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September 2019
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
How do you think being a pilot helped you to pro-
vide better services to your clients in the industry?
Almost every project begins with a flight plan. Beginning as a
pilot and helping to develop a project from the initial planning
phase through data acquisition gives me a unique perspective,
even in this industry. Very few certified photogrammetrists
have flown the projects they later compile. Now, as an Owner/
Partner focusing on Business Development, this experience
allows me to walk a client through a project from the ground
up (pardon the pun).
What project(s) do you feel the proudest of? Why?
Over my career, I have developed a fondness for transportation
infrastructure projects. RAS has had the distinction of work-
ing on two of the most important projects in the northeast. In
2003, RAS became involved in the Access to the Region’s Core
(ARC), a commuter-rail project to increase passenger service
capacity along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between New
Jersey and Manhattan. The new infrastructure would include
a new mainline, rail yard, and a tunnel under the Hudson
River. The estimated budget for this project was $8.7 billion.
RAS stayed with the project team providing Low-altitude
aerial mapping and digital ortho imagery over the next ten
years, through the well-publicized cancellation by Gov. Chris-
tie, name changes to “the “Gateway Project” and THE (Trans
Hudson Express) Tunnel. In conjunction with this project,
RAS is also the lead survey and mapping firm for the Por-
tal Bridge Capacity Enhancements (PBCE) Project. It is said
that without the Portal Bridge, all interstate rail traffic in the
northeast effectively stops. The PBCE project has been an 11-
year effort, from the environmental impact study, progressing
to detailed survey and mapping, to this past summer’s com-
pletion of the Individual and General Property Parcel Maps.
I am very proud to have served as RAS’ Project Manager for
both these efforts and even prouder still, of my team.
Having such a broad experience in the photogram-
metry field, what do you think are the most pressing
needs that should be met in the coming years?
Education! Education not only of the next generation of pho-
togrammetrists but also continued education of profession-
als in the engineering and land surveying industries of how
photogrammetry can reduce cost and increase efficiency in a
projects base mapping. The advent of UAV/UAS has helped
to refocus geospatial consumers on photogrammetry, but we
need to ensure that new entrants into the industry have the
training necessary to make accurate maps. This is a concern
of mine.
What would you like to see the industry accomplish?
I would like to see, at least at the state level, the requirement
for ASPRS certification (or Licensed Land Surveyors) for any-
one producing geospatial products.
How important do you think interdisciplinary
collaboration will be for solving some of the
challenges that lie ahead in infrastructure?
Interdisciplinary collaboration is invaluable. It is often said
that “communication is the key.” It is as true here as any-
where else. It is not possible to have a successful design
project without a diverse team of professionals working to-
gether.
What significant changes have you seen in your
field during your career?
When I started with RAS in March of 1987, the company was
three months away from upgrading to our first computer-based
mapping system. When I wasn’t flying, one of my office tasks
was using an ink pen to hand line mylar manuscripts for our
stereometrograph and PG-2 plotters. I’m glad that only lasted
a few months or I might not be answering these questions now.
Happily, the larger portion of my non-flight office time was de-
voted to helping one of my first mentors, Jack Sherman, in the
photo lab. I really enjoyed processing the film, making the pho-
to products, working with the film archives. Around 2007, we
transition to a completely digital workflow so gone are the days
of the “wet lab.” I have, quite literally, seen this industry (and
RAS) transform from ink to digital.
PS: Happily, Jack stayed with us and finally retired in 2015
after 61 wonderful years of service.
When you’re not working, what do you do in your
free time?
I am an avid golfer, and I enjoy surfing kayaks on the Jersey
Shore. Over the past few years, I have also caught the travel
bug and have made a fair-sized dent in my bucket list trips
across the country and around the world.
Training West Point Academy Cadets
