Page 6 - 07-2022-ESS-Final_Neat

[ message from
headquarters ]

As I turn the page of my wall calendar to a new month, it’s almost shocking to realize half of the year is over. In the
first half of 2022, our officers, directors and committees have been busy working on your behalf to keep our
members informed while preparing for our Spring Workshops and Strategic Retreat.
I won’t lie, preparing and planning for in-person meetings again seemed a bit foreign, at first. It was kind of
like getting back on a bike after several years. The chain may need to be oiled, the brakes may squeak a bit, you
may react a bit slower in your older age, but once you pedal over that first hill, you find there’s time to glide and
recalibrate your brain to handle the terrain ahead.

It was such a pleasure to meet up with members and old friends at our recent Spring Workshops held during April
and May. Virtual meetings are convenient of course, but nothing replaces the face-to-face networking and
camaraderie that comes with in-person gatherings. Heather Schultz traveled
downstate to our Fishkill workshop, while I trekked westward to our Rochester
location. The workshops were presented by Mike Hyman of Carlson Software and
included a PowerPoint presentation in a traditional classroom setting and some fun
hands-on equipment demonstrations. Thank you to all who attended and to Carlson
Software for your service to our organization.

Next up was our Strategic Planning Retreat held May 12-14 at the Embassy Suites in
Saratoga. This was truly an inspiring experience for all. Turn to page 16 for my full
report on the retreat.
Our July/August issue marks the start of a new membership year with NYSAPLS. Our
re-invigorated membership committee has been working with our HQ office to research
new member benefits and will be working with our finance committee to discuss a new
member recruitment plan. Watch for more details to be announced later this year.

By now, members have received their NYSAPLS dues renewal notices in the mail. As a
reminder to our licensees, when you send in your dues renewal, you receive an NSPS
membership as an added benefit! We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this
membership. Turn to page 31 for more information about NSPS and learn about the
benefits you receive as a national member. If you are an Associate, Student or Life
member, you also have an affordable option to join NSPS. Just give our office a call or use
the form included with your dues invoice to join.

Additional Committee & Board Updates:
Conference Committee: The committee met on May 25th. They discussed plans
for the in-person annual conference being planned at the Turning Stone Resort &
Casino on January 18-20, 2023. Discussion included the conference theme,
giveaway, sponsorships and ideas to celebrate our members and surveying
community coming back together after 2+ years.
DOT Relations Committee: The committee met on May
25th. They discussed the feedback from the Strategic Retreat,
which included the general concern by members regarding
access to public records. In other news, last month, our counsel
reached out to the DOT to request a meeting to introduce the
committee, our initiatives and inquire if there is potential for
NYSAPLS to assist the DOT with access to acquisition maps. We
are hopeful we can set something up this summer to assist our
members and the surveying community.
Education Committee: The committee met on June 8th and
continued to work on topic ideas for the 2023 Conference and

4 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 58 • NO 4 / 2022 • JULY/AUGUST