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4 The Nevada Traverse Vol.51, No.3, 2024ThePresident%u2019sMessageBy: Todd Enke, PLS , NALS PresidentI have been fortunate, and surveying has been at the forefront of much of what I have experienced throughout my life, culminating this year in having the opportunity to be the President of NALS and being able to participate in some great events, including our rocking Western States Conference, the work we are doing behind the scenes on issues we identified last year during our NALS Strategic Planning Session. However, perhaps the most memorable was the trip a few of us from NALS made to Washington, DC, in April for the NSPS Spring Meetings and the Day on the Hill. This was a fantastic experience, and we got a tour of the Capitol Complex on day 1. Then the next day, during the Day on the Hill, present to the staffers of our state representatives to Congress and the Senate three topics: the TAP (Transition Assistance Program) Pilot for 2025, which helps place transitioning military personnel into civilian careers that match their skills, the second topic was the Survey Mark Preservation in a Disaster Cleanup and third being Congress Resolution 96 put forward by Rep. John Joyce (PA) explaining the importance that the continuation of licensing of surveyors, engineers and architect is by states in protecting public health safety and welfare. This is something that I look forward to doing again and if you have interest, I recommend you contact our NSPS Director for Nevada Nancy Almanzan. Looking at the rest of the summer, we have the annual day of golf that we get to play at the Lahontan Chapter Golf Tournament at the end of August. Thank you ahead of time to Eric Sage and Nicole Werdann from Wood Rogers for doing all the heavy lifting to make this a success. For those members in the south, on October 12, the Bill Cuddy Memorial Picnic will be at Lamb State Park %u2013 Picnic Area 5, where SNALS will be setting Bill%u2019s Final Point. I have never been to a Final Point Ceremony, so I look forward to the great turnout we will surely get for this special event. If you have any questions, be sure to contact SNALS Chapter President Erik Denman for more information.I discussed our trip to Washington, DC, earlier and was able to present the three issues that NSPS had identified for us. When I returned home, I got the chance to share these with RCI%u2019s Founder, Bruce Scott, and asked if he would take and discuss them with our Congressman, Mark Amodei, and he did. Though they were meeting on a separate topic, the Congressman took the time to listen to the issues and said he would look into supporting them. I was excited to hear this when Bruce told me, but I never expected what would happen next. A week ago, last Friday, I got an email from John %u201cJB%u201d Byrd, our NSPS Lobbyist, that Max West, the same Legislative Correspondent we met with in DC, had time on the following Monday or Tuesday to meet and discuss further the issues we presented to him in April. What an incredible experience spending an hour plus with Robert Carrington and Trent Keenan discussing what Land Surveyors do and the importance of each of these three issues with a nice gentleman who had no idea about what we did or the issues we brought forward to him. Robert Carrington said it was like Survey 101 for this young man. This experience would not have been possible if I had not joined NALS some years back and taken the time to learn what the organization does and decided to give my time for the better of our survey community, and one big shout out for Bruce%u2019s willingness to take these issues to Congressman Amodei and his follow through. Surveying is tough right now with always having to fight to retain employees, get paid for work performed, find and train new employees, and work with engineers (probably the toughest), but with NALS%u2019s continued involvement with our state board, NSPS, WFPS, and other organizations and the hard work done by many individuals on Work Force Development and Get Kids into Survey (thank you Trent) we can make these tough days go away. NALS and the entire survey community need your help to expedite the process of building a better, larger, and stronger workforce, not just of Professional Land Surveyors but of qualified field and office technicians. The next time you are looking to fill a spot in your firm, look outside the box for that person who doesn%u2019t know about what Land Surveyors do or that we even exist and give them a shot; it can%u2019t hurt, and who knows? You might find your firm%u2019s next Survey Director.of the legacy that seasoned professionals leave behind and the importance of continuing to foster a spirit of generosity, mentorship, and camaraderie within the land surveying profession.I hope you enjoy this Young Surveyors Edition of The Nevada Traverse! It is a powerful testament to the commitment of the land surveying profession to nurture and support the next generation. With articles focused on exam preparation, business entrepreneurship, mentorship, and community engagement, it provides young surveyors with the tools, inspiration, and encouragement they need to succeed and thrive in their careers. This edition is a call to action for all land surveyors to step up, get involved, and contribute to building a stronger, more vibrant land surveying profession. In conclusion, this edition of the Nevada Traverse represents the spirit of collaboration, enhancement, and community that defines our land surveying profession. I want to thank our members for their ongoing support and dedication. Remember, your feedback and contributions shape the content of our publication, so please continue to send in your articles and comments. Together, let%u2019s build a brighter future for land surveying in Nevada and beyond!The Editor%u2019s Corner... continued from previous page