Page 6 - NYS_ESS_05-2026

[ 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 on what is going on and continue to make educational opportunities
convenient and relevant. 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. In addition, we’re
looking forward to participating in our upcoming Strategic Planning Retreat in Lake George April 30 – May 2nd.
Here’s the latest updates (as of April 10th) 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 March 10th. They reviewed a positive financial report
but discussed an ongoing concern about declining education program participation, and discussed strategies
such as exploring an LMS (learning management system) to repurpose recorded webinars and offer CE hours
for them. They received committee updates (see committee updates below)and Amber reported headquarters
operations focused on budgeting, compliance, and conference follow-up. New business centered on New York’s
licensure requirements for the Fundamentals of Surveying exam, with the Board agreeing to further evaluate
potential advocacy to allow earlier eligibility consistent with other states. The Executive Board’s next meeting is
scheduled for April 14th.
Board of Directors: The board held their last meeting on March 20th. You can view the minutes of our
board meetings on page 23. Their next meeting is scheduled to be held in Lake George on May 2nd.
Conference Committee: The committee met virtually on March 24th. They discussed committee member
terms and confirmed that Brian and Ken will renew their three-year terms (with Ken noting this will be his final
term as chair), and discussed the need for a leadership succession plan. The committee reviewed the 2026
Saratoga Springs conference and preliminary financial results that are projected to meet or exceed budget, and
agreed to conduct post-conference exhibitor feedback calls, with future plans for pre-conference briefings.
Planning for the 2027 Saratoga Springs conference included discussing options for the attendee giveaway and
soliciting new entertainment ideas for the Surveyors Social Dinner. Amber shared conference related budgetary
planning, including an SMS text messaging subscription, transitioning fully to digital continuing education
certificates, and continuing digital evaluations with improved participation strategies. The Conference Committee’s
next meeting is scheduled for April 20th.
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 on April 8th and began discussions for the 2027
conference. The committee focused their energy on the topic for the keynote presentation and the Certified
Floodplain Surveyors course. The committee decided not to offer the Certified Floodplain Surveyors Course in
2027 but will revisit the idea for 2028. The committee reviewed course proposal submissions and discussed topic
ideas for upcoming webinars and the 2027 conference. The committee will meet again at the end of the month to
confirm the June webinar topic and speaker and continue submission reviews and conference course selections.
Ethics Committee: The committee’s last meeting was held on March 5th. They are looking into several
websites offering a wide range of services including site plans, subdivision plans and septic plans, and more
without the expertise of a professional land surveyor. The committee discussed the dangers posed by these
services, such as the use of technical terms, lack of professional stamps, and the possibility of planning boards
accepting unstamped plans, which could result in inaccurate or unsafe outcomes for property owners and the
public. They drafted a letter of concern to NYSAPLS Board of Directors to bring the matter to their attention for
further direction. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for May 7th.
Finance Committee: The committee presented a draft of the 2026-2027 association operating budget to the
Board of Directors on March 21st. The draft includes funds to purchase Path LMS, a learning management
system that would enable NYSAPLS to repurpose our webinar recordings for CE credit, providing greater value
to members who may not be able to attend the live sessions. The draft also includes funds for an SMS plug-in to

4 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 62 • NO 3 / 2026 • MAY/JUNE