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  • 03 Apr 2017 10:54 AM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    Surveying Mentorships: From Prospects to Veterans

    (POB MAGAZINE ARTICLE)

    When a surveyor retires, a wealth of knowledge goes with them. Mix that reality with the fact that there is not necessarily a sufficient stream of incoming surveyors to replace their aging predecessors and it becomes clear that action must be taken. One way to address the issue is through mentorship.

    Lee Spurgeon, LS, is the chairman of the Educational Goals and Outreach Committee for the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO). The land surveyor of 40 years oversees the group’s mentoring program and says mentorship in the surveying profession is really important. “The average age of a surveyor in Oregon, I think, is 56 years old, which means we’re all going to retire in the next eight or nine years. So we need to find replacements or we might end up with things like a paralegal — a para-surveyor,” he says. “Institutional knowledge is lost when the old-timers retire, so mentoring will be able to pass that information on and just have a much more informed profession so everyone can do a better job of retracing those original monuments.”

    [REAM MORE]


  • 09 Mar 2017 4:13 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    The Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) is holding a Board meeting on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. The meeting will convene at 9:00 a.m. Interested parties are encouraged to attend. Please see the attached meeting notice and agenda for more information.

    Additional information about OSBEELS can be found at:  http://www.oregon.gov/OSBEELS/pages/index.aspx.

    Please direct any questions about the upcoming meeting to the Board office.

    ##

    9:00 a.m. – CALL BOARD MEETING TO ORDER1

    1. ROLL CALL

    2. PUBLIC INPUT

    3. NCEES Presentation – Brian Hanson, NCEES WZ Vice President

    4. BOARD CONSENT AGENDA

    A. Approval of the March 14, 2017 Agenda

    B. Approval of January 10, 2017 Board meeting minutes

    C. Approval of January 19, 2017 Special Board meeting minutes

    D. Approval of February 9, 2017 Law Enforcement Committee meeting minutes

    E. Approval of February 10, 2017 committee meeting minutes

    F. Registration Approval List

    G. LEC Final Orders

    i. Case #2887 – Comfort Flow Heating Default Final Order

    ii. Case #3023 – Karr Default Final Order

    iii. Case #3024 – Uzman Default Final Order

    5. ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT – Mari Lopez

    6. PRESIDENT’S REPORT – Jason Kent

    7. EXAMINATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS COMMITTEE – Shelly Duquette

    A. OAR 820-010-4000

    B. Engineering experience gained under supervision of a PLS [ORS 672.005(1)(c), (d), (e)]

    C. EQC Denial Recommendation - Kloehn, Kurt

    D. Lentz, Gordon – Proposed Order

    E. Leshchinsky, Ora – Proposed Order

    8. OREGON SPECIFIC EXAMINATION TASK FORCE – Oscar Zuniga

    Schroeder Measurement Technologies, Inc. (SMT) update

    9. EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE – Amin Wahab

    A. Surveyor registration record search / PLSO

    B. 2017 Symposium update

    C. Oregon Examiner Articles

    i. May Board meeting to be held at OSU

    ii. Upcoming legislative session and professional organization involvement

    iii. 2017 Symposium introduction

    iv. Board members wanted

    v. Farewell to Ron Singh

    vi. Investigation and Enforcement

    vii. Preparing for retirement

    viii. Social Security number reminder for license renewal

    ix. What types of courses meet PDH requirements

    D. Website update – Keith Van Norman

    10. FINANCE COMMITTEE – Jason Kent

    A. 2017 – 2019 Budget / OAR 820-080-1000

    B. Review of financial information

    11. LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE – Bill Boyd

    A. Case #2964 – Camp, Jack

    B. Case #3017 – Yang, GuiJang

    C. Case #2989 – Hupy, Brad

    D. Case #2925 – Smith, Joel

    12. PHOTOGRAMMETRIC AND REMOTE SENSING TASK FORCE – Chris Aldridge

    UAS and Land Surveying Regulations Brochure

    13. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS TASK FORCE – Jason Kent

    Draft Policy

    14. LEGISLATIVE

    A. Legislative Committee membership

    B. HB 2935 (Sponsored by Representative Boone)

    a. PEO Draft Language

    b. SB 885 (Sponsored by Senator Roblan)

    C. HB 3168 (Sponsored by Committee on Business and Labor)

    15. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

    A. Discussion of PDH requirements

    B. Discussion on Academic Experience

    16. NEW BUSINESS

    A. Nominating Committee

    B. GIS in Action Conference / Presentation on PRSTF

    17. LEGAL BRIEFING – Katharine Lozano

    Property Line Adjustments

    18. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

    19. NEXT MEETINGS

    May 9, 2017 at Oregon State University (OSU)



  • 22 Feb 2017 1:03 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    It’s not breaking news that the annual number of retiring surveyors far exceeds the number of those entering the surveying profession. It’s up to us to reverse this trend. One of the best ways to do that is to introduce the newest generation to the surveying profession. Show them how interesting your job is and how it relates to their local community

    Help PLSO, NSPS and NCEES get the word out! Check out the tool kit designed to help you promote the profession here.

