THE LAY OF THE LAND - Garden State Land Surveyors Alliance Inc. To Host Professional Development Series January 16, 17 & 18

The Garden State Land Surveyors Alliance Inc. (GSLSA), a Middletown, New Jersey-based not-for-profit business organization formed in 1993 to support, inform and educate the land surveying professional, will host a series of professional development seminars on January 16, 17 & 18, 2014. The seminars, which are approved by the state licensing board and will help to meet the continuing education requirements for professional land surveyors, will be held at the Town & Country Inn, located at the intersection of Route 35 North and Broadway, Keyport, N.J. 07735.
     The seminars, which will be taught by M. John Steensland, Jr., P.E., P.L.S., J.D., include "Ethics for Land Surveyors," "The Land Surveyor and the Construction of Professional Contracts - Responsibility & Liability," and "The Land Surveyor's Role as an Expert Witness in Civil Litigation." Seminar registration for GSLSA members is $170 per seminar and $200 for non-members. A buffet lunch is included. There is a discount for multiple seminars at $160 for GSLSA members and $190 for non-members. Information and registration forms are available by calling Craig Finnegan at (732) 787-0318 or (732) 856-2821. Forms should be sent with payment to GSLSA Inc., 245 East End Avenue, Belford, N.J. 07718. Payment must be received on or before January 11, 2014 to avoid a late fee of $25 per seminar. Walk-in registrations will be accepted for an additional cost of $50 per seminar.
     Instructor John M. Steensland is a second-generation land surveyor who is also licensed as a professional engineer in the states of Alabama and Florida. He has presented over 100 seminars in 12 states on issues including ethics, land boundary laws, contract law, and design code application. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama and the Juris Doctor degree from Jones School of Law, Montgomery, Alabama. Prior to completing law school, M. John Steensland practiced professional engineering and land surveying for 13 years, including his service as a county engineer. In January 1989 he assumed the office of Houston County District Court Judge and retired in May 2010. He was an adjunct professor at Jones School of Law and has taught classes in land boundary law at Troy University in Troy, Alabama.
     The Garden State Land Surveyors Alliance Inc. is a statewide, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the welfare and interests of the land surveying professional. Started by George T. Lucas, II, a professional land surveyor who was one of the 'founding fathers' of the organization, the GSLSA mission is to solve industry issues, to encourage fair business practices, to protect and advocate for consumers affected by land use issues, to educate land surveyors on new developments and about the rights and obligations of the profession, to foster an environment of unity and cooperation within the industry, and to support the creation and enhancement of legislation which may affect member businesses as well as consumers. Through charitable initiatives, the GSLSA is also a financial supporter of the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association, located at Camp Happiness in the Leonardo section of Middletown, and of the sight-related and vision preservation programs administered by the Middletown Lions Club. Information on the GSLSA is available on the website www.gslsa.com.