In the Rearview Mirror…


The September Chapter meeting was attended by 40+ members and guests. Incoming TSPS President Davey Edwards travelled from Decatur and installed the newly elected Chapter officers, and he also shared a bit of his vision for the upcoming year for TSPS. Davey emphasized the need for increased membership, and preparing for the next legislative session and Sunset review. Out going Chapter President Jerry Lehew was cited for his efforts during the past year, and was presented with a plaque recognizing his service to the Chapter and the profession. Thank you Jerry for your service!

Chapter Officers for 2010-2011
The Executive Committee for Chapter 5 for 2010-2011 is as follows:

Jason Jernigan, RPLS	President
Paul Mannel, RPLS	1st Vice President
Justin Waldrip, RPLS	2nd Vice President
John Pierce, RPLS	Secretary/Treasurer
John Melton, RPLS	1 year Director
Richard Ortiz	1 year Director
Randall Marshall, RPLS	2 year Director
Gary Mathews	2 year Director
Jerry Lehew, RPLS	Past President
Chris Freeman, RPLS	Chapter Representative

Chapter 5 Committee Chairs 2010-11

Education	John Pierce
--SkillsUSA	Randall Marshall
Public Relations	Gary Matthews
Membership	Justin Waldrip
Programs	Paul Mannel
Nominating	Jerry Lehew

  On the Horizon ...


The next TBPLS Board Meeting Meeting is scheduled for Friday December 9th in Austin, and 4 CEUs are awarded to attendees of TBPLS Board meetings. See their website for meeting location and agenda information. (www.txls.state.tx.us). Previously it was thought that the TBPLS may hold a meeting at the Annual Convention, but apparently that will not be the case, since a meeting was held on September 16.


2011 TSPS Annual Convention & Exhibits October 5-8
Don’t forget, this year Chapter 5 is co-hosting the Convention with Chapter 2. The site will be the Frisco Stonebriar Embassy Suites, next to the Dr. Pepper stadium. Mike Bearden is the Convention Committee Chairman, and has been busy with securing seminar presenters, sponsors, and all the other details that come with this event. There will be a need to get volunteers to assist with all the little details, so please help Mike and his Committee by offering to assist. It makes the event a great success. Contact Mike Bearden at (972) 400-1689.


Certified Survey Technician testing scheduled for November 12
Chapter 5 Education Chairman John Pierce has announced that the next CST exam will be held November 12 at the West Campus, North Lake College, in Irving (at the north end of DFW Airport off of SH 114 at Freeport Pkwy). You may apply through TSPS by Oct 1 or NSPS by Nov. 1. Both written and on-line exams are offered.


Chapter 5 Membership…Recruit a Member!
There are currently 141 members of Chapter 5. TSPS encourages all Chapters to work at increasing the membership. Encourage your co-workers, staff, and colleagues to consider joining TSPS. With the current possible legislative action related to the TBPLS, strength in numbers will be critical when we want a strong and united voice heard. If all members would recruit one other member, Chapter 5 would double in size. Justin Waldrip (ARS Engineers, Inc.) is the Chapter 5 Membership Chairman, contact him or any other Chapter Officer for information or guidance.


Newsletter Contributions
If you would like to offer an article or share some news or information, you are more than welcome to do so. The Newsletter is a service to Chapter 5 members, and your contributions are encouraged. Whether it is a technical offering, a historical article, or just a neat photo or link that might be of interest to our members, please forward it for inclusion so that all may enjoy.

JAMIE GILLIS JOINS GEOMATIC RESOURCES Irving, Texas – February 9, 2011 – for immediate release Jamie Gillis, RPLS, PLS has joined Geomatic Resources LLC as a Technical Support Specialist based at Geomatic’s Solutions Center located adjacent to the DFW Airport in Irving. He will provide technical support for Leica Geosystems GPS, Robotics, Total Stations, and Data Collection to Land Surveying Professionals in North Texas and Oklahoma.

