.nysapls.org notes and projects from the Ranger School), and I was confident that I would be able recreate
info@nysapls.org
the teaching experience that I had, I quickly discovered that would not be the case.
Editor-in-Chief &
Managing Director Even though I tried, I was not going to be the professors that I once had. The students,
Amber Carpenter were not me, they had changed, their needs and their abilities. These changes weren’t
amber@nysapls.org
necessarily for good or bad, but they were just different. The methods of the past wouldn’t
Director of Operations be as effective today.
Heather Schultz
heather@nysapls.org This got me reflecting on my surveying career, and the surveying profession as a whole.
Administrative Assistant While our profession is steeped in tradition, we are the experts. In matters of boundaries
Sharon O'Brien and measurements, arguably no one knows more than a competent surveyor. Yet all too
sharon@nysapls.org often we are still stubborn, refusing to compromise, refusing to listen to another opinion,
Affiliated Associations refusing to grow and evolve.
Allegheny Plateau Association of Professional
Land Surveyors | Black River Valley Just because something has been done a certain way for a long time, doesn’t mean there
Association of Professional Land Surveyors isn’t a better way. Just because it might take a little longer, or might even cost a little more
| Brooklyn Land Surveyors Association |
Catskill Area Association of Land Surveyors | upfront, doesn’t mean that it won’t save time or pay dividends in the future. “Follow in the
Central New York Society of Land Surveyors footsteps…”, if we refuse to leave evidence that will allow for the public and/or other
| City Surveyors Association of Greater New
York | Delaware-Hudson Land Surveyors surveyors to able to find and retrace our work, we are performing not only a disservice our
Association, Inc | Eastern New York profession, but to the public in which we are entrusted to protect and serve via our license.
Society of Land Surveyors, Inc | Genesee
Valley Land Surveyors Association | Long Change is rarely easy, trust me I know, but it is worth it.
Island Association of Land Surveyors Inc
| Mid-Hudson Valley Association of Land Sincerely,
Surveyors | Mohawk Valley Society of
Professional Land Surveyors | Nassau-Suffolk
Civil Engineers Inc | Niagara Frontier Land
Surveyors Association | Northern New York
Association of Land Surveyors | Southern
Finger Lakes Association of Professional Jeremy Thompson, LS
Land Surveyors | Southern Tier Association
of Land Surveyors | Surveyors Association NYSAPLS President
of Queensboro Inc | Westchester-Putnam
Association of Professional Land Surveyors
EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 61 • NO 6 / 2025 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 3