The Crucial Role of Land Surveyors in Shaping Our World

03/21/2024

This week, we celebrate National Land Surveyors Week. We want to highlight the integral role surveyors play in engineering, construction, and urban planning by showcasing the impact they have on communities.

The primary objective of a land surveyor is to gather accurate and reliable data to support land development, construction projects, and establish and maintain boundaries based upon record and practice standards. Their expertise in boundary surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and land development ensures accurate data and precise measurements for legal, engineering, and construction purposes.

Land surveyors undertake a multifaceted array of tasks crucial to the smooth functioning of land development and legal processes. They meticulously measure angles and distances between points, whether below, on, or above Earth’s surface, utilizing sophisticated tools and techniques to ensure accuracy.

In addition to fieldwork, they delve into the depths of survey records, land titles, and historical data, conducting thorough research to inform their assessments. Often traversing diverse terrains, they travel to different locations to identify key features that shape the landscape, all while keeping an eye out for signs of previous boundaries to ascertain their current placement.

Back in their offices, they dedicate themselves to preparing detailed maps, reports, and plots, each element carefully crafted to convey essential information to engineers, developers, and legal professionals. Their attention to detail extends to recording survey results, verifying data accuracy to uphold the integrity of their findings.

When the time comes to present their conclusions, land surveyors adeptly communicate their findings to government agencies and clients, providing clarity and insight into complex land matters. Furthermore, they play a pivotal role in officially establishing water and land boundaries for leases and deeds, lending authority to legal agreements and property rights. In essence, land surveyors are the backbones of land development and legal processes, their expertise shaping the landscapes we inhabit and the boundaries that define them.

Burian & Associates New Hire Spotlight: Lower

Burian & Associates welcomes Matt Lower as the Director of Planning and Client Development, working in Fargo, North Dakota. Matt is a seasoned consultant with expertise in organizational strategy, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, economic development, and public-private partnerships. As the Director of Planning and Client Development, Matt collaborates with clients to formulate strategies that propel their objectives and yield successful outcomes. With extensive experience, he has provided valuable counsel to communities in the upper Midwest and throughout the nation on their planning, engineering, and construction projects.

Matt has an undergraduate degree in anthropology from the University at Buffalo, a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Eastern Washington University and attended archaeological field school at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States.

Before becoming a part of the B&A team, Matt spearheaded consulting projects for telecommunications infrastructure across six states at CTC Technology and Energy. Notably, he played a key role in the $6 billion California Middle Mile Broadband Initiative. Matt also served as an advisor to the Newsom Administration and the California Government Operations Agency, contributing to permitting reform and the facilitation of streamlined infrastructure deployment. His prior experience includes managing a public sector consulting practice at a regional A/E/C firm and holding senior economic and community development positions within municipal and tribal governments.

Matt enjoys working with remote and emerging communities and fostering public-private partnerships. He is also passionate about placemaking, walkability, and transportation choice.

“Burian & Associates represents a unique and exceptional opportunity, seamlessly blending decades of industry leadership with the nimbleness of a startup. I am thrilled to be part of a team that delivers world-class service tailored to each customer’s specific needs,” expressed Matt.

Steve Burian, President and CEO of Burian & Associates, noted, “We are excited to add new leadership and expertise for the planning services provided by Burian & Associates. Matt’s vision, passion, energy, and experience will greatly benefit our clients.”

Outside of the work environment, Matt is a proud two-time winner of the Eastern Washington University Urban and Regional Planning Chili Cook-off, a husband, and a father of an infant son.

Veteran’s Day

In the US, November 11 (Veterans Day) is a designated day in which we remember and thank those that served or serve in the armed forces and worked or work to protect our freedom. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight one of our employees and thank him for his service. Troy Kostek served in the military for a total of 15 years.

At Burian and Associates, we are proud to have people with a variety of experiences and backgrounds. These different characteristics make our company stronger. They also make it so we can provide better and more well-rounded solutions to our clients. Our work is enhanced when we can relate to our clients in different ways.

While Veterans Day is important to all of us and we should each take time to remember and give thanks, we also think it is important to hear the voices of those who have served. With this in mind, we asked Troy to tell us more about what Veteran’s Day means to him.

In what branch(es) of the military did you serve and for how many years?

United States Air Force (USAF) – 4yrs

US Army – 3 yrs

USAF – 8yrs (Embedded Contractor)

What does Veteran’s Day mean to you?

Veteran’s Day is to honor all those who served and sacrificed in the defense of our country. All gave some and some gave all. Without all those who have served, yesterday and today, we would be without the freedom and liberty we all enjoy.

For me, as a Veteran, it is an honor being part of a family of brothers and sisters through history that have come from all walks of life, races, and religions to stand together and defend the USA, our Constitution, our families, and our way of life. I am proud to have been a part of that family and I am thankful for all those who also serve, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

What would you like people to celebrate/remember on November 11?

Remember and thank those who served. I know I will.

How do you feel being a Veteran has impacted you as a person?

Beyond the education and training that serving in the US Military provided me, the leadership skills and dedication it instilled in me, and the great friendships forged, it has also taught me that as a society we can celebrate our differences, stand together with pride as a nation and accomplish great things.

Thank you Troy!

We are proud to work beside people that have served our country with honor. Thank you to all those who have served.

Burian & Associates New Hire Spotlight: Stauss

Burian & Associates is excited to welcome Jenny Stauss to its Grand Forks Office as a Senior Project Manager. Jenny brings unique and extensive project management experience, and passion for attention to detail, problem solving, research, and data analysis to her position at Burian & Associates.

Jenny’s background includes an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management Information Systems. Her work experience includes being a Technical Support Engineer for Great Plains Software (now Microsoft), the Customer Service Team Lead for Amazon, and most recently working for Ideal Aerosmith in a variety of positions – Purchasing, Materials Manager, Production Planning, and Project Management.

In her 22.5 years at Ideal Aerosmith, Jenny worked with mechanical and electrical engineers and production project teams to plan projects, identify resources, and drive schedules to meet commitments to customers. Her emphasis was project management of the contract manufacturing services Ideal Aerosmith provided to the aerospace industry.

“I am excited to be joining a new and growing company that will challenge me every day,” expressed Jenny.

Sarah Sesselman, Director of Development at Burian & Associates, noted “We’re fortunate to have Jenny join our Team! We are really looking forward to the wide-ranging project management experience and fresh perspective she will be able to share with our Team and our Clients!”

Jenny has hit the ground running in Grand Forks by assisting in User Outreach on the RRVWSP. Jenny is also assisting on the ND DEQ Lead Service Line projects and is currently managing seven of the cities we have been awarded with more to come.

Jenny is a very detail-oriented person and enjoys projects that require extensive research, information management, and planning upfront. Jenny is an amazing addition to the Burian and Associates team and she will, and already has started to, make an impact on our work going forward.

Burian & Associates New Hire Spotlight: Mowat

Burian & Associates welcomes Katie Mowat as an engineering assistant working from Lincoln, Nebraska. Katie is passionate about people, enjoys expanding her knowledge, and is excited to be working as a civil engineer after being in higher education for nine years. She brings a unique outlook to Burian & Associates due to her educational background and experiences working in multiple areas of engineering.

Katie has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, a master’s degree in environmental engineering, and is working towards a doctorate in engineering education research. She is also an engineer-in-training and is working towards becoming a professional engineer.

Over the last nine years, while working on her education, Katie has worked for a city, a run-of-the river hydroelectric project, an educational furniture manufacturer, a concrete and sand quality control lab, and has helped design septic fields in remote areas.

During her graduate education, Katie has studied treatment of hazardous air pollutants from ethanol plants using bio-trickling filters. She has researched self-efficacy of K-12 teachers teaching engineering and looked at faculty emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her dissertation focusses on perceptions of skills needed for engineers to work in the agricultural technology start-up field.

Sarah Sesselman, Director of Development at B & A observed, “To have Katie join our team is very exciting! She brings a unique set of high caliber skills gained from her tireless commitment to her engineering education. We look forward to having the opportunity to work with and support Katie as she finishes up her doctorate degree and transitions to the consulting engineering world.”

“I am excited to work for a company that values commitment, quality, innovation, improvement, and accountability. It is great to be working with fellow employees from all different backgrounds that are all focused on how to best serve our clients,” expressed Katie. She is a great addition to the Burian and Associates team and will make an impact on our work going forward and the world around her.

 

My Summer Experience at Burian & Associates

Written By: Angelica Beto / Engineering Assistant II

This past summer, I had the opportunity to work for Burian & Associates as an Engineering Assistant II in Grand Forks, ND. It was an exciting time to join the company, as Burian & Associates was in the process of expanding their team and moving from a coworking space to a new private office space in the Gate City Bank building.

Even with the quick growth and fast-paced work environment, Burian & Associates made time to make me feel welcome and gave me opportunities to meet and work with the entire team, including those from different locations. The company also had a retreat in Minnesota lake country at the end of July which allowed all the employees to socialize and team build while focusing on company goals and future plans.

In my position, I got to explore research projects, write technical memoranda, and create professional presentations.  I had an amazing opportunity to work on a large-scale intern project where I, along with the other interns, was able to practice being a consultant. We were introduced to all parts of a project including initial client meetings, research, development of project plans and task creation, client relations, and presentation of findings.

For college students, I believe Burian & Associates offers an excellent intern experience that can link classroom studies to real world situations. I would encourage any students thinking about applying for internships to get involved because there are plenty of opportunities available that will give you a great head start into the world of civil engineering, especially at Burian & Associates.

 

The B&A Team Continues to Grow

Burian & Associates welcomes Sarah Sesselman to its Grand Forks office as its Director of Development.

Sarah has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Sarah has a background as a project engineer, project manager, and client manager with an emphasis in rural and regional water system development, planning, design, bidding, construction, and financial planning.

Sarah’s passion is tackling big initiatives and making a difference in life. Her favorite projects are those that don’t have a play book, where there is no choice but to work closely with stakeholders to develop solutions. She loves working with people who embrace challenges and find effective ways to solve all magnitudes of them.

“I chose to join the B&A team because I am excited to use my relationships, project management, and technical skills in a new, fast-paced, and energetic environment. I want to lean into every opportunity that comes my way to learn new things in the engineering consulting world.” Sarah said.

Outside of work, Sarah has numerous hobbies and interests. On an off day, Sarah enjoys spending time at the lake for relaxation. She’s also a big music fan and her current favorite song is One Republic’s “I Ain’t Worried”. Nevertheless, Sarah’s most unique interest is her dream of traveling to space. One day, she hopes to be able to experience a zero-gravity vacation on a tour with friends and family.

As the Director of Development, Sarah will be focusing on sector, client, project, and staff development. We are extremely excited to have her join the team and know she will have a significant impact on our future.

Burian & Associates New Hire Spotlight

Burian & Associates welcomes Dani Prelip to its Grand Forks office as the Director of Research and Planning. Dani is a detail oriented, analytically minded, strong communicator who enjoys technical research and data analysis.  Her educational background and previous work experiences have provided her with immense knowledge and engagement in challenging environments and high visibility projects.

Dani has an undergraduate degree in Cultural Studies, a Master of Arts in Geography with a Graduate Certificate in GIS, and a Master of Science and Technology Intelligence.

Dani has 16 years of experience with the U.S. Navy and is currently serving as a reservist. During her time, she twice deployed to the middle east in support of U.S. Contingency Operations. Additionally, she has several years of program management experience having worked as an Information Management Technical Specialist, and 2-years of undergraduate teaching experience.

Dani completed graduate research on Arctic and non-Arctic states’ pursuit of, and access to, the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to the Suez and Panama Canals for international shipping operations. Applying her Geographic Information Systems knowledge, she used Arctic bathymetric data to create a 3-dimensional visualization of the Northern Sea Route during summer ice-extent lows to identify passage opportunities for standard icebreaker ships. She also conducted extensive historical research on the geopolitical issues associated with the opening of the Northern Sea Route, and what affect the new passage opening would have on Suez Canal operations.

Our president and CEO, Steve Burian, stated “We are excited for Dani to use her unique talents and diverse experience to help serve our clients and communities.”

“I am excited to join the Burian & Associates team. I look forward to applying my skills to the unique challenges associated with local and regional community projects. My goal is to provide customers with meaningful, well-researched insights and guidance that ensure productive, sustainable improvements and development,” Dani said. She is an excellent addition to the team and will make a strong impact at Burian & Associates.

 

Burian & Associates Announces New CAD Manager

8/31/2022

Burian & Associates welcomed Kevin Gunderson to its Fargo office last week as the company’s new CAD Manager.

Kevin will lead the company’s growing team of drafters and designers as well as the development of CAD templates, standards, and procedures.  He will also play a key role as the organization continues to expand its Land Development Team.  “I’m looking forward to putting my mark on a smaller firm and growing with the company.”

Kevin has been working in the Civil Engineering industry for 13 years, with the majority of that time being spent working on land development projects.  “We couldn’t be more pleased that Kevin has chosen to join Burian & Associates,” says the Director of the Land Development Team, Kyle McCamy, “He brings tremendous value to our organization.”

Kevin grew up in Moorhead, MN and attended North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND, where he earned his AAS Degree in Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology. He also currently holds the Minnesota Design of Construction SWPPP Certification.