I have been a surveying, mapping, photogrammetry and geospatial guy for 44 years. Last Friday I retired from as the BLM Chief Cadastral Surveyor for Alaska, a position I held since 2009 after four years as the Alaska Indian Lands Surveyor. The 13 years with BLM was an interesting ride, having had so much private sector experience. Resume reads pretty long, so I won't drag it out, but starting at the end of a chain as a kid in high school, Registered Land Surveyor at 25 years old, its been a long ride. I loved surveying, photogrammetry and all things geospatial, and had lots of energy and accomplished some amazing stuff. Ride is over now at 61, I am moving on and likely not looking back. Had some serious trauma this last year and it was an eyeopener. I have given more to the professions with thousands of hours of times, and so many Officer positions I can't hardly count them. Presented 44 times at professional conferences or seminars. Gave, gave and gave, loved it all, but burn't out now. Its really more than that, its that I have way too much more to go do while I have health and can. Money is not an issue, I was blessed with saving and investing well and am debt free.
One of the hard things to accept when working with BLM was policy that a person in my position had limitations of access and public representation, including a ban on posting on boards like this where my post might have been construed as official government position. So, I come out of the closet so to speak, and I can post what I want when I want.
However, its kind of ironic cause my next year is kinda mapped out with a summer job flying for a commercial operator in a twin-engine Navajo doing tours of the Denali massif and a whole bunch of traveling and flyfishing around the world. Plan on a little volunteering of my flying and flyfishing talents to charitable groups. I will be in Iceland, Scotland, Baja Mexico and Chile all in the coming year. My aviation hangar business here in Anchorage is booming, and I am the business manager/accoutant of my wife's sole-proprietor medical business. Getting that all set up so I can run those from wherever I am with an internet connection.
I promise to check in on the board from time to time, but it won't be too regular. I would like to thank Wendell, Angel and a large group of the longtime posters and true friends that kept me in the game on the board with my prior work restrictions. This forum is a real jewel, and a value to the community and public, and I hope it keeps rocking! Next team step up and keep it kicking.
Hasta~
Michael Schoder, PLS
aka NorthernSurveyor
www.denaliair.com
Congratulations and good luck in your future endeavors. Thank you for your time and talents you gave to the profession.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
I hope you enjoy your new found freedom.
Look out for #1 and try not to step in #2.
by: Thornton Melon, character played by Rodney Dangerfield
Glad your out of the closet now ;)and can add to the community with your input.
It is always a pleasure to read, listen and talk to those who have achieved and are now ready to move on to another summit. Good travels, be safe and above all keep smiling.
Because of the BLM DPPS proposal for Alaska, I am sure the past couple of years of your BLM career haven't exactly been a smooth ride to the finish line. It sounds like you have had a successful, accomplished career that you have enjoyed and given back to the profession on many levels. It also sounds like you prepared well for this new chapter of you life and won't exactly be idling in the rocking chair.
Safe travels and "fish on".
Don't mess with the girls in Iceland. They're beasts dude! 🙂 Congrats on retirement! Have a great time!
Looking forward to your contributions on this fantastic site. 🙂
(ummm, just out of curiousity you don't eat Roosterfish do you? Fun to catch but I've "tasted" one and it was disgusting) 😉
Great respect to you Mike. We've been supremely blessed to have you as a leader in this state.
May the wind be always at your back...except during takeoff and landing ;). Godspeed.
Thanks for you input here through the years. Always enjoyed your posts and appreciated your support.
I stated many years ago at the old pob board that Alaskan Surveyors are a different breed of surveyors. They are something special.
Good travels to you.
Fly fishing in Scotland sounds so wonderful
Sounds like a bittersweet exit for you. It also sounds like you've got so many other things going on and so many cool things that you want to do that something had to go. Compared to the travel, flying, other business and recreation you've got planned, surveying for the government couldn't help but start looking dreary and little more than an obstacle to those other things.
Enjoy retirement. Perhaps in a couple years you might find a yearn to take on a survey now and then just for the fun it once was.
(Not yet retired. Just plain tired.)
There is no such thing as retirement for productive people. You merely switch priorities.
Best wishes on your plans to do what you want to do when you want to do them and where you want to do them.
Northern Surveyor. I was aware of your eminent retirement, so am now expecting you to finally make that trip DU.
Come with rod and line, but come look from within a cage at our great white sharks....
Congratulations on giving 44 years to a fantastic profession!
BTW all the best in your hectic "retirement" Mate!
RADU.
SPMPLS, post: 424534, member: 11785 wrote: Because of the BLM DPPS proposal for Alaska, I am sure the past couple of years of your BLM career haven't exactly been a smooth ride to the finish line.
Pretty much an understatement. It was an interesting exercise, there is some good in there with a lot of pain.
RADU, post: 424626, member: 222 wrote: Northern Surveyor. I was aware of your eminent retirement, so am now expecting you to finally make that trip DU.
Come with rod and line, but come look from within a cage at our great white sharks....
Congratulations on giving 44 years to a fantastic profession!
BTW all the best in your hectic "retirement" Mate!
RADU.
Promise to come to see you DU my friend RADU. No excuses now.
Congrats to you, wishing you a great time on your next adventures and enjoy your busy retirement.
One of the few of us that will actually retire.
I don't plan on it myself. I have been doing this since 1967 and still enjoy it.
Have fun.
The profession has lost another great surveyor. I'm sure your presence at the BLM in Alaska will be missed.
I've met a few surveyors, over the years, that took government jobs and were able to shake things up in the bureaucratic quagmire; you were definitely at the top of the list.
Safe travels my friend...
Dougie
Happy Travels,
You have been great for Alaska, and with you at the helm we knew at the National Park Service we were getting surveys we could count on.
You also built a team that was will willing to share not only gear (thanks for those old 5700's) but knowledge.
Take care.
Joel - The GIS guy who will always defer to real surveyors.
It has been a pleasure having you here, and I'm glad that I can continue to enjoy your adventures via Facebook. 🙂