    A “live” link to the GPS on Bench Marks activity mentioned in Section 3 of the kit is found here.

    Other great suggestions that some state societies and individual NSPS members are doing include: Geocaching activities, Survey Day in Mall, request to speak to a local civic club (Elks, Grange, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, Ruritan, VFW, etc.), Professional Organization (Realtors/Attorneys/Bankers/Title Agents/etc.), or Teachers organization (School Counselors, Teachers of Math and Science, etc.)


  • 20 Feb 2017 4:49 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    COOS BAY — National Engineers Week is Feb. 19–25, and the local chapter of Professional Engineers of Oregon and Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon have coordinated an exhibition program involving high school students from Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties, as well as students from Southwestern Oregon Community College. The exhibition will take place from 4:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Southwestern Oregon Community College, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay. A buffet dinner will follow the program. The buffet will cost $15 per person; students will eat for free.

    Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students, and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science.


  • 12 Dec 2016 3:44 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    March 15: Oregon Coordinate Reference System Workshop

    • 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM
    • Umpqua Community College
    Click for More Info and Registration


  • 06 Sep 2016 4:42 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    New Member Benefit - Discount membership to American Association for Geodetic Surveying

    On September 2nd, PLSO became an affiliate member of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS). This is at no cost to PLSO and offers discount membership to its members. Joining AAGS as an Affiliate Member costs $40 per year. Membership is not required, only offered as a benefit to our members.

    The AAGS vision is to lead the community of geodetic surveying, surveying, and land information data- users through the 21st century. In this vein, AAGS is working to develop educational programs through presentations, seminars, workshops, and on-line videos related to the topics of geodetic surveying. In the near future, AAGS will be providing a Geodetic Certification program, which will be available on-line. All PLSO members who become affiliate members of AAGS will get webinars and Geodetic Certification materials at regular AAGS member prices. We can also join AAGS as Regular members and will get Surveying and Land Information Science, which is the only journal that routinely accepts – or even accepts at all – papers on boundary issues and is the profession’s only refereed journal. SaLIS has published four boundary-related papers in its last five publications. As GNSS, laser scanning, and other new technologies come into common use, AAGS will be at the forefront in developing the necessary education for proper use of these technologies.

    Currently, the Alaska Section of the ACSM, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, and Rhode Island and Oregon have agreed to affiliate with AAGS. More state societies will hopefully become affiliates of AAGS following their upcoming board meetings. 

    CLICK HERE JOIN AAGS TODAY!

  • 05 Sep 2016 10:30 AM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    Within 24 hours of submitting a letter to his state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) office, TJ Frazier, President of the Maryland Society of Surveyors received a response and a scheduled meeting to discuss workforce development in the surveying and geospatial community. 

    The Maryland effort is part of the NSPS national workforce development initiative, designed to help attract the next generation of professional surveyors and technicians. That program begins with a letter-writing campaign by state surveying societies, as well as by local chapters and individual surveyors and firms. [READ MORE]

  • 01 Jun 2016 9:51 AM | PLSO Office (Administrator)


    May 31, 2016, Tigard, Ore. – Oregon high school students competed in the state-level Trig-Star competition this past month as part of a national movement to introduce land surveying as a career. Participating schools hosted the annual high school mathematics competition based on the practical application of Trigonometry. The program recognizes the best students from high schools throughout the nation. The top three winners of each school earned cash prizes. The first place students from each school then competed for $500 prize money, Oregon State Trig-Star Champion title and a chance to go on to win $2,000 as the Richard E. Lomax National Trig -Star Award Winner, sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors.

    This year’s 2016 Oregon State Trig-Star Champion is Andrew Reimer-Berg of West Salem High School. As a senior, he will graduate in June and attend Eastern Mennonite University, a private liberal arts university near Harrisonburg, Va. in the fall, where he has been awarded an Honors Scholarship. While his favorite subject is math, extracurricular interests involve music. Not only does Reimer-Berg play the piano, but also the cello in the school orchestra. He is a member of the 2015 and 2016 Salem All-City Orchestra and a vice president of West Salem High School’s National Honor Society.

