Meet the SDSPLS Board of Directors

Todd Schlunsen, President

Todd Schlunsen is a Professional Land Surveyor with licenses held in South Dakota and Iowa. Mr. Schlunsen obtained his A.S. in Civil Engineering Technology at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, SD. He has over 26 years of experience in all aspects of surveying, including preparing drawings for plats and surveys, engineering plans, boundary surveys, ALTA surveys, tower surveys, conservation easements and surveys, elevation surveys, topographic surveys, and mortgage surveys. His primary duties as a Technician Supervisor of twelve employees at IMEG Corp. include employee management, survey coordination and prioritization, survey technology coordination, and client relations. Mr. Schlunsen grew up in Marion, SD and has resided in Tea, SD for the last 23 years. He has been married for 25 years and has three boys. His hobbies include hunting, camping, spending time with friends and family.

Kary Gregoire, Past-President

Hi, I’m Kary Gregoire.  I grew up on a farm east of Wakonda in southeast South Dakota.  I am married to my wife Becky and have 3 children; Alicia, who recently moved to Denver to start a job as an Auditor/Accountant, Nick, who is currently a Freshman at SDSU studying Engineering, and Mason, a Sophomore at Yankton High School.  We live in Yankton and have lived there for the past 20 years or so.

A little bit about my education/experience…following the completion of my Associate's Degree in Civil Engineering from Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls in 1995 I took a position with Brandt Land Surveying in Yankton.  I then went on to work for the SD Department of Transportation also in Yankton.  Originally I started as an inspector/surveyor but after 6 years I became licensed in South Dakota and took the position of Mitchell Region Land Surveyor.  I held that position for 15 years until recently taking a job as a Land Surveyor for the Indian Health Service in Sioux City, Ia. My current position involves all aspects of surveying but our main focus is easements for new water and sewer projects in and around the Indian reservations served by the Sioux City District Office, which include reservations in 3 states.  In South Dakota, our office does work on the Rosebud, Yankton, Flandreau, and the Lake Traverse Reservation. In Nebraska, we work on the Santee, Winnebago, and the Omaha Reservations and in Iowa, we do work on an Indian settlement Northeast of Des Moines called the Sac and Fox.  I have been working for Indian Health Service since January of 2019 and it has been somewhat challenging to adapt to the Federal workplace but working on the Indian Reservations is very interesting to me as a Land Surveyor.

Paul Letsche, President Elect

My name is Paul Letsche, and I am a Sioux Falls native graduating from Washington High School in 1995. After working a few years in construction after high school I was looking for something more fulfilling and heard about land surveying through a friend who worked with a surveyor. After enrolling in the Civil Engineering Technology program at Southeast Technical Institute in 2002 I knew from day one that surveying was for me.  I graduated in 2004 with an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree in Civil Engineering Technology. Starting out working for the engineering firm Howard R. Green Company after graduation I then moved to a position with Midwest Land Surveying in 2006. In 2010 I started with East River Electric in Madison SD where I am currently employed as a Land survey Coordinator. I have been a registered Land Surveyor in South Dakota since 2015 and hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

It is a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the SDSPLS membership as a board member and representative.

Andrew Kangas, Secretary

Andrew, as Vice President, serves as a project engineer and land surveyor. After completing his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Andrew obtained his PE license in 2011 and LS certification in 2016, making him a versatile asset to the Civil Design team. He has a comprehensive understanding of standards for design elements and demonstrates strong project coordination abilities. In addition to overseeing all of CDI’s field data collection, drafting, construction staking, and survey crews; Andrew designs, drafts, and plans for road, railroad, drainage, utilities, and various other projects.

Education:

Licensed professional land surveyor in SD since 2016

Licensed professional engineer in SD since 2011

BS, Civil Engineering, South Dakota State University, 2006

Professional Involvement:

Member, South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors

Member, Big Sioux Chapter of SDSPLS

Member, American Society of Civil Engineers

Member, Golden Key National Honour Society

Member, Connect 2140

Cory Biegler, Treasurer

Cory L. Biegler graduated from Roncalli High School in Aberdeen, SD and entered the U.S. Army and then South Dakota National Guard. Cory served a total of 8 years that included an deployment to Southwest Asia. He ended his U.S. Army enlistment in 1994 and began attending the Northern State University. Cory began working with the Helms & Associates firm in 1996, graduated from NSU in 1997 with a B.S. in Industrial Management and Economics, and was Honorably Discharged from the South Dakota National Guard in 1999. Cory’s is certified by the State of South Dakota Board of Technical Professions as a Registered Land Surveyor. He has been a member of South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors since 2002.

Linda Foster, NSPS Director

Linda Foster oversees Esri’s worldwide strategic vision for land records, cadastre, surveying, and land administration.  Long recognized as a champion for bringing GIS and geospatial technologies to unique and challenging situations, she has also spent much of her career improving the outcomes of timeless, lands-based challenges.  A leader in professional organizations, she is currently serving on the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) board of directors, has served as a mentor in the URISA mentorship network, and led statewide design of low distortion projections for inclusion in the National Geodetic Survey’s (NGS) upcoming datum updates.  Foster is a registered professional land surveyor and certified GIS professional.  She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering, and a Master’s degree in GIS from Penn State University.

Adam Thompson, West River Chapter

I moved to the Black Hills in 2015.  I am work at Interstate Engineering as the Survey Group Leader.  My wife Kristin and I have 4 children and enjoy going to all their activities.

I attended North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND and have an Associate of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering and Land Surveying.  I am a Professional Land Surveyor in South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado as well as being a Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS).  Before moving to South Dakota I was on the Board of Directors for MARLS (Montana Associated of Registered Land Surveyors) and look forward to being involved in SDSPLS and the future of