7:00 AM – 5:30 PM

REGISTRATION (CONFECTION HALL OFFICE)

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7:00 AM - 8:15 AM

BREAKFAST (EXHIBIT HALL)

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7:00 AM - 5:45 PM

EXHIBITS OPEN (EXHIBIT HALL)

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8:15 AM – 11:45 AM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 101: The Report of Survey - A Narrative Approach

  • Presenter: Don Teter, PS, Assistant Professor, Fairmont State University

  • Description: Although many surveyors hate to write, preparing a report of survey need not be a daunting task. Brilliance isn’t required, merely diligence. More important than great writing talent is a willingness to do enough work to create a simple readable document. Just like learning to research or run a surveying instrument, the more you do it the easier writing becomes. The instructor will emphasize a narrative approach, written as much as possible in plain English. Topics discussed include When and Why to Prepare a Report (including discussion of whether or not to certify); Laying the Groundwork (emphasizing effective file organization and plat preparation); What Should Be Included; Writing the First Draft; Revising the Draft – The Craft of Writing; Proofreading and Double-checking Tips; and Distributing the Report, including discussion of whether or not it should be recorded. A sample report and plat will be used to illustrate some points.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 201: Cultivating the Next Generation

  • Presenter: Amy Hopkins, PLS, Owner, Urban Terrain, LLC

  • Description: With the average age of surveyors getting higher each year, we need to attract and retain young survey talent. Once we hire them, how do we hold on to them? Is your management staff scaring them off? Are we overlooking potential talent within our own firms? Is the generation gap too wide to bridge? Does your company offer a friendly work atmosphere for everyone? Maybe your management style needs to change. This session is geared toward managers and party chiefs who interact directly with the future of our profession. Upper-level managers will take away a new perspective on the development and mentoring of their employees at all levels of experience and licensure.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 301: Survey Data Workflows with Autodesk Civil3D

  • Presenter: Justin Brooks, PE, PMP, Corporate Design Technology Manager, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc​

  • Description: In this workshop, we will discuss the tools and workflows within Autodesk's Civil3D for processing survey data and creating survey drawings. Some of the topics discussed will be survey setup, importing and working with points, entering and creating linework, and the Field to Finish process. If time allows, we will also discuss ways to connect to geospatial data.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 401: Bridge & Structural Surveys

  • Presenter: Stephen Reisinger, PLS​, Retired

  • Description: This will be a discussion about types of structures, the methods of surveying those structures, and what needs to be surveyed for different types of projects.

  • Credits: 3.5

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8:15 AM - 9:45 AM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 501: The Pennsylvania - Delaware Arc Boundary

  • Presenter: Todd Babcock, PLS, Babcock Surveying & Mapping, LLC

  • Description: This workshop will review the history of the boundary conflict and methods used to establish the 12-mile Arc boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware. Subsequent re-surveys of the line and the current condition of the boundary monuments will be discussed. The boundaries of Pennsylvania were established after many years of contentious negotiation, lawsuits, and occasional bloodshed. Ultimately, the boundaries were settled and monumented by Surveyors using the stars as their guide.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 601: Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law

  • Presenter: David Housley, PLS, Survey Project Manager, Harshman CE Group, LLC and Don Housley, PLS​, Retired

  • Description: This session will review the Engineer, Land Surveyor, and Geologist Registration Law (aka Registration Act 367) with extreme focus as it applies to the Profession of Land Surveying. This session shall include definitions, the Registration Board, procedure for licensing, continuing education requirements, practice by firms & corporations, professional seals, Board suspension and revocation, required reporting to the Board, and investigations.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 701: Reducing Liability in the Work Zone

  • Presenter: Matt Craley, Associate Vice President, Risk & Safety, Flagger Force​

  • ​Description: Presentation on critical insights into work zone safety. Attendees will learn the proper techniques and procedures to mitigate risks in high-traffic areas. Key topics include effective use of safety equipment, best practices for setting up and maintaining safe work zones, and understanding the impact of traffic control measures. Through real-world examples and actionable advice, surveyors will gain valuable knowledge to ensure their safety and that of others in the field.​