    “We would be lucky if someone like Andrew considered surveying as a profession. Trig-Star is a great way to introduce students to the building blocks used in land surveying,” said PLSO Executive Director Aimee McAuliffe. “The retirement rate of many of today’s surveyors is creating a huge demand for entry-level employees. Surveyors and mapping technicians can work in government, engineering, architecture, construction, real estate, transportation, utility companies, and other industries. This year alone, PLSO is giving out $15,000 in scholarships. The money is out there. Students just need to find the right opportunities.”

    # # #

    The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon represents more than 500 land surveyors and associated suppliers. It serves the land surveying industry in Oregon through professional education and outreach, holding paramount the interests of the public. To learn more about surveying as a career visit www.plso.org/education&careers


  • 19 Apr 2016 4:05 PM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    The sixteenth PLSO Willamette Branch Surveying Student Appreciation Night will take place on Monday May 16, 2016 at Oregon State University in the Gallery in front of the Ag Production Room at the La Sells Stewart Center from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

    The speaker is being supplied by Marcus Reedy with DEA and the topic will be collecting data for a GIS.

    The event is free for surveying, geomatics, students and $ 40 for PLSO members and other interested persons. PLSO is requesting help from its members  by having them pick up the cost of a student dinner. There will be a drawing for student door prizes at the end of the meeting.

    The link is: http://cce.oregonstate.edu/2016-plso-student-appreciation-dinner-registration.

    The caterer needs a head count so interested persons should have their registration in by Monday May 9, 2016 when the final meal count will be sent to Valley Catering.


  • 19 Apr 2016 9:21 AM | PLSO Office (Administrator)

    News Release

    Ted Wheeler             

    Oregon State Treasurer

             

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 14, 2016

    Contact:           James Sinks, 503-881-4747 (cell)

                            James.Sinks@ost.state.or.us   

                            Web: Oregon.gov/treasury

                            Twitter: @OregonTreasury

    Input sought from Oregon employers statewide to help design landmark retirement savings plan, which launches in 2017

    Surveys and interviews will help shape savings plan approved by lawmakers   

    SALEM – When it launches in mid-2017, the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers and businesses.

    To help design the plan, input is being sought from employers statewide.

    “This is an opportunity to help shape the best possible plan for employers and workers, and help every Oregonian build toward a more secure future,” said State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, the chairman of the Oregon Retirement Savings Board.

    The current opportunity to engage is an online survey, which can be found here. In addition, a sampling of employers and sole proprietors who volunteer will participate in a wide-ranging interview with researchers from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

    The survey is targeted toward employers who do not offer their own workplace retirement plans, and gathers information about why they don’t currently offer a plan, such as cost or complexity. Owners and any workers at those businesses are expected to be able to participate in the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan. 

    The deadline for responses to the survey is April 28.

    The Center for Retirement Research of Boston College has worked with other states on similar programs and is performing the required market analysis and feasibility study for the Oregon plan. 

    Businesses also are invited to help guide the construction and rulemaking for the new plan by engaging with the Oregon Retirement Savings Board, which holds public meetings, and by participating in working groups that are considering plan design, program design, financial literacy and outreach opportunities. Learn more at www.oregon.gov/retire.

    Today, roughly half of Oregon workers do not have access to an option to save for retirement through their employer, even though research says people are most likely to save and will save more when that opportunity is available.

    The plan will offer Oregonians a worry-free way to save for retirement. In addition, employers that currently don’t offer plans to employees – many of them small businesses -- will benefit because the state-administered plan will offer a simple and convenient path to help their workers start saving. The plan will impose no fiduciary risk to employers, and their clerical responsibilities will be kept low.  

    All Oregonians will benefit when more people save, because it will reduce the pressure on already strained, taxpayer-funded safety net programs.

    Retirement savings rates are lower among women, minorities and people with a high school education level or less. Insufficient retirement savings can force tough sacrifices, such as skimping on food, housing and health care.

    Approved by the 2015 Legislature, the envisioned Oregon plan will not be a pension, will not be connected in any way to the Oregon Public Employee Retirement Fund, and will not offer any matching funds or any guarantee of performance by the state or employers.

    The Oregon State Treasury protects public assets and saves Oregonians money through its investment, banking, and debt management functions. State investment policies are set by the Oregon Investment Council. The State Treasury also promotes public outreach and education to help Oregonians learn strategies to save money, invest for college and make smart financial choices.


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