e-NEWS DECEMBER 2021
IN THIS ISSUE...
  • A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
  • 61st ANNUAL GEOMATICS CONFERENCE
  • CLSA LOSES FRIEND, DONALD F. TROY, PLS 3051
  • BPELSG FALL 2021 BULLETIN
  • IN THE NEWS
I hope all our CLSA members enjoyed Thanksgiving with family and friends. This holiday season is truly a time to reflect upon how good our professional situation really is. Our national and state economies are relatively strong, there are many projects out there for us to work on, plenty of jobs for those entering our profession, wages are generally high (see the In the News section of this issue), and scholarships are available for those in our institutions of higher learning. 

Our CLSA colleagues help make our profession even better. Chapter members and Officers are arranging local holiday parties and taking the time from their busy schedules to reach out to their fellow surveyors. For some, this season is bringing the added excitement of fall California PLS Exam results. I was expecting the results in mid-December, but they are arriving a bit early this year. Many people are waiting to hear results from the people they studied with or helped prepare for professional licensure. As happy as I was to pass my exam, I find that I am even more happy now to hear from those whom I have taught, guided, or mentored over the years, that they have achieved success!

Congratulations to all the new licensees. I hope that if you are not already CLSA members, you will join this great organization that is focused on improving the land surveying profession. If you are already a member, thank you for your membership, and if your schedule allows, please consider helping CLSA help the profession. 

Employers: the last couple issues of the CLSA eNews had examples of firms recognizing significant employee achievements. Please take the time to publicly congratulate your staff on their achievements. This reflects well upon your firm, and our profession.

Items to remember:

  • The 2022 CLSA Budget has been approved and reflects dues of $270 per year for PLS. 
  • Once negotiations conclude, NSPS membership will be an additional CLSA member benefit. 
  • CLSA entrance fee for new members is suspended for those who join by 1/1/2022.
  • CLSA Reinstatement fee for lapsed members is suspended for those who re-join by 1/1/2022.
  • The annual CLSA Conference will be held March 30-April 2, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV. Conference registration (discounted for CLSA members) and a link to room registration (Luxor) are available for the 2022 AZ-CA-NV-UT-WestFed Conference. The theme is Mapping the Path for the Next Generation. www.PLSEducation.org. Plan to arrive March 29, 2022.
  • The 61st Annual Fresno State Geomatics Engineering Conference has been scheduled for January 14 & 15, 2022. See this Eventbrite link for more info.
The deadline for GPS on BMs data collection has been extended to December 31, 2022. This is a great opportunity for Chapters to put together campaigns that allow both public and private sector land surveyors to work together to help improve the future results in the immediate area. Please coordinate your efforts with John Tosto using the gpsonbms@californiasurveyors.org email.
Chapters, please continue recruiting new CLSA members. Licensees, LSITs, Technicians and others are all welcome. There is a membership level for any level of qualification. Individuals, companies, or corporations who, by their interest in the land surveying profession, are desirous of supporting the purposes and objectives of CLSA may also join as Sustaining Members.

If you are not a CLSA member, please recognize all the good that CLSA and CLSA members do to benefit you in your day-to-day work and improve the profession. Please give back to the profession by joining CLSA, attending webinars, workshops, and our conference and participating in the various efforts of importance to you.
Members, please ensure that your membership dues are current, and do whatever you can, whenever you can, to improve the profession. Please reach out to others who are not currently CLSA members and invite them to join or re-join us. I challenge every member to bring in at least one new member. Every membership helps improve our situation adding additional funding, brainpower and enthusiasm. Increasing membership is critical to the success of our organization and the well-being of our profession. It is up to all of us to help make a difference in our world. CLSA does that.

Thank you for all your efforts.
Keep yourselves and your people safe. 

Robert M. McMillan, PLS, EiT
East Los Angeles College - FS Prep Course
East Los Angeles College is offering an FS prep course. The class runs from January 4 - February 6, 2022. There is potential for funding to reimburse students for their registration fees through an NSF ATE grant. Please contact Humberto Gallegos at (909) 681-2927 with questions.
BPELSG FALL 2021 BULLETIN
The fall 2021 edition of the Board Bulletin is now available.

Featuring:
  • Digging Deeper: Understanding Our Certificate Holders and Licensees
  • BPELSG Connect User Feedback

In every Issue:
  • Executive Officer’s Report
  • Board Members
  • Outreach Events
  • In Memoriam
  • Enforcement Actions
  • Contact Us
  • Board Calendar
WFPS Offering Fundamentals of Surveying: Exam Study Course & Manual
Approximately 16 hours of videos and manual. Manual will be shipped to your address. Video links will be emailed and provided as an annual subscription. Subscriptions are not prorated. Link will expire on December 31, 2022.

Topics: Topics included are based on the current NCEES Fundaments of Surveying (FS) exam specifications and recommended knowledge.

Presenters: Dane Courville, PLS and Knud Hermansen, PLS, PE, Ph.D.

Price: $199 for members; $299 for non-members
CLSA LOSES FRIEND, DONALD F. TROY, PLS 3051
DONALD FRANCIS TROY Age 95, passed away at his home in Highland, CA on November 20, 2021. A funeral mass will be held on December 17, 2021 at 10am.
PUBLICATIONS
2021 publications are now half off in the CLSA Store. We are also accepting pre-orders for 2022 publications.