  • Credits: 1.5

• 801: Hydrographic Surveys: Surveying Small Bodies of Water Using an Unmanned Small Vessel

  • Presenter: Brent Fico, Support Specialist and Trimble Certified Trainer, Keystone Precision Solutions, and Rick Johnston, Support Specialist, Keystone Precision Solutions

  • Description: This session will provide a comprehensive overview of hydrographic surveying, specifically focusing on bathymetric surveys conducted on small bodies of water using unmanned small vessels. Participants will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of bathymetric surveying, including its purpose, techniques, and the technology involved.

  • Credits: 1.5

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10:15 AM - 11:45 AM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 502: West Virginia - Pennsylvania - Ohio North-South Line

  • Presenter:​ Todd Babcock, PLS, Babcock Surveying & Mapping, LLC

  • Description: This workshop will review the history of the boundary conflict and methods used to establish the boundary between Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. We will follow in the footsteps of Jeremiah Dixon, Charles Mason, Andrew Ellicott, and David Rittenhouse. Subsequent re-surveys of the line and the current condition of the boundary monuments will be discussed.The boundaries of Pennsylvania were established after many years of contentious negotiation, lawsuits, and occasional bloodshed. Ultimately, the boundaries were settled and monumented by Surveyors using the stars as their guide.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 602: Digital Signatures, Seals and Datasets

  • Presenter: Timothy Burch, PLS. Executive Director, National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)​

  • Description: As we bravely navigate what is known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the surveying and geospatial professions work in and create data for a digital environment. Along with the advancements of productivity and capability are legal and ethical challenges of utilizing digital data from a large amount of sources. Part of the professional surveyor's duties is to attest for the work completed by them and/or under their direction, but what if some of the data is not theirs to certify? And how do our laws apply to "signing" professional opinions of a survey plat? Digital seals and signatures differ from electronic signatures, so this session will explore what is the right tool for the surveyor to utilize.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 702: Ensuring Safe and Effective Utility Access in Confined Spaces: Best Practices and Innovations

  • Presenter: Bryan Hazelwood, Chief Pilot/Senior Field Service Manager, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.​

  • Description: Topics covered in this session include a general overview of confined spaces, dangers of confined space, minimum requirements, recommended requirements, procedures and methods for entry, and alternate means of data collection, and innovations.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 802: Railroads

  • Presenter: Michael Brinkash, PLS, President, Brinkash and Associates, Inc.​

  • Description: Topics covered in this session include: Types of Title Acquired by Railroads, regulation of Abandonment, Determining Abandonment, Discontinuance of Railroad Rather than Abandonment, Railbanking, Constitutionality of Rails to Trails, Prescriptive Easement vs. Adverse Possession of a Road Crossing, Interpretation of Documents Creating Railroad’s Original Interest, Meaning of a Right-of-Way, Railroad is a Highway, Fences Along Railroad Right-of-Ways, ICC Instruction for Railroad Maps, and Railroad Guage-Distance Between Tracks-Basis of Horizontal and Vertical Datum.

  • Credit: 1.5

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11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

LUNCH (EXHIBIT HALL)

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1:00 PM – 4:30 PM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 302: Surface Modeling with Autodesk Civil3D

  • Presenter: Justin Brooks, PE, PMP, Corporate Design Technology Manager, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc​​

  • Description: In this workshop, we will discuss and demonstrate how to create existing conditions surface modeling using survey data, GIS data, or point clouds from photogrammetry and LiDAR. Once we have a surface model we will then look at the tools available in Civil3D to refine the surface and analyze the model.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 603: Engineering Land Surveys per the Registration Act # 367

  • Presenters: David Housley, PLS, Survey Project Manager, Harshman CE Group, LLC and Don Housley, PLS​, Retired

