5 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org From the PLSO Office date on professional developments and provides important professional development hours for licensure. Other opportunities include developing leadership, communication and teamwork, strategic planning, and governance. Serving on committees and the Board of Directors are valuable experiences to put on your resume (especially when it’s another member that’s hiring). Sense of Community — As corny as it sounds, most of the successful long-time members I know appreciate the number of genuine friendships they have made through their PLSO chapter. Being part of a rich and supportive community is important, whether it’s reaping the benefit of getting a professional question answered or simply bonding over drinks and field stories for happy hour. Visibility — In a world where people are bombarded with marketing, opinions, and junk mail, it’s easy to be forgotten or passed by. It is important to have consistent visibility in the marketplace. Being promoted in the Find a Surveyor Directory is one more place your company pops up on the internet for potential clients to find you. (If you are a Corporate or Lifetime Member and not listed in the directory, you forgot to check the box on your profile. Log in to plso.org to change this.) As I look over this list, the 2022 Task Force to address the surveyor shortage comes to mind on just about all of these points. The report is discussed in this issue and available in its entirety online at plso.org/ outreach. There are several reasons why we are experiencing a shortage. We often talk about our aging workforce, which has created a gap in the number of surveyors available to take on new projects. Other reasons include a lack of awareness. Many people are not aware of the Do you all benefit from PLSO testifying in Salem, friends you met through events sharing professional information, participating in partner task forces, or promoting land surveying as a profession? Yes, you do. profession and the opportunities it offers. Educational and licensure requirements have sometimes served as a barrier simply because it was not considered streamlined and varying state regulations. And of course, technological advancements have made many aspects of the profession more efficient, possibly requiring smaller crews and less time. However, going back to awareness, land surveyors are often thought of as the guy on the side of the road looking through a camera. PLSO is working hard to create partnerships with legislators, other professional organizations, schools, vendors, and OSBEELS to create and maintain a positive and efficient professional community in the state of Oregon. So please think about all this as you consider renewing your membership. And as you do, I am certain you will come to the realization that membership is certainly a worthy investment and one you’ll want to keep making. Ronnie Jacko ronnie@llmpubs.com | 503-445-2234
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