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Western Regional Conference 2022 Highlights

Western Regional Conference 2022 Highlights

The Western Regional Survey Conference was held March 30 – April 2, 2022 at the Luxor Hotel in
Las Vegas, Nevada. Participating associations included Arizona Professional Land Surveyors (APLS),
California Land Surveyors Association (CLSA), Nevada Association of Land Surveyors (NALS), Utah
Council of Land Surveyors (UCLS), and Western Federation of Professional Surveyors (WFPS). With
pandemic restrictions loosened, nearly 900 surveyors from across the state and beyond came together
for the first in-person conference in two years!

The educational offerings included featured speakers such as Kris Kline and Jeff Lucas.
Attendees also received updates from each Board of Registration and NGS. The survey
technicians track spanned over the four days was well received by not only our members
aspiring to get their license, but also be some PLSs that were looking to refresh on topics
not often used. Roundtable discussions were held throughout the Conference and allowed
attendees to talk about important issues facing the profession in an informal setting.

Along with the 24 hours of education available, there were several events that provided
the opportunity to get together and enjoy each other’s company including a live and silent
scholarship auction. The auction generated nearly $20,000 that will be used to support
Nevada land surveying students! This year, the NALS Education Foundation awarded the
following scholarships to deserving students:

• Rita Lumos Leadership Scholarship ($2500) – Heather Keenan
• Ben Grissom Memorial Scholarship ($2500) – Nathan Mersino
• Bill Cuddy Memorial Scholarship ($2500) – Jason Lin
• NALS Hispanic/Latino Scholarship ($2500) – Nathan Mersino
• NALS Trig-Star Scholarship ($1000) – Jason Lin

We also were able to recognize and pay tribute to deserving NALS members. Immediate

Past President Justin Moore was presented NALS Member of the Year. Even with

COVID restrictions in place, Justin helped to keep the membership engaged and moving
forward. As restrictions began to lift he encouraged our Chapters and membership to
come together again and we held a successful Summer Seminar and Golf Tournament.
Throughout the years Justin’s support and leadership has continued to make the NALS
the premier voice for the profession. Thank you, Justin, for your contributions to NALS
and the profession!

In 2009 an award was established to recognize a member that has served both CLSA and NALS. The Von Schmidt Award has only
been given three times. Steve Parrish, Marty Crook, and Carl Cdebaca are past recipients of this special award. This year, Trent Keenan
joins the ranks of the Von Schmidt recipients. Trent has dedicated an insurmountable amount of time, energy and resources to both
associations and the profession as a whole.
He is a member of CLSA and a Past President of NALS. His enthusiasm for
the profession is unmatched. The amount of time and energy he dedicates
to outreach is nothing short of amazing. Outreach is definitely his passion.
He participates in multiple outreach activities and is an ambassador for
Get Kids Into Survey. As Editor of the Nevada Traverse, he keeps the
membership informed and as Founder of Mentoring Mondays he keeps
the entire nation engaged. Thank you, Trent, for your dedication and the
countless hours you work on behalf of the entire profession!

The success of the conference would not be possible without the
commitment of many people. Special thanks to the vendors, sponsors,
student volunteers, and conference committee who made this event
possible! Great job everybody! If you haven’t already, you should mark
your calendar for next year’s Conference which will be held March 25-28,
2023 at the Silver Legacy in Reno, Nevada. See you there!
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