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An Electronic Publication of the Virginia Association of Surveyors, Inc.
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Exhibitor Registration Now Open
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The Mount Vernon Chapter will be hosting the first seminar of the new year on January 17, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency in Fairfax. The seminar will be from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The morning session will be Reality Capture and the Surveyor's Role in the BIM Process, presented by Brian Elbe, Leica Geosystems and Shaun Lewis, Clark Construction Group. During the afternoon the session will be on Remote Sensing Techniques from Aerial, Mobile, and Static Collection Methods, presented by Robert Kundrick, Joseph Kovach, and Jonathan Austin of GPI.
Make your hotel reservation today at the Hyatt Regency Fairfax! The room rate for VAS members is $129/night. Call the Hyatt Regency Fairfax directly at
(877) 803-7534 .
Be sure to make your hotel reservations by
January 2, 2020 to guarantee you receive the special seminar rate.
*Be sure to mention "Virginia Association of Surveyors" or group code "VASS" to receive the discounted rate.
Registration for the seminar will open this week!
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72nd Annual Convention & General Membership Meeting
April 29 - May 2nd, 2020
Wyndham Oceanfront Hotel
Virginia Beach, VA
2020 Summer Seminar
June 11, 2020
Marriott Hotel - Short Pump
Richmond, VA
John Foster School
J
une 23-26, 2019
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Richmond, VA
September 18, 2020
Hilton Garden Inn
Roanoke, VA
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Greetings Fellow Surveyors:
As we prepare for the upcoming holiday, the staff at VAS has been busy preparing the monthly edition of ODS. We have a lot of exciting features and articles in this month's publication and we hope you enjoy it as well.
I wanted to share some recent observations from many events that have happened across Virginia and the country in the recent weeks and months. Perhaps it is just me, as a woman licensed surveyor in Virginia, but I felt them all to be significant and noteworthy, yet somehow connected and relatable.
Over that few months, I found myself reading more and more headlines and press releases on the accomplishments and acknowledgements of women in various professions who have made the path for young women everywhere a bit less winding.
"One giant leap for womankind!", "NASA astronauts make history with first all-female spacewalk"
, as an avid fan of aviation and space exploration, I was so excited to see these headlines this year. On October 18,
Christina Koch
and Jessica Meir floated out of the International
Space
Station's airlock to replace a power unit. These two women became an inspiration
to many young girls across this country who witnessed this historic event and realized that they can achieve any goal they set with hard work and determination. Congratulations to them both and I look forward to 2024 when NASA's
Artemis
lunar exploration program plans are to put the first woman and next man on the Moon.
Another item of interest was the formal dedication of the Virginia Women's Monument on October 14, 2019. The Virginia Women's Monument Commission dedicated the statues of Anne Burras Laydon, Cockacoeske, Mary Draper Ingles, Elizabeth Keckly, Laura Copenhaver, Virginia Randolph, and Adèle Clark. Did you know that the Virginia Women's Monument is the nation's first on the grounds of any state capitol to highlight the achievements and contributions made by extraordinary women in a variety of fields and endeavors? I didn't either until I read an article in a local publication. When completed, it will feature full-scale bronze statues, along with a Wall of Honor inscribed with the names of several hundred notable women who had influence in the Commonwealth. This monument is unique, as it will not be stagnant; it allows room to add more names in the future. The Virginia Women's Monument tells us a story about the diversity of accomplishments, ethnicity, and thoughts of women that helped shape the Commonwealth of Virginia over its 400-year history. For more information about the Virginia Women's Monument, you can visit
http://womensmonumentcom.virginia.gov.
According to my research The Congressional Gold Medal and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
are, "the highest
civilian awards
in the
United States
. The Congressional medal seeks to honor those, individually or as a group, who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."
This past week Jessica Nash and I had the privilege of meeting a 2019 recipient of The Congressional Gold Medal. While attending a conference in Arlington, Virginia we met Dr. Christine Darden. Dr.
Darden
is one of the researchers featured in the book and film
Hidden Figures
. For those unfamiliar with the book and later movie, it is a history of some of the most influential African-American women, mathematicians, and engineers at NASA in the mid-20th century, by
Margot Lee Shetterly
. During her lecture you could see the passion for science, and technology as well as a true commitment to encouraging today's young ladies to consider a career involving mathematics as a path worth traveling and exploring.
With all these accomplishments, I wondered what we could do as surveyors to help introduce the younger generation of young women and minorities to surveying, mathematics, and engineering and all their possibilities.
I think if we share stories like the ones mentioned above, we can let them know that through hard work and commitment to their dreams all things are possible. The paths taken by the ones before us show that obstacles can be overcome with respect, perseverance, and passion. We should let them know that a career in surveying is a possibility, and that while typically not considered a profession a woman or a minority chooses, that times have changed, and doors that were once closed are now open. We need to let them know at an early age, surveying can offer rewarding challenges with tangible results we see, need, and use every day.
We all have opportunities to be a mentor. To me, there would be no better way to give thanks to the women above than to perhaps do the same for the next generation and continue to pave the way for a young surveyor's journey of opportunities.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this month's newsletter. Your contributions to this publication are greatly encouraged and appreciated. Enjoy your holidays and safe travels.