  • 2021 PE Act and PLS Act with Board Rules
  • 2021 Complete Package with DVD
  • 2021 Subdivision Map Act & Index
ARTICLE & PHOTO SUBMISSIONS FOR CALIFORNIA SURVEYOR MAGAZINE
Do you have a photo from your field work that would make a great magazine cover? Do you have an idea for an article or have you written an article that you'd like us to consider including in the next issue? Please send your submissions and ideas to California Surveyor Editor, Joseph Waltz.
NSPS - STOLEN EQUIPMENT REGISTRY

Reminder - NSPS provides a registry of stolen equipment. 
Offers a $.07 per page discount and will automatically donate $.10 per page to CLSA when members download courthouse documents through this website. These instruments include Deeds, Easements, Rights-of-Way, Releases, Liens, etc.
OFFICE DEPOT DISCOUNT PROGRAM
Save up to 60% on your office supplies. Click on the Office Depot Logo to begin utilizing the CLSA-Office Depot Discount Program. If you do not know your username and password, or for more information, contact the CLSA Central Office.
The CLSA Education Foundation was established in 1993 and is committed to supporting land surveying students and programs. Last year over $50,000 in scholarship aid was provided to land surveying students. 
 
Donating to the Education Foundation is easy! Click HERE to donate via PayPal.

Thank you to everyone who clicks through to Amazon through the CLSA's Education Foundation Amazon Smile account! If you're not doing so already, please shop on Amazon with this link.
IN THE NEWS...
WestLAND Group, Inc. Transitions from a WBE- to MBE-certified Firm
Based on WestLAND Group Inc.’s ownership transition in August, 2021 from founders Rich and Mary Josenhans to Principals Matthew H. Okubo, PLS, and Glenn M. Chung. PE, QSD, the firm has successfully updated and registered the company’s certification status from a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) to a Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) under the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Supplier Clearinghouse. The current MBE certification is in effect until July, 2022 at which time it will be again be renewed. 
 
Mr. Okubo is the firm’s President and Principal Partner at WLG overseeing all aspects of public utility and geospatial operations; business development/marketing; advanced, remote sensing technology; corporate operations; financial compliance and development/implementation of the firm’s strategic and financial growth plans. Mr. Okubo, has over 25 years of geospatial experience spanning across multiple industries He’s a native of Lahaina, Maui and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the field of civil engineering before later discovering his passion in land surveying and business. Over the years, Mr. Okubo has excelled in both field and office capacities and served in various leadership positions at previous firms including California Regional Manager, Vice President, and Principal. He’s well known in the professional community and has been a speaker at various industry events.
 
Mr. Chung is also the firm’s President and Principal Partner at WLG overseeing the land development and pipeline engineering business practices, business development/marketing, information technology (IT), corporate operations, and development/implementation of the firm’s strategic and financial growth plan. Mr. Chung has over 25 years of experience providing engineering services for public and private-sector clients. He is a native of Southern California and was born and raised in Hacienda Heights where he began his career working at his father’s company as a survey chainman and engineering designer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California State University, Long Beach and is a licensed professional engineer in California. Over the years, Mr. Chung has served in various leadership positions at previous firms including California Regional Manager, Vice President, and Principal for the commercial/industrial business unit.
 
Founded in 2000, WLG is a privately-owned, certified MBE firm with offices in Ontario, Valencia, and Bakersfield, CA providing full-service engineering, geospatial, and land planning services for public and private clients. WLG is an equal opportunity, multidisciplinary organization comprised of 130+ Professional Land Surveyors, Registered Engineers, geographic information system (GIS) specialists, and highly qualified technical support personnel. WLG is ranked as a “Top 100 Geospatial Firm” in North America by Point of Beginning (POB) magazine, A “California Top Design Firm” by Engineering News Record (ENR) magazine, and a “Top 100 Hot Firm in North America” and a “Best Firm to Work For” by Zweig Group. For more information about WLG, visit the firm’s website at www.westlandgroup.net or, visit our social media sites at LinkedIn or YouTube. 
Congratulations Ralph Guida IV, PLS, ACECF
Founder of Guida Surveying, Inc. (Guida), Ralph Guida IV, PLS, ACECF, has long supported the engineering and land surveying industry. In November 2021, he was elected to serve as American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Vice Chair for 2022-2024. He has been an active ACEC member for more than 17 years, and has served as State Chapter President, Member Organization (M.O.) President for Orange County, California, Chair of the Coalition of Professional Surveyors (COPS), Political Action Committee (PAC) member for California, and the M.O. National Director.

In October 2021, Ralph was unanimously selected by his colleagues into the ACEC College of Fellows. This honor is granted to a distinguished class of engineering and land surveying professionals, in recognition of their “contributions to the Council and the profession”.

Ralph’s main priority while serving as Vice Chair is to increase participation and growth in National political action: to elevate awareness of the many contributions professional engineers and land surveyors provide to the growth and support of communities, and to highlight the efforts of these professionals who provide such benefits as scholarships, internships, and volunteer work as well as other community services.

During his involvement with ACEC, Ralph has utilized his various leadership positions as a forum for advocacy within the land surveying profession, a career that has become a lifelong passion of his. Over the years, these leadership roles have included serving as Orange County Chapter President, California State President, Political Action Committee (at both State and national levels), Coalition of Professional Surveyors as Chair and Steering Committee member, and as Chair for National Coalition. In these roles, he has been heavily involved with fundraising initiatives and awareness campaigns, as well as speaking with key legislators while serving on political action committees, both within California and across the U.S.

CLSA congratulates Ralph on this notable position!
Forbes Advisor weighs in on How to Hire a Land Surveyor: Checklist and Tips
Forbes has published info when someone might need to hire a land surveyor, what land surveyors generally do, land surveyor qualifications, how to select and hire a land surveyor, including checking with the state professional association, and red flags of which clients should be aware.
Current California Basic and Total Hourly Prevailing Wage rates: 
Apprentice Basic Hourly Rate for all surveyor occupations are based respectively on 50%, 70%, 80% and 90% of the Chainman/Rodman journeyman wage for Periods 1—4. (Approx. 1,000-hour steps)
Thank You CLSA Sustaining Members