I am proud to say that I have been connected to the EHRA Engineering family my entire life. My father began his career with the firm in 1965, two years before I came into this world - surveying is in my DNA.
During the first 15 years of my surveying endeavor, I attended some college courses but was never on a path to earn a degree. Then in 1998, the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying mandated that those desiring to become a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) must obtain their Surveyor in Training (SIT) certificate by October 2000 or have a four-year degree to take the RPLS exam. With the support and encouragement of Terry Russ, third generation owner of EHRA and father of current President and CEO Jim Russ, I cracked the books for the next two years and passed that SIT exam.
What makes a good surveyor? A strong work ethic, experience and the hunger for knowledge will get you there. EHRA is fortunate to have a senior staff of four RPLS’s with over one hundred combined years of service to the industry. The satisfaction of a job well done for our clients is matched by the successes of the team. Today we have four SITs on the team that are on the path to becoming our RPLS’s of the future. The EHRA surveying team is in good hands for many years to come.
Our team is also heavily involved with the Certified Survey Technician (CST) program through the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). The CST program helps us understand our weaknesses and where we need to improve. We have eight team members who have obtained certification through the program, ranging from CST Level I to CST Level IV. To support our team members’ advancement in this program, we frequently have study groups at the EHRA office.
Education is important for everyone, and it is never too late to jump-start your career. From the Rodman on the field crew digging for boundary corners to the RPLS signing and sealing the final deliverable for our clients, we want to improve at our practice every day. The advancement and achievements of our team is a top priority at EHRA.
Thank you, Mr. Russ, for showing me the leadership tools to inspire the next generation of EHRA surveyors.