Jamie brings a strong background in the surveying industry, and his high level of professionalism and survey knowledge to the Geomatic Resources team. His experience covers a wide range of surveying duties. His background includes serving as Instrument Man, Survey Assistant, Party Chief, Offshore Survey Technician, Project manager, and Professional Land Surveyor. His early surveying experience includes performing numerous field assignments in Nova Scotia, Canada. Recently, he has served as RPLS/ Project Manager for a number of natural gas gathering pipeline projects, oil & gas lease and location surveys, boundary, topographic, and hydrographic surveys and has been involved with offshore positioning and metrology, monitoring & logging surface & sub-surface positioning data in the Gulf of Mexico. Jamie is a Registered Professional Land Surveyor in Texas and Louisiana, and is very active in the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. He holds a PBC in Geographic Information Sciences from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. He also received a BA in History and Political Science from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “Jamie will be taking on the key role of supporting our existing customer base on all survey products and will be helping with our ongoing sales efforts. We hope you share our excitement in adding such a well respected and knowledgeable person to our staff. Please join us in welcoming Jamie Gillis to Geomatic Resources” says Rodney Walsh, President of Geomatic Resources LLC. Jamie can be reached via email at jg@geotx.com About Geomatic Resources Geomatic Resources LLC is one of the largest independent distributors of Leica Geosystems products in the United States, serving North Texas and Oklahoma from a sales, rental, service, support and training center adjacent to the DFW airport in Irving, Texas. Geomatic provides Surveying Professionals with state of the art GPS, Robotic, Total Station, Digital Level, Machine Control and HDS Laser Scanning solutions as well as a full range of Supplies and Accessories. For more information about Geomatic Resources visit www.geotx.com, email rw@geotx.com, or call 1-817-691-5328.

 

Safety First…..Make it a Priority

Click here for links to various Safety websites that might be helpful to your firm and staff.
 

Clean out your closets and equipment storage areas...if you have survey items/equipment that is lying around and stuffed away in storage, the Duncanville H.S. SkillsUSA survey students would like to take those items off your hands. Dust that stuff off and bring it to a Chapter meeting, or call Chris Freeman (972-226-8181) so he can deliver to the growing program at the school led by Faculty Advisor Bart Burnett. Chains, tapes, tripods, levels, calculators, flagging, safety vests... you name it, they’ll take it…even broken equipment that can be dissected, scrapped for parts, whatever. Heck, they might even take that grumpy ol’ I-man off your hands...

UPCOMING 2011 MEETINGS & SPECIAL EVENTS SCHEDULE

2011 Monthly Meeting Dates (speakers/programs)

October 5-8 – Annual Convention in Frisco @ Stonebriar Embassy Suites
November 8 – Scott Holt, RPLS, and John Cantrell, RPLS from the City of Dallas will discuss survey related information
December – No Meeting due to Holidays


2011 Special Events

Annual Convention & Exhibits –co-hosted by Ch. 5 & 2 Oct. 5-8 in Frisco

Monthly Chapter 5 Meetings are held at:

Cantina LAREDO Restaurant
165 Inwood Village, Dallas, TX 75209
(Southeast Corner of Inwood & Lover’s Lane, next to Inwood Theater)
Phone: 214/350-5227     www.cantinalaredo.com
Social/Dinner Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (order from the menu)
Chapter Meeting: Business @ 7:00 pm, Program @ 7:30 on 2nd Tuesday

Thanks to the following Full-Page Ad subscribers:
Midwest A&E, Geomatic Resources, Courthouse Research Specialists, WDS, and GeoShack.
Be sure to support our friends at these firms, they support us!!

And thanks to the following firms for their contributions to the Chapter by placing a Business card in the Newsletter:

The Wallace Group, Dunaway & Associates, R Delta Engineers, Winkelmann & Associates, Di Sciullo & Terry, Lamb-Star Engineering, Gonzalez-Schneeberg, and Halff Associates.