Introducing Grady Rowley from Saskatchewan, Canada!
Where did you study?
Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Geomatics from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
Bachelor’s Degree of Education from the University of Regina
What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? You must have completed a program that has been accredited by the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors (CBEPS) or you must have challenged and passed all 13 of the exams administered by CBEPS. With a valid Certificate of Completion from CBEPS, a prospective student can then article under an existing member from the provincial Land Surveyors’ association. In Saskatchewan, there are 4 additional professional exams to write, alongside an oral defence/ interview regarding two survey projects you must complete.
How did you get into surveying? I was fortunate enough to know a husband and wife who were both Professional Land Surveyors; they were the ones that started me on this path.
How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the industry since 2014.
Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am currently a member of the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors’ Association.
Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? Aside from being a Professional Land Surveyor, I am also a Licensed Educator. As such, I spend a lot of time in schools and having access to the GKiS resources allows me to spread the gospel of survey to other educators.
Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Aspects of the Geospatial industry are dying. It is vital for kids to know that this is an option for them in the future, but it is also important for them to know how the absence of these professionals may impact their future life.
What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? I am going to continue to educate kids, teens, and adults about Land Surveying and the Geospatial industry as a whole. Again my access to the school system means that I have ample opportunities to provide demos and information.
What are your hobbies? I really enjoy music and singing andI like to play all types of instruments (i.e. Banjo, Guitar, Piano). Also I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t into video games.
If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? The logo for my company is a bull, in part because the local area that I service is heavily dominated by ranching, but also because I am trying to pay respects to my professional predecessors who relied on astronomic information for establishing direction. So, perhaps some sort of minotaur looking thing would be the way to go for a GKiS character.
What resource would you like to see next from GKiS? I’d love to work with GKiS to help create lessons for teachers that would satisfy curriculum needs in different jurisdictions.
Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? The geospatial industry can quite literally take you anywhere in the world so I hope that Surveyors, through collaboration, can elevate the profession back into the upper echelon of society where it belongs.