PLSO The Oregon Surveyor January February 2021

15 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org 2021 Annual Conference: Surveyor of the Year continues T How would you explain the importance of being involved in your commu- nity? Do your personal and professional communities ever intersect? First, let me say, I was completely sur - prised to hear my name announced for Surveyor of the Year. In this season of COVID restrictions, we’ve moved our meetings and conventions online which meant I was sitting in my office watching the awards ceremony instead of being in the same room with other surveyors. My wife offered her laptop for me to use, but whenever I do I’m called out as Rox - anne. I had opted to use my computer which doesn’t have a camera or micro - phone. So, I wasn’t able to adequately say thank you to everyone and especially to my thirty fellow Central Oregon survey - ors who signed the nomination. It’s such an incredible honor and I’m truly hum - bled by this recognition. Being involved in PLSO in 1987 gave me an opportunity to meet some of the founders of PLSO and witness their com - mitment to the organization. If I had to define who I am as a person, two words would be at the top of the list: commit - ment and connection. I’ve been married for 42 years. I attendedmy last church for 33 years and out of that am still involved with two men’s groups for over two de - cades. I’ve owned my business over 33 years and have been the Jefferson County Surveyor for almost that long. I’ve been involved with PLSO for 33 years. In many groups, I take it upon myself to find out if people are going to show up to meetings. I believe it is in a simple de - cision to consistently show up that we’re able to learn from one another and to share ideas and develop opportunities to serve our communities, personal and professional. I was involved with Central Oregon Veter - ans Outreach for many years and found it fulfilling to serve, in tangible ways, many of our homeless veterans who served our nation. Even now, one of mymen’s groups gives regularly to a variety of needs in our community: Easter baskets for home - less children, gift certificates for families in need, Thanksgiving meal ingredients, cooking, and serving a meal at our local Ronald McDonald House. When I was involved in Jefferson County Search and Rescue, I would sometimes takemy daughter, Sky, to training sessions or overnight survival practices. She had fun drinking hot chocolate, sleeping in a makeshift tent, and learning to tie knots with rope. She enjoyed the First Aid train - ing and because she was a spelling bee champion and represented Oregon in the National Spelling Bee, she would write all of the medical terminology on the chalk - board for the team training. Today, she’s an RN and recently saved a young boy’s life by doing CPR on him while she was outdoors hiking and came upon a fami - ly in crisis. Perhaps that early exposure to those experiences planted a seed for who she has become today. Sometimes, there are clearly defined ways wheremy personal and professional com - munities intersect such as when I taught a Fundamentals of Surveying class to an agriculture class at Madras Senior High School where I attended and graduated. Other times, it’s simply when we’re open and available to serve others, opportuni - ties present themselves. There’s never a shortage of needs in our community. What is a moment you expe- rienced as a professional that altered the trajectory of your professional career? Did you realize it at the time? I surveyed for the Bureau of Land Man - agement for 8.5 years. I was young and enjoyed hiking the rugged terrain inmany of the BLM sections of California. We moved throughout the state on travel crews. I even convinced Roxanne to sur - vey one season on another crew. It was a great experience, but I always dreamed of having my own business so I decid - ed to take the California Land Surveyor exam for my license. I passed the exam and worked for 2.5 years for a land sur - veying firm on California’s Central Coast. I enjoyed everything about that season. We lived next to Roxanne’s parents and were spoiled by them. The weather was ideal. Roxanne was happily earning her degree in Psychology at Cal Poly SLO. One sunny Christmas, there was a fam - ily gathering and everyone was outside in shorts and getting ready for a famous Santa Maria style barbeque dinner. It was awesome in every way, except that I was missing snow and pine trees in the winter. So, I started planning to take my exam for my Oregon license. When I passed my exam, I convinced Rox - anne to move to Central Oregon which was no small feat. She has stellar printing and there was no Autocad at that time, so Interview with Gary L. DeJarnatt, PLS Surveyor of the Year