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attend a Genesee Valley meeting and then another meeting to get
an hour of CE and poof I was a Board Member and poof I was Congratulations to the 2022
chairman of the Standards committee. Yes, that was the start of
my obsession with standards, blame it all on Darryl, I always do. NYSAPLS Executive Officers
I enjoyed my newfound relationship with colleagues and all the
Roy B. Garfinkel, LS
things I was learning about the differences and similarities of Roy B. Garfinkel, LS
President
various surveyors around New York State. President
When I was asked to be an officer at GVLSA I was again
apprehensive. Was I experienced and educated enough for this?
Would the fact that I did not have a proper education be an issue?
Well, I decided the fact that I had a passion and a true caring for
the profession of land surveying was reason enough for me to
Jeremy E. Thompson, LS
press on. After all, how hard could it be drinking beers with Jeremy E. Thompson, LS
Executive Vice President
colleagues and talking about surveying issues, lol. Executive Vice President
I remember my first trip to Albany to attend a NYSAPLS BOD
meeting, I was nervous and excited. What will I say if someone
asks me something I don’t know about or if I am asked to weigh
in on some issue I have never heard about? I decided to try and
smile and be a good listener. It apparently worked out, and a
Steven J. Willard, LS
couple of years later, much to my surprise I was asked to be an Steven J. Willard, LS
Vice President
officer of NYSAPLS. I went on to become a member of the Vice President
revitalized Ethics Committee and the Chairman of the new
Minimum Technical Standards Committee, two positions I am
very proud and honored to have been part of in my career. While
I was on the Ethics Committee, I served with a local Rochester
colleague and competitor in the surveying and engineering
community, David Zacharias , survey manager for BME Associates Scott A. Gillis, LS
Scott A. Gillis, LS
out of Fairport, NY. Dave and I would ride to Albany together for Treasurer
meetings and always have lively discussions about our profession, Treasurer
very lively. I was shocked when out of the blue Dave asked if I
would be interested in managing BME’s soon to be new office in
Geneva, NY, the former office of Clark Surveyors. It was not an
easy decision to leave Costich and Rochester after 30 years, but
how hard could it be to manage an office? (I soon found out-
Scott B. Allen, LS
yikes) So, that is how I ended up here in …Geneva. Scott B. Allen, LS
Secretary
Secretary
All in all, I have enjoyed the journey to Geneva and to my
position in NYSAPLS, and I hope I have accomplished some good
for the profession I love and am honored to be a part of. So, that
is how the hell I got here! And now that I am here let’s see what
we can get done to better our profession in New York! After all…
how hard could it be to be President of a State Professional
Association? Daniel E. Marvin, LS
Daniel E. Marvin, LS
Executive Director
In all seriousness, I’d like to thank everyone who encouraged Executive Director
and believed in me along this path. I am truly honored, and I
look forward to serving the membership.
Happy New Year!

Roy Garfinkel, LS
President

4 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 58 • NO 1 / 2022 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY