Event Details

NCSS is partnering with the Southeastern Chapter to present this seminar.

Registration begins at 7:30 am and class concludes at 5:00 pm. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Topics:

• Ethics & Standards of Practice (2 Hrs.) by Mike Benton, PLS
• Coastal Boundaries: Littoral & Riparian Rights (4 Hrs.) by Dr. Jerry W. Nave, PLS
  Riparian and Littoral boundaries are issues a surveyor often encounters when performing a property survey. How do we locate and document a boundary that is always moving? What does navigability have to do with surveying? These questions and more will be explored in this class as well as existing statute and common laws that define how and where these boundaries are located.
• Construction Staking (2 Hrs.) by Chad Burchette, PLS and Jeff Morgan, PLS
  This course introduces the principles and practices of construction staking.  It covers staking types, materials, symbols, and workflows—from site preparation to verification. Topics include traditional surveying, GPS, accuracy standards, and safety requirements. The course also explores common challenges and industry regulations and provides the knowledge needed to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient staking for successful construction projects. 

Instructors:

Richard M. (Mike) Benton, PLS - Mike Benton was born and raised in Goldsboro, NC. He graduated from Eastern Wayne High School in 1976 and attended the college transfer program at Wayne Community College from 1976-1978. He graduated from Coastal Carolina Community College with an AAS degree in Surveying Technology in 1982. In 1991, after living and working several years in Greenville, NC, Mike moved back home to Goldsboro and established Benton & Associates Land Surveying and Mapping, PA. Mike has been an active member of the North Carolina Society of Surveyors (NCSS) since 1991, serving as the chairman of the Formal Education Committee from 1993-2000, President of NCSS in 2003, and the North Carolina Delegate to the Board of Governors for the National Society of Professional Surveyors from 2008-2013. On November 06, 2012, Mike was appointed by Governor Beverly Perdue to serve on the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

Dr. Jerry W. Nave, PLS, graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in Survey and Mapping Science.  He later completed a Master's Degree in 1999 and his Doctorate Degree in 2005, both from East Tennessee State University.  After graduating in 1986, he worked for Dewberry and Davis for six years in both Fairfax, Virginia, and Johnson City, Tennessee.  In 1992, he went to work for the City of Johnson City, and in 1993, he moved to the City of Kingsport as Land Surveyor for the Engineering Department.  He later started a small land surveying firm in Elizabethton before joining the faculty at East Tennessee State University’s Surveying and Mapping Science Program.  In 2007, Dr. Nave moved to Greensboro, NC, to help start the Geomatics Program.  Dr. Nave has served as the President of the Guilford Chapter (2015-2019), as a member of the NCSS Executive Board of Directors (2017-2023), and on a number of Society committees.  In addition to his University duties, Dr. Nave teaches seminars on boundary, GNSS, UAS, and ethics to surveyors in North Carolina.  Dr. Nave is licensed as a PLS in both Tennessee (1993) and North Carolina (2015), and holds an FAA UAS certificate (2018-Present).

Chad Burchette, PLS, has more than 20 years of experience specializing in boundary, topographic, as-built, and construction staking surveys throughout New Hanover County and the Carolinas. His background includes working with municipalities, land development firms, and the industrial and energy sectors. Mr. Burchette earned associate degrees in Land Surveying Technology and Civil Engineering from Guilford Technical Community College and attended North Carolina State University for studies in Civil Engineering. Mr. Burchette is the Regional Manager overseeing McKim & Creed’s Wilmington and Charlotte offices.

Jeff Morgan, PLS Project Manager at McKim & Creed, began surveying in 1999 and has completed over 1,000 projects nationwide. With deep experience in boundary, construction, and ALTA/NSPS surveys, his portfolio spans major developments in California and North Carolina, including resorts, underground and high-rise buildings, subdivisions, multifamily complexes, and large-scale infrastructure projects.