The Geoholics

Another quality guest from "across the pond" as they say. Stephen "Steve" Slessor is an absolute rock star and one of our new favorite people! He is the Managing Director at Galliford Try Environment and President of Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. Steve provided an enlightening perspective on all of the great things land surveyors are doing in the UK as well as the challenges they are currently facing. Oddly enough, those challenge are very consistent with the things we struggle with as a profession here in the states. Steve sums it up best by saying “One of the key lessons I have learned is that working collaboratively is at the heart of any successful project or business. I firmly believe in driving the right behaviors and relationships, to enable effective communication between project teams, clients and the supply chain, to deliver projects to the highest standards.” We all can learn a lot from Mr. Slessor. Other topics covered include Legos, football (soccer) and a trip to Mars. Music for this episode by Deacon Blue!

Another value adding, friend making episode...and it was recorded on 4/20! We were joined by Aaron Michalenko, LS, owner of DBE Surveying and Richard "RJ' Johnson, a laser scanning and reality capture specialist. A new approach to surveying was the focus of this conversation. Scanners, UAVs, and VRS combine to change the way certain projects can be completed in a safer, more thorough and more efficiently than ever before. This workflow requires a strategic investment in both the hardware and software necessary to collect, process and manage the large amounts of data this technology generates. Aaron & RJ share both their successes and failures along with some very enlightening case studies to help maximize the return on investment. Buttermaker Shoots was coaching Huddy's team to a 5-1 record, so we were joined by Steve "One Man" Gangwal. DD shares some 420 facts. Music for this episode by Foo Fighters!

Welcome to this meeting of Geoholics Anonymous! This is another “round-table” format discussion touching on the relevant topics affecting the geomatics world. This panel is made up of Kent Groh, LS (Host of The Geoholics), Ryan Kelly, CP (Co-host of The Geoholics), Gavin Schrock, LS - Consulting Editor at GoGeomatics, and Geoff Zeiss - "Between the Poles" blogger & Digital Underground Advisory Board. Some items discussed at this GA meeting include getting to know www.gogeomatics.ca and the resources this community provides to geomatics professionals, GeoIgnite Canadas largest geospatial conference, the importance of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) services, how SUE is still an untapped market that is absolutely exploding, and the FREE upcoming Underground Forum that is not to be missed. Shoots is back! Music for this episode by Keith Jarrett.

The Geoholics are providing this podcast as a public service, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of our beliefs and values. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the The Geoholics. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by any of The Geoholics do not necessarily reflect the view of our Friends of the Program or any of its officials. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact our Office of General Counsel. Music by Johnny Monaco!

In a bit of a twist, the boys were joined this week by Boris Skopljak and Troy Langston. Boris is the Marketing Director at Trimble Geospatial Strategy & Analytics and Troy is the Regional Sales Manager at Monsen Engineering. They brought two unique perspectives to an enlightening discussion that covered all things Trimble. We talked about the latest hardware developments including the R12i, SX12, S7 and the TSC5. We also touched on the latest software developments including Trimble Clarity, RealWorks and Access. Boris & Troy took the time to talk about the exciting advancements in Trimble's AR/VR technology and how SiteVision is literally changing the way we see things in the field. Speaking of changing, Trimble RTX is definitely a game changer and their collaboration with SiriusXM was another hot topic of conversation. There may or may not have been some behind the scenes secrets mentioned that you don't want to miss. Buttermaker Shoots made an appearance! Music for this episode by The Blue Stones!

This is podcast gold! The guys were joined this week by Farrah Etcheverry, Zach Hogan and Adam Marmolejo to discuss just some of the concerns that "younger" surveyors have about the land surveying profession. We touched on how to make land surveying more appealing to the younger generations, the value of formal education vs hands on experience, importance of getting licensed vs not getting licensed, how to educate the public on the value land surveyors provide, trade vs profession, and how time and technology is going to affect the future of land surveying. We also learned that the earth is safe from the Apophis asteroid for at least another 100 years! This was also the maiden voyage of the new Diamondback Land Surveying Studio making it even more fun than usual. If you want to get a warm fuzzy feeling about the direction and future of land surveying this is a not to be missed episode. We were honored to have the opportunity to chat with these three influential "younger" surveyors! Music for this episode by The Sex Pistols!

We're going to Baja! We were joined this week by none other than the one and only Dennis Hollenbeck. Dennis is the driver of record for Team H12:1 and "Bochito"! Team H12:One is the result of a Dream, and a Vision. Their goal each year is to participate in the Three Main Score Races in Baja Ca, the San Felipe 250, The Tecate Baja 500, and the Grand Daddy of them all...the Baja 1000. Their car of choice is the VW Stock 1600, class 11 as can be seen in the Movie Dust 2 Glory. H12:1 team members come from the US and Mexico with a mission to create a race team of Christian believers and friends to benefit the unfortunate woman & children of Casa Esperanza located in Baja California, and to look for opportunities to share and serve the communities that they race in. Find out more at https://www.teamh12one.com/. PJ is moving...BS is coaching, and DD is banking more good karma! Music for this episode by Pink Floyd!

What a great show! We were joined this week by Jake Williams the Program Coordinator of the Future City Competition. This competition has been around for nearly 30 years and Jake was a competitor well before he became the Program Coordinator. As a result, he was able to provide the full spectrum of perspective for Future City. We discussed not only the history of the program, but also what it entails, who can participate, how it is judged, how we as professionals can get involved and what is in store for the future. Heck, we even talked about Dungeons & Dragons! PJ bought a boat...BS & TLK provided dinner and DD is a degenerate gambler! Music for this episode by Cage the Elephant!

The boys were joined this week by Fred Brown, a true surveyor that has been working in the profession for over 40 years. Fred is proud to be the Director of Operations for Golden Field Services, Inc. (GFSI). GFSI specializes in providing professional services for the pipeline, power and telecommunication industries nationwide and has been doing so for over 25 years. We discussed what makes GFSI unique, the direction these vulnerable industries are heading and the challenges surveyors face when working in these projects. Fred has surveyed in most states of the United States as well as for several years overseas in the Oil & Gas and Mining & Metals Industries. Needless to say, he has some great stories, a few of which he was kind enough to share with us. Music for this episode by Midnight Oil!

What an awesome panel! We were joined this week by Philip Adams, LS, President/CEO of Adams Surveying Company, Ryan Swingley, LS, Geospatial Manager at ESP Associates and Phil Fedor, LS, Project Manager at Bowman Consulting. Combined, these three gentlemen bring close to 100 years of experience to the stage! Our topic of discussion for this episode focuses on field notes. Field notes are arguably the most important component of any survey/mapping related project. We had a spirited conversation touching on WHY field notes are important, WHAT needs to be included and HOW field notes differ from project to project. Music for this episode by Rose Colored Eyes!