DRMP’s Survey staff recently took part in a unique opportunity to unite with surveying and geospatial professionals from around the globe during the FIG (International Federation of Surveyors) Working Week 2023 conference held in Orlando, Fla.
The conference, held in the United States for the first time in more than 20 years, comes at a critical time for surveyors to gather and share knowledge and recruitment strategies as the industry in the United States and abroad faces a shortage of young surveyors joining the profession.
This year’s conference landing in Orlando gave DRMP’s surveying and geospatial experts a rare opportunity to meet fellow industry professionals from around the world.
DRMP Survey Analyst Melissa Padilla Cintron, SIT, attends the FIG Working Week 2023 conference at the Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek hotel in Orlando, Fla.
Each year, the FIG conference brings the international community of surveying and geospatial professionals together, including those from Germany, Africa, Taiwan, and Poland, to experience a mix of interesting technical sessions and workshops, a trade exhibition, and a variety of side events and social functions.
“It was great to come together in one room and everyone had an opportunity to present what they are doing as a young surveyor in their own country,” DRMP Survey Analyst Melissa Padilla Cintron, SIT, said. “It’s good to see we are all out there working to improve our communities and helping support each other in the profession.”
In February, Padilla Cintron was invited to serve on the FIG conference’s planning committee for the young surveyors’ portion of the conference to assist in organizing that part of the event.
DRMP Survey Analyst Melissa Padilla Cintron, SIT, (far left) joins fellow members of the young surveyors planning committee while Jacob Heck, Ph.D, president of the National Society for Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Young Surveyors Network, recognizes the group for helping plan a portion of the FIG conference .
Padilla Cintron is a brand ambassador for Get Kids into Survey, a global initiative started in the United Kingdom to inspire future surveyors by providing educational programs and interactive resources.
She attended the conference along with DRMP Senior Vice President and Surveying and Mapping/ Geospatial Director Joe Di Benedetto, PLS, and DRMP Vice President/Tampa Survey Department Manager Chris Wild, PSM, who were there to network with international surveyors.
(left to right) DRMP Senior Vice President and Surveying and Mapping/Geospatial Director Joe Di Benedetto, PLS, DRMP Survey Analyst Melissa Padilla Cintron, SIT, and DRMP Vice President/Tampa Survey Department Manager Chris Wild, PSM, attend the FIG Working Week 2023 conference in Orlando, Fla.
Padilla Cintron said DRMP’s surveying department is ahead of the curve in investing in the latest technology.
“I noticed when I went to the conference’s exhibit hall to take a look at the products the equipment companies had to offer, we were one of the firms that had the latest technology,” Padilla Cintron said.
Attending the conference showed Padilla Cintron how the surveying profession has an even greater reach beyond the A/E/C industry.
“I learned our surveying expertise can be used for many different professions, such as mining, forensic science, and agriculture,” she said.
Additionally, Padilla Cintron learned of different avenues she can explore to inspire future surveyors to join the profession in her ongoing outreach efforts. Professional land surveyors can register to become a Merit Badge Counselor through the Boy Scouts of America to promote and provide instruction for the Surveying Merit Badge, an effort Padilla Cintron said she plans to pursue.
“This is another engaging way for us to promote the profession and educate students about the importance of surveyors to construction projects,” she said.
DRMP Survey Analyst Melissa Padilla Cintron, SIT, and fellow Get Kids into Survey brand ambassadors show off the organization's swag during the FIG conference.
Her goals are to begin incorporating the Boy Scouts’ Surveying Merit Badge into her outreach activities, as well as mentor and become even more involved in the community.
“There is this movement right now that is called the FIG Mentoring Program to share skills and knowledge about our profession,” she said. “That is something FIG has been trying to promote more, and they promoted it during the conference. Anything I can do to help raise awareness about the importance of our profession, I am committed to explore.”
