Gary Kent, PS is a Professional Surveyor with Schneider Geomatics in Indianapolis. After 37 years, he transitioned to part-time in 2020 and formed Meridian Land Consulting through which he provides training, consulting, and expert witness services.

Gary was Chair of the ALTA/NSPS Workgroup responsible for the ALTA/NSPS Standards for 26 years from 1995 to 2021. He has presented programs on boundaries, standards, risk management, safety, easements, leadership, and other topics multiple times in all 50 states. Gary has served on the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors since 2004 and is a past-president of both ACSM and the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors.

Needham v. Hise – Mock Trial

This mock trial is based on an actual boundary dispute that was litigated in court. Two attorneys and a judge will participate, with the audience sitting as jury, as the plaintiff and defendant, and the two surveyors testify, and we explore relevant issues such as the chains of title, conflicting lines of possession, the related boundary law principles, and differing claims of title, both written and unwritten. As an integral part of the trial, questions will be taken from the audience.  Throughout the day, the audience will observe and learn about courtroom procedures, including direct and cross-examination, the juries will compare and debate the merits of the defendant’s and plaintiff’s cases, and the day will end with a presentation on the characteristics of good expert witnesses and what purpose they serve.

Richard Smith is an Executive Director for the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

NSRS Modernization – What Surveyors Need to Know

This seminar will provide an update on the National Geodetic Survey’s modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), including the replacement of NAD 83 and NAVD 88 with new geometric and geopotential reference frames. We will cover updated timelines, what the changes mean for practicing surveyors in Texas, and the role of the Texas Spatial Reference Center (TSRC) in supporting the transition.

Dr. Davey Edwards, PhD, PLS, LSLS, CFedS is a Survey Technical Director at Dunaway in Fort Worth, TX. He is a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in Texas, Oklahoma and the U.S. Virgin Islands, a Texas Licensed State Land Surveyor, and a U.S. Certified Federal Land Surveyor.

Dr. Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in Geospatial Surveying Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a doctorate in Geosciences from the University of Texas, where his research focused on land administration systems and riparian boundary morphology.

An experienced educator and advocate for professional development, Dr. Edwards teaches continuing education courses and has served as a professor at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, New Mexico State University, Weatherford College, and is now an adjunct professor at Lone Star College – Montgomery. He is also the United States Delegate to the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Commission 2 on Professional Education, contributing to global collaboration in surveying education. He has recently been selected to serve as a program evaluator for ABET.

Dr. Edwards has recently been appointed to the National Geospatial Advisory Committee of the Federal Geographic Data Committee. He is a past president of the National Society of Professional Surveyors and a past president of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors. He currently serves as a Survey Emeritus member of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and advises its Surveying Advisory Committee. He continues to serve on various committees with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying as a delegate from the Texas Board. His previous leadership includes service on the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying, and as Director of the Texas Spatial Reference Center.

With extensive field experience across Texas and Oklahoma, Dr. Edwards specializes in original land grant surveys, riparian boundary surveys, and boundary issue resolution. His expertise has been sought by state and federal officials, and he frequently provides expert consultation on complex boundary and jurisdictional matters.

Surveying the Red River

One of the most difficult but easily identifiable boundaries in any cadastral system is a call for the river. However, legal interpretation of the exact position of these boundaries can cause quite a bit of confusion with not only the layman but also the professional.

This course goes into an in-depth discussion of river morphology and how that relates to riparian boundaries. It looks at some of the legal principles that address river morphology like accretion/erosion, reliction, and avulsion.

This interactive course will cover several sections of the TBPELS acts and rules.