President's Message

Two pieces of great news for the profession came during the month of May, both legislative related; one due to the continued outstanding efforts of our Legislative Committee, our Legislative Consultant, and many of those reading this message.  The other piece of great news was an unexpected shocker.

As many know, this year a prior budget cut to the Geomatics Program at UF/IFAS was reinstated in the State’s budget and yesterday (June 2^nd) Governor DeSantis signed off the budget.  About this, IFAS Director Dr. Red Baker wrote: “This is fantastic news and I just wanted to reach out and express our sincere appreciation for all of your hard work, coupled with the steadfast support of FSMS, to make this a reality. This initiative will ensure we are able to fully support the professional surveying community for many years to come and strengthen our Geomatics program as one of the top programs in the country.”  And our Legislative Consultant David Daniel wrote: “I am so happy for all that we were able to accomplish.  We have come so far under great pressure.  While I appreciate the notes of gratitude, in actuality our success is a product of the men and women who serve FSMS members both on the Board, the Legislative Committee and those who answer the call to action for special funding requests, PAC and Legislative Receptions, testimony in committee, meeting with their local legislators, etc.”

The second piece of great news is that we learned that the State Representative who three years ago began the attempt to weaken the mandate for a four-year degree in order to become licensed has decided not to run for reelection.  Yes, you read it right!  While this is cause for a bit of celebration, there is always the possibility of some other legislator picking up where the retiring legislator left off; however, if this were to happen, the chances are that any new attempt would be brought by a legislator that is willing to listen, which was not the strong point of the retiring legislator.  While the news is great, we must remain vigilant.

This year’s convention July 20-23 in Palm Beach Gardens is shaping up to be a great one.  We have a strong number of exhibitors, sponsors, and seminars to complement the camaraderie of spending time with friends and peers.  I hope to see you there.