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[ message from
headquarters ]

Greetings Members!

Happy spring! With the change of the season, many exciting things are happening here at NYSAPLS
Headquarters. Over the last couple months, we have been working diligently alongside our committees, directors
and executive officers to keep our members informed. In addition, we’ve been working hard to keep promoting
the profession of land surveying and keep the public educated on what you do and why it is such a great career
opportunity to explore.
Here’s the latest updates (as of April 15th) from your NYSAPLS’ Committees, Board of Directors
and HQ Staff who are keeping busy with several ongoing projects:
Executive Board: The board held a virtual meeting on April 15th. They reviewed the overall association’s
finances and received committee updates from several of the committees (see committee updates below).
Amber provided updates on various projects at headquarters, including plumbing and electrical work, first-
floor renovations, and the search for a new cleaner. She also mentioned ongoing work with the Shaw Fund and
updates to our website to include the Brooklyn regional. The Executive Board’s next meeting is scheduled for
May 30th in Albany.

Board of Directors: The board held their last meeting on March 21st. You can view the minutes of our board
meetings on page 30. Their next meeting is scheduled in Albany on Friday, May 30th.
Conference Committee: The committee met virtually on March 24th. They reviewed the budget for the 2026
conference and discussed sponsorships and parking options. They are lining up overflow hotels as well. More
details will be posted in early fall of this year. They are still looking for a regional to host the 2028 conference in
Saratoga Springs. If your regional is interested in learning more, please contact Amber Carpenter (amber@
nysapls.org) or Ken Stigner (kstigner@comcast.net). The committee also held a meeting with the Education
Committee on March 24th. Those details are outlined in the Education Committee’s update below. The Conference
Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for April 28th.
Constitution and By-laws Committee: The committee has not met this month. You can view the latest
revision of the bylaws here. (Be sure to login with your membership credentials to view the page.)
Education Committee: The Education Committee met with the Conference Committee on March 24th to
discuss plans for the 2026 conference including a Keynote presenter and classroom setups and capacities. The
Education Committee then met on April 1st to begin review and selections of course topics for the 2026 Conference.
The committee also discussed upcoming webinars and additional details about offering the Certified Floodplain
Surveying program through NYSAPLS. The committee will meet again on April 29th.
Ethics Committee: The committee met on April 10th. They welcomed a guest member to the meeting to
discuss concerns regarding a subdivision map. Afterward, the committee resumed their confidential meeting
to review the status of their current cases. In addition, committee member Scott Allen is working on an article
for the Empire State Surveyor focusing on unauthorized companies practicing land surveying without proper
certification. To view more details on the cases view the minutes on our website. The committee’s next meeting
is scheduled for May 8th.
Finance Committee: The committee presented a draft of the 2025-2026 association operating budget to the
Board of Directors on March 21st. The draft included a small increase of dues (approximately 2.5%); increased
expenses to help cover the cost of sending a representative of the Young Professionals Committee to the NSPS fall
and spring meetings; outlined income/expenses for the annual conference in Saratoga, spring workshops,
webinars, magazine, strategic planning and more. The Board was directed to share the draft with their members
and provide feedback by April 21st. The committee will then meet on May 9th to discuss the feedback and make
any adjustments to the budget necessary. The revised draft will be presented to the board on May 30th for review
and potentially adoption.
Government Relations Committee: The committee met on April 9th. They discussed the Indemnification
Bill (S.04591/A.07379), which they support. The also discussed the GIS Bill (A.7510) which has been
around since the 1990s and has remained a one house bill. They also reviewed their latest draft of the 2022

4 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 61 • NO 3 / 2025 • MAY/JUNE