YOU ARE BOTH AN RPLS AND A PE. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE YOUR RPLS AFTER EARNING YOUR PE LICENSE?
To help put me through Texas A&M, I went to work for TxDOT for four summers. My first project with TxDOT was route layout of IH 35 through the north part of Waco. I started “tailing” chain and ended up that summer as an instrument man laying out right-of-way for the future interstate highway. Two summers later, I was providing control for 3-4 overpasses on the same project. After graduation and a stint with Uncle Sam, I ended up working for a private consultant in Waco. With this firm, the project engineer and draftsmen doubled as the survey crew (boundary and topographic information and construction staking). I’ve always had an affinity for the field crews that prepare our base engineering documents. Since I had been surveying off and on for 10 years and thoroughly enjoyed the work, I felt honored to obtain my RPLS in 1980.
HOW DO YOU THINK TECHNOLOGY WILL FURTHER CHANGE SURVEYING IN THE FUTURE?
I can only imagine! I remember the first time a saw an EDM in 1977. I was amazed that we no longer had to measure distances with a 100-foot chain.
WHAT PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU FEEL ARE NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SURVEYOR?
Tenacity—especially when it comes to boundary resolution. One has to be either tenacious or maybe crazy to run closures with a trig table and mechanical Monroe calculator!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF WORK AND REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE “HUSTLE AND BUSTLE”?
My brother and I have a few acres south of Lake Whitney, where we catch up every few months just to get away from the daily grind.
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