55th FSMS Annual Conference Wednesday and Thursday Seminars

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Wednesday, August 25th (by separate registration)

8:00AM - 4:00PM

Minimum Technical Standards (MTS)

Course #6961
6 hours – MTS/L&R

This course instructs and informs the attendee regarding minimum technical standards (MTS) as set forth in Florida Administrative Code 5J-17 (formerly 61G17-6). The public must be able to rely on the survey product produced by a surveyor and mapper. In meeting this objective, surveyors and mappers must achieve minimum standards of accuracy, completeness and quality. The course includes instructions on the practical application of MTS in meeting that objective.

Instructor Pablo Ferrari, PSM has lived in the Jacksonville area for thirty-six years and is the Vice President/Managing Partner for Geomatics Corporation. Mr. Ferrari graduated in 1991 from the University of Florida Surveying and Mapping Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. He holds professional registrations and certifications in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mr. Ferrari is the Immediate Past President for FSMS, he has also previously served as the FSMS Secretary and District 2 Director.

Instructor Russell Hyatt, PSM is a Florida Professional Surveyor and Mapper with over twenty years of experience. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Surveying and Mapping. Mr. Hyatt has worked in the private sector in Florida since 1990 and is currently the Vice President of Hyatt Survey Services, Inc. He currently serves as an FSMS District 5 Director.

8:00AM - 11:15AM

“INC., LTD., LLC, LLP – What’s It All Mean?” – Selecting the Right Entity for Surveying Business Operations

Course #7558
3 hours – General

This course will assist professionals in their practice management in providing insight on the correct form of entity in which to conduct their surveying and mapping business. The course will also cover the requirements for setting up temporary entities for specific projects, such as joint ventures and limited partnerships. The advantages and disadvantages of the different types of entities will be discussed, and the need for formalities in establishing and maintaining the entities will be covered.

Instructor Claire Duchemin is a member of The Florida Bar and has been in the private practice of law for thirty years. She earned her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in 1977 and her law degree, with high honors, in 1980 from The Florida State University. For the past twenty years, she has been involved in representing surveyors, mappers, engineers, and other design professionals in a variety of legal matters. For the past twelve years, she has represented the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society.

12:45PM – 4:00PM

Mobile LiDAR: An Overview of Surveying’s New Tool

3 hours – General

This course will focus both on the technical aspects of Mobile LiDAR as well as an introduction to the office processing involved to develop final products. It will include an overview of on-board measurement systems, data collection, LAS processing, calibration, colorizing point clouds and accuracy assessment. Lastly, the course will review integrating Mobile LiDAR with other datasets including imagery, GIS and CAD files for creating additional value and representations.

Instructor Stephen Clancy, PSM is a Florida licensed Professional Surveyor and Mapper as well as a Certified GIS Professional with an extensive background in LiDAR, GPS and traditional surveying and mapping. In addition to serving in various capacities in surveying and GIS related activities, Mr. Clancy also has five years of University teaching experience in the fields of Geomatics, Photogrammetry and GIS. Mr. Clancy has a diverse and broad background in the Geospatial Sciences and most recently has joined Michael Baker Jr., Inc. to manage the operation of their Optech LYNX Mobile LiDAR system.

Thursday, August 26th (by Separate Registration)

8:00AM - 4:00PM

Strategies for a Successful Surveying Business

6 hours – General

This presentation will provide a better understanding of the aspects of managing a successful business. The content of the course will include various tools, principals and theories used to improve the performance of a surveying business. No matter the size of your firm, this presentation will cover many things that can help you have a more successful business. It will contain topics including knowing your clients and your employees. Also, the financial factors such as billing rates, overhead factors and chargeability will be covered. Finding, hiring and releasing employees will be discussed along with your legal responsibilities affecting each of them. The presentation will also cover the aspects of a good contract and some of the pitfalls of contract negotiation.

Instructor John Matonich, PSM is the president and chief executive officer of ROWE Professional Services Company, a firm specializing in consulting engineering, surveying, planning, landscape architecture, aerial photogrammetry, and land development services in Michigan and across the country. He joined ROWE in 1981. He is licensed as a professional surveyor in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Mr. Matonich currently serves as Immediate Past President of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, (NSPS), and is a past state president of the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS). He also currently serves as chairman of the Joint Government Affairs Committee for the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), headquartered in Washington, D.C.

8:00AM - 11:15AM

Florida’s Offshore Boundary

3 hours – General

This course will acquaint students with the history of litigation regarding state ownership of offshore lands. The course will familiarize the student with the history of Florida’s ownership of offshore lands and the differences in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The course objective is to better educate the student in the responsibilities and procedures that are used in establishing the offshore boundary of the State of Florida.

Instructor W. Lamar Evers, PSM is a Professional Land Surveyor registered in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and North Carolina. He is employed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of State Lands, Bureau of Survey and Mapping as the Mean High Water (MHW) and LABINS Program Manager. As the MHW program manager, his responsibilities include the dissemination of Mean High Water data, establishing procedures for the determination of the MHW line when a study is required and issuance of notices of filing of MWH surveys as required by Chapter 177, Part II, Florida Statutes.

12:45PM - 4:00PM

Mean High Water

3 hours – General

This course will focus on the technical aspects of performing a Mean High Water Survey. It will include a brief overview of Florida Statutes 177 Part 2, and the definitions contained therein. The primary focus will be on the recovery of Control Stations, locating and constructing Subordinate Stations, techniques for reading gages, utilization of electronic gages and performing tide calculations.

Instructor Mark Stokes, PSM has spent thirty-seven years in the surveying industry and has extensive surveying and mapping, operations, and corporate management experience. Mr. Stokes has a B.S. Degree in Mathematics from the University of Florida (1978). He is especially proficient in performing Mean High Water Surveys and is recognized as a leading expert in the State of Florida. Mr. Stokes has set approximately 2,000 gages and mapped 100’s of miles of Mean High Water. In addition, he assisted with the creation of the interpolated Mean High Water Data points on a portion of the State for the LABINS Interactive Maps and he also prepared the Mean High Water calculation forms (Excel) currently available on LABINS.

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Conference Schedule
Wednesday and Thursday Seminars and Bios
Saturday Seminars and Bios
Hotel Reservations
Spouse Activities
Golf Tournament
Fishing Tournament