  • Description: Through discussions, this session will explore the role of a Professional Land Surveyor in performing Engineering Land Surveys as defined by the Engineer, Land Surveyors & Geologists Registration Act # 367 and as amended by Act 87. This shall include discussions on what the Act(s) permits and what a surveyor's limitations are in performing such services. The discussion will cross over into the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and the implications the two Acts have over one another.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 703: Keeping Consultants on Track - A Discussion on Working with Railroads

  • Presenter: Adam Zweig, Assistant Vice President of Engineering, Carload Express​

  • Description: The presentation will cover the process of working with a Railroad to get a project designed, permitted, and constructed. It will start with how to determine which Railroad to contact. It will cover what is needed for the design, including the process to enter the right-of-way for the design survey. The agreement phase of the project will be discussed. And finally, the construction of the project and the safety requirements that need to be followed while on-site will be reviewed. We will cover some of the do's and don'ts and typical issues that arise from working with a Railroad.

  • Credits: 3.5

• 803: Geodesy Review with Discussion of NATRF2022 and SPCS2022

  • Presenter: Jeff Jalbrzikowski, PLS, GISP, Appalachian Regional Advisor, National Geodetic Survey (NGS)

  • Description: This session will give an overview of the upcoming changes to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), our Nation’s geodetic infrastructure. We will start with an overview of horizontal datums, and then move into an explanation of NATRF2022, which will replace NAD83. We will review what is changing but also how the future of the NSRS is somewhat similar to what you already know. The concepts of Survey Epoch Coordinates (SECs) and Reference Epoch Coordinates (RECs) will be explained. Jeff will wrap up with a discussion of the major changes that SPCS2022 will bring as compared to your current SPCS83 in Pennsylvania.

  • Credits: 3.5

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1:00 PM – 2:30 PM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 102: Deed & Plan Research: When is Enough Enough?

  • Presenter: Carl Bert, PLS​, President, Carl Bert Associates, Inc.

  • Description: A challenge for the Boundary Surveyor is to determine when enough deed & plan research has been done to make a professional determination as to the location of a boundary line while staying within a reasonable budget and scope. This session includes a discussion of characteristics of a researcher, process of obtaining documents, how far back in time, analyzing documents, chain of title, in-office preservation of documents, use of tax map data, matching info from documents to field observations, adjoiner research, conflict resolution between document, etc.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 202: Discussion Panel - Navigating Onboarding and Training: Insights from Surveyors

  • Moderator: Timothy Burch, PLS, NSPS Executive Director

  • Panelists: Dylan Sites, PLS; Mike Given, PLS; Taylor Shepley, PLS; Ryan Deglau, PLS; Don Groesser, PLS

  • Description: In the ever-evolving landscape of surveying, effective onboarding and training are pivotal for ensuring surveyors are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to excel. This panel discussion will delve into the unique challenges and best practices associated with onboarding and training from the surveyors' perspective. Join us for an engaging session where newly licensed surveyors as well as seasoned surveyors share their firsthand experiences and insights on what makes a successful onboarding program. Our panelists will discuss the essential components of effective training, including:

    • Tailoring Training Programs: How to adapt onboarding processes to meet the diverse needs of new surveyors and other team members, considering different experience levels and areas of specialization.

    • Technology Integration: The role of digital tools and technology in enhancing training effectiveness and streamlining the onboarding process.

    • Mentorship and Support: The impact of mentorship and ongoing support systems in fostering professional growth and ensuring long-term success in the field.

    • Real-World Challenges: Common obstacles faced during onboarding and training with strategies to overcome them.

