Page 22 - NYS_ESS_05-2021

National Society of
Professional Surveyors

5119 Pegasus Court, Suite Q, Frederick, MD 21704
Phone: 240-439-4615 | Fax: 240-439-4952 |www.nsps.us.com

NSPS President’s Report – Spring 2021 Having begun in May 2011 with approximately 3000
downloads per week, this year our weekly downloads are
My fellow members it has been a privilege and a pleasure to
serve as your President for the past year. It certainly has been approaching 20,000.
an interesting and challenging year and I’m happy that the NSPS also has a social media presence with accounts on
COVID vaccination is becoming widely available and that FaceBook and Instagram. Last year updated our social media
come fall we should be able to meet again in person. Due to the policy which will allow us to better regulate the content of our
pandemic, the last time I traveled to a State Conference was in accounts and reduce our liability should someone be offended
February of last year, but that didn’t stop me from speaking at a by something that is posted.
number of our member organizations virtual annual meetings
and conferences. I want to thank those States that invited me, 2020 also marked a milestone for the NSPS staff. NSPS is
for the opportunity to talk about NSPS and all the great things celebrating Trish Milburn’s 20th anniversary. Bob Jupin retired
our organization has accomplished. as NSPS Finance Manager, at the end of 2020, after almost 14
years of exceptional service. He also assisted in the search for
The Officers informally met on a weekly basis, and the his successor, Christina Lee, who began working in November.
Executive Committee monthly, via the Zoom platform,
to discuss any matters that came up and to keep a pulse on Despite the impact of COVID-19, participation in the
pending legislation, that may impact our profession, on both respective NSPS Awards Competition categories was notable.
the State and National levels The annual Student Competition was held “virtually”, but
Due to the COVID outbreak we were unable to meet in still attracted 9 participating schools. This year’s competition
person last year, with both our spring and fall meetings being is also being held virtually and we have 11 teams. The Map/
held virtually, last April and October. Typically, we hold one Plat competition attracted 45 participants in 5 categories,
General membership meeting a year, in the spring, to swear the Journalism competition attracted 7 participants in 4
in officers and attend to any other business that may require a categories, and the PR Award drew 2 participants. Through the
vote of our membership, last year we held another, in the fall, NSPS Foundation, scholarships were awarded to 15 students
to discuss and vote on two by-law changes. The first extended representing 12 schools.
the term of the current slate of officers for one- year, due to the I’m sure most of you remember Lightsquared, they were a tele-
situation with COVID, and second to stagger the terms of the communications company that were proposing to combine its
Secretary and the Treasurer, both were approved by those in existing satellite communications services with a ground-based
attendance. Earlier this year ExCom voted to hold our spring 4G-LTE network that transmits on the same radio band as its
meeting in the hybrid model with the Exec Comm meeting in
person at the NSPS office in Frederick MD and our Directors, satellites. The band is right next to the primary GPS frequency
Committee Chairs and interested parties joining us virtually. (L1) which would render our GPS receivers useless. You may
recall NSPS was one of the many factions that testified against
Prominent among the outreach accomplishments initiated in this project at FCC hearings, and they were forced to abandon
2020 is the creation of the NSPS Podcast series Surveyor Says. the plan. Unfortunately, they have reared up again under the
A decision was made early in 2020 that a podcast series totally name of Ligato and even with the outcry from the hundreds
under the control of NSPS would provide a better mechanism of factions that utilize GPS, including the Dept. of Defense,
to communicate with members, as well as the public, than did Ligato was given preliminary operation approval by the FCC.
with the weekly NSPS Radio Hour, which had been ongoing Be assured NSPS is on this and working with our partners in
since 2011. While the radio show had a decent following, the the GPS industry to get this approval overturned
podcast series has certainly proven to be very effective with
more than 20,000 collective downloads among the 70 plus Quarterly meetings between NGS and NSPS continue virtually
podcasts posted as of this date. Distribution of the weekly – the 2022 datum change is still a major topic, including the
e-newsletter NSPS News & Views continues to grow. fact that its rollout has been moved to the end of 2022.

20 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 57 • NO 3 / 2021 • MAY/JUNE