Respectfully yours,
Alison W. Hanson, L.S.
2nd Vice President
Virginia Association of Surveyors
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US Interior Department is Grounding its Drone Fleet
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The US Interior Department, which oversees federal land and resource management, says it is grounding its entire aerial drone fleet of more than 800 UAVs out of concern for Chinese spying and drone-aided cyberattacks. The news was first
reported by The Wall Street Journal
, and the department confirmed the grounding to The Verge
.
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Advertise Your Firm in Old Dominion Surveyor
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Get the recognition your firm deserves. Advertise in an upcoming issue of ODS today!
Click here
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Limelight: Stephen Romeo
Stephen Romeo is the Principal at Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc and is the President of Peninsula Chapter
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Please provide a short history of your education and work history
1980 Graduate AAS Surveying Technology State University of New York Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred
11/1980 - 10/1983 CK Tudor Engineers, Newport News, VA
10/1983 - Present VHB (successor to LandMark Design Group, successor to Langley and McDonald), Williamsburg, VA
5/25/1988 Achieved Land Surveyor Licensure
7/19/1990 Achieved Land Surveyor B Licensure
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What do you feel is your greatest achievement in your career?
Connecting with scores of land surveyors. I've had the pleasure of associating with a lot of passionate surveyors who also share a common characteristic, humility, and I pray often for the peaceful repose of those who have passed on from this world. More importantly, I know that all of my achievements were and are only possible through Christ as my strength.
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What drew you toward surveying?
The daily challenge(s) associated with surveying urban land one day and rural land the next. Also, the challenges associated with preparing plans for development and subdivisions.
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What surveyors have been your mentors and what was special about what you learned from them?
Ronnie Orsborne and Norman Mason......both now retired! These gentlemen motivated me daily for well over 20 years and constantly reminded me of the delicate balance between one's professional life and family life necessary to be successful in both.
Patience, quality being more important than quantity, and the value of repeat clients. Perfection is an admirable but unattainable measure and you need to own your actions and decisions.
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Would you recommend a career in surveying to others, and why?
Yes.....why not?! Just look at DPOR's published APELSCIDLA regulant count. As of November 1, 2019, 7,517 Architects; 29,397 Professional Engineers, 1,291 Land Surveyors, 71 Land Surveyors B, 115 Land Surveyor Photogrammetrists; 493 Interior Designers; and 942 Landscape Architects. As professionals, we provide valuable services to public and private sector clients and are charged with upholding a standard of care intended to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
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What has been the greatest change in surveying you've witnessed in your career?
Robotic total stations, GPS and remote sensing technologies. One of the speakers at my college graduation said that we would see unprecedented technological advancements promulgated by the development of the microprocessor. Early in my career, an EDM was a heavy, separate piece of equipment, transported via framed backpack. Sometime during the Fall of 1988, I went to Trimble's facility in San José, CA for 3 days of hands-on GPS training. The GPS units were the size of large suitcases, there were only 18 satellites in orbit, and Trimble was starting work on RTK. Fast forward to today, marvel at the advancements and remember how many times during any given week that you pace out distances while doing job recon!
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It is with deep regret that we report the loss of one our Survey family members. Harry "Chas" Langelan, 72 of Mount Airy, MD died suddenly and unexpectedly on November 19, 2019. He leaves behind his
wife and his Ryan, Kellen and Brady. To read more about Chas, click here.
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Don Jamison an Honorary Member of VAS, passed away on November 19, 2019. He was born to Joe and Grace Jamison in Roanoke on Aug. 21, 1934.
He graduated from William Fleming High School in 1953 and from the Virginia Military Institute with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1957. That fall, he began a long and distinguished teaching career. Don received his master's degree from UC-Berkeley in 1961 and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1968.
Don spent 45 years teaching civil engineering at VMI, during which, he served as the head of the Civil Engineering Department, coached tennis, and most importantly, mentored thousands of cadets during their time at VMI as a faculty advisor and professor. To read more about Don's life and funeral arrangement's
click here
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Did you know that when you recruit a new member to VAS you will receive a 25% discount on your membership dues? Spread the word about the great work VAS is doing for the surveying profession and be sure to tell the new member to include your name on the
recommended by
portion of their application.
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Satellite Imagery: Flooding In Venice, Italy
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On November 14, Maxar's GeoEye-1 satellite collected new imagery of Venice, Italy. Floodwaters can be seen across sections of the city, including most notably at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) and around the Basilica (Basilica di San Marco).
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NSPS Young Surveyor's Network
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The NSPS Young Surveyor's Network is proud to present their new website, www.youngsurveyors.org. The new site allows individual state representatives to control their content and post events.
The definition of a Young Surveyor is someone under the age of 35 or who earned their degree within the past ten years. All surveyors, regardless of licensure, however, are welcome to join, but the focus will remain on supporting those new to the industry.
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VAS is pleased to work with Land's End to provide an opportunity to purchase quality clothing with the VAS logo embroidered on it. Go on, showcase your membership in VAS. To start shopping and place your order,
Click here
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