    • This interactive session will feature a dynamic panel of newer and experienced surveyors. The panel will be facilitated by Tim Burch, NSPS Executive Director. Attendees will gain valuable insights into designing and implementing effective onboarding and training strategies that not only enhance surveyor performance but also contribute to overall organizational success. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from those in that field and to engage in meaningful discussions about shaping the future of surveying through improved onboarding and training practices.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 402: The Topographic Survey

  • ​Presenter: Amy Hopkins, PLS, Owner, Urban Terrain, LLC

  • Description: In this interactive session the land surveyor will walk away with confidence in their ability to read and interpret contours, and determine if aerial mapping data was processed properly with regard to breaklines and physical features on the ground. We will discuss both the field and office aspects of topography in an attempt to get everyone working together to create a thoroughly accurate product. Field staff will gain a better understanding of the requirements and procedures that the offices staff goes through when producing a topographic map. Drafters will gain a new respect for the data our crews collect. There will be practical application exercises to practice drawing contours by hand and learn to interpolate elevations.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 503: Presidential Surveyors: The Surveying Work of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson & Abraham Lincoln

  • Presenter: Don Teter​, PS, Assistant Professor, Fairmont State University

  • Description: Before embarking on his military career, President George Washington got his start as a surveyor working on the Virginia frontier for Lord Fairfax. President Thomas Jefferson served briefly as the Albemarle County Surveyor and continued to dabble in surveying all his life, culminating with laying out the original campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Before his career in law and politics, Abe Lincoln served as a Deputy County Surveyor in Sangamon County, Illinois. The presentation will focus on the methods and products of their survey work.

  • Credits: 1.5

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3:00 PM – 4:30 PM: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• 103: Documentation of Boundary Evidence

  • Presenter: Carl Bert, PLS​, President, Carl Bert Associates, Inc.

  • Description: This session deals with what needs to happen with a Boundary Survey now that the location of the boundary lines has been determined so that others can follow in our footsteps. This session includes what needs to be marked in the field such as corner monumentation, marking lines, walking property with client, etc. The session deals with plan content including title blocks, bearings & distances, adjoiners, references to sources of information, ties to support monuments, references to SPC, branding, consideration of end user, certifications, presentation for recording. The workshop includes legal descriptions, survey reports, verbal & written explanation to client, coordination with attorneys and preservation of in-office data.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 203: Effective Project Management for Surveyors and Design Professionals

  • Presenter: Donald Groesser, PLS​, Vice President Corporate Survey / Geospatial Practice Lead, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. 

  • Description: The presenter, Don Groesser, will provide an overview of best practices for Project Management earned over 39 years in the Land Surveying Profession as a Project Manager of small surveying firms, Business Owner, and Practice Lead for CEC overseeing 22 survey offices with a Survey staff of over 186, and 40 professional surveyors licensed in 31 states. From business development, client selection, scope and cost, proposal preparation, project execution, QA/QC, invoicing, collections, and project close-out.

  • Credits: 1.5

• 403: Preparing for and Attending Municipal Meetings

  • ​​Presenter: Amy Hopkins, PLS, Owner, Urban Terrain, LLC

  • Description: We will prepare you to take your subdivision plan through the approval process. We'll look at a SALDO and Zoning ordinance and how it applies to your project. We'll discuss the difference between a Planning Commission and Board and Supervisors or Council meeting. We will discuss how to address review comments and conditions of approval. We'll discuss what it means to have your plan "tabled."

  • Credits: 1.5

• 504: Monumental Surveyors: Surveying for Monumental Carvings at Stone Mountain, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse

  • Presenter: Don Teter​, PS, Assistant Professor, Fairmont State University

  • Description: Moving beyond the famous people in the carvings (including three surveyors and one other guy) to take a look at the surveying methods that have guided the sculpture work. After exploring the techniques Gutzon Borglum used to guide his early work at Stone Mountain, we will look at his masterpiece at Mount Rushmore. At Crazy Horse, we will see how surveying is continually providing data and control, with ongoing work being guided and analyzed with modern technology including laser scanners, which are also being used to guide maintenance work at Mount Rushmore.

  • Credits: 1.5

 

5:00 PM - 5:45 PM

RECEPTION & NETWORKING (EXHIBIT HALL)

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6:00 PM - 8:15 PM

DINNER & EVENING PROGRAM - AWARDS & SWEARING-IN OF OFFICERS/GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING (EXHIBIT HALL)

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8:15 PM - 10:30 PM

MEMBER APPRECIATION PARTY (COCOA BALLROOM) *For PSLS members only.