114
February 2014
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
imaging, and geospatial information. The success of most
modern industries depends, to some degree, on these
technologies. And, there are an incredible number of disci-
plines that contribute. So, let’s just say that I have worked
in a representative sampling, but by no means in every
one. It’s true that I’ve worked in both big companies and
small. In a small company you can have the satisfaction of
creating your own destiny, but you lack the resources that
a big company can provide. I’ve found that innovation is
possible in both environments, but it is certainly harder in
a big enterprise. Fondest memories have always come from
personal interactions with colleagues, and I have enjoyed
them in every environment. My fondest memories are of
kind words or encouragement that others have said to me.
What area was the most challenging, why?
Change is challenging, regardless of the environment.
In a small company, you are trying
to create new customers by offering
new services or products which likely
would require the customer to make
changes. Ultimately, that is the value
proposition that a small company offers
for its customers, but the customer has
to be willing to risk change. And in a
big company, there is the institutional
inertia of the status quo. And of course,
not all change is good. So, the challenge,
wherever I have been, has been to make
the business case for change when
appropriate. The flip side of change is that if you don’t
drive it or manage it, it happens to you, rather than with
you or for you. We’ve all probably experienced some of that
and don’t like it.
Throughout your career, has association membership
been important and why?
You already heard what a geek I am. Well, I saw my
first 3-D printer in 2005 at the ASPRS conference in
Baltimore, a good seven years before Wall Street investors
caught wind of this hot tech. As a student, I received my
first professional exposure by presenting a paper. As an
entrepreneur I made my first sale thanks to exhibiting at
a conference. Now I have to admit that I let my ASPRS
membership lapse, but I rejoined. Why? I’m convinced
that the Society has much to offer, but we’ve got to do
a better job explaining why the work of ASPRS and its
members is important, we’ve got expand our world view,
and we’ve got to ensure that our programs remain relevant
as times change. Now, as much as when it was founded
nearly 80 years ago, APSRS is in a position to help its
members mold the future and create a legacy for the
next generation to build upon. A technological future for
humankind is probably inevitable, but will it be a good
one? We can have a say about that.
ASPRS is celebrating its 80
th
anniversary this year. As
Executive Director, where would you like ASPRS to be
when we celebrate our 85
th
?
How about where we need to be when we celebrate our
100
th
? Taking the question literally, hopefully we’ll still
be headquartered on earth! But wouldn’t it be cool if one
of our members were on their way to Mars or the Moon?
Seriously, some of our members (especially students and
young professionals) have the right kind of skills, and
that’s about the right time frame. Now to answer the
question more in the spirit in which it was intended, of
course we’ll have relevant programs, healthy growth,
strong finances, and all the normal things needed to exist
and flourish as a scientific and educational organization.
But that’s not enough, because we will have to continu-
ously chart a course as the world changes. So, ASPRS will
become adept at adapting to the rapid changes in technol-
ogy, markets, and society that shape mem-
bers’ work and work environment. Exactly
how this translates, however, is not for
me to say, but rather for our members to
envision. That’s why I will work to under-
stand, even more than I already do, who
our members are, what their professional
challenges are, and how ASPRS can help
them in their careers and businesses. My
goal is that by our 85th anniversary, every
ASPRS member will be able to proudly
articulate in 30 seconds or less what our
Society is about and why it is important.
What are two of your pet peeves and what are two
things that help you to de-stress?
I never did an analysis, but I’ll bet that Dilbert captures
99 percent of my pet peeves. By the way, Scott Adams
(who writes Dilbert) recently published an article in the
Washington Post titled “Read this if you want to be happy
in 2014.” In the article he wrote this equation: Happiness
= Health + Freedom. For me, exercise is key to solving
Adams’ equation.
Is there anything I didn’t ask that you’d like readers to
know?
Yes, thank you. I’d like readers to know that I will be at
the annual meeting in March. Maybe you’ve seen the tag-
line “Things are changing…experience the new, refreshed
and revised ASPRS 2014 Annual Conference.” Please,
find me there and tell me your ideas for where you think
ASPRS should be for its 100
th
anniversary!
Michael Hauck climbing in southern
Tibet near Kala.
