PLSO Oregon Surveyor January/February 2019

16 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 42, No. 1 PLSO Conference I’d also like to create an associatemember sponsorship program. Those who can’t af- ford associate membership would apply for sponsorship. Other members or busi- nesses that can help would then pick up the membership fees for the associate. The PLSO could highlight the business and the member awarded the sponsor- ship in The Oregon Surveyor and at our conference. Investment in our associate members eventually leads to licensure, corporate membership, and leadership of the PLSO and our profession. Lastly, I want to work toward a sustain- able future for the PLSO and OrYSN. I’m not entirely sure what this looks like, but I’m thinking that starting with increased collaboration with other professional net- works, such as the Professional Engineers of Oregon, America Society of Civil Engi- neers, and URISA, will help the image of our profession. Why is it important to encourage more people into the profession? One word: Diversity. I think one of the major costs of a dwindling profession is “groupthink.” Psychology Today says groupthink occurs when “… a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non-optimal decisions that are spurred by the urge to conformor the discourage- ment of dissent.” Ultimately, this causes an “us-vs-them” mentality, which I will go out on a limb and say that we suffer from. One cure for this is diversity. Encourag- ing new people to enter the profession not only gives us new options to solve old problems, but it allows us to see the world and ourselves differently. A few years back I heard a prominent survey- or give a presentation about the state of surveying. Their conclusion was that we’re “pale, male, and stale.” We all need to work to change this. You have been taking part in a pro- gram called The Leadership Circle. Could you tell us a little more about it and how it is affecting your career and volunteer activities? The Leadership Circle is a portion of the curriculum in the Ascent Aspiring Leader Program that I’m currently enrolled in. It’s a nine-month program run by the State of Oregon for state employees and teaches transformational leadership by allowing the cohort to explore their values and de- rive their purpose in life. It sounds deep, right? It is, and I was scared when the pro- gram leaders toldmy cohort on Day 1 that we would put words to our life’s purpose at the end of the nine months. I thought to myself, “You mean I will actually have to write down why I’m here?” And, “What if the things I uncover about myself don’t coincide with my life’s decisions?” Well, I’m twomonths in, and I can say that I’m excited for what is to come. I’ve be- come more self-aware and I’ve learned about my biases and how I show up as a person. My end goal is to live on purpose and with intention. I feel once I accom- plish that, the systems (i.e. PLSO) I’m part of will be better. We’ll be able to solve the underlying issues facing our profession, not spend time and effort on symptoms. I don’t know what my purpose is yet, but I do know that it has something to do with me sharing the gifts that I have with the world. I feel like we all have gifts that help build the systems we are part of and add to our legacy. The Leadership Circle says, “Legacy is not about being remembered, but about contributing to the welfare of others.” We’re all here as building blocks for future generations, and I think lead- ership is a way to service them. What is your proudest moment as a surveyor so far? This is a hard question. If you would have asked me five years ago, I would have said that I was proud of earning my pro- fessional license, but that is no longer my proudest moment. I used to want to be the best surveyor. I wanted tomakemore money, and I wanted to be the person that everyone called on to solve prob- lems, but I’ve realized that isn’t my role. I think I’mbetter at bringing people togeth- er, which is why my proudest moment is the first OrYSN meet-up. Kelly Miller and I worked together to set up an event not knowing if anyone would show up, but we were floored when 70 people decided to hang out with our group on a cold, icy Wednesday night in January. It was unbe- lievable. I’m glad Kelly was there because I freaked out and didn’t know how to han- dle the situation. She took over and ran the gathering flawlessly. I’m proud of what the OrYSN has be- come and how the PLSO has supported our group. I feel like I get most of the credit, but I have not acted alone. The success of the OrYSN can be contribut- ed to many folks. They are: Kelly Miller, Leo Litowich, Samantha Tanner, Austin Bennington, Tim Brown, Ian Read, Casey Varnum, Ciara Annas, Rhonda Dodge, and Nick LaFond. Additionally, we couldn’t have been successful without the support from surveyors such as JasonMartin, Paul Landau, Pat Gaylord, Lee Spurgeon, Tony Brooks, John Thatcher, Bob Neathamer, Gary Johnston, Gary Anderson, Dave Wil- liams, Shawn Kampmann, and Tim Kent. Lastly, I feel the most important mem- ber of the OrYSN is Aimee McAuliffe. On top of her normal duties, she helps shine light on all the ideas we have on how to grow the OrYSN and the PLSO. Without her support we would be nowhere. Our success is a testament to the leadership in Oregon, and I’mexcited to see what the future holds.  x I think I’m better at bringing people together, which is why my proudest moment is the first OrYSN meet-up. Kelly Miller and I worked together to set up an event not knowing if anyone would show up, but we were floored when 70 people decided to hang out with our group on a cold icy Wednesday night in January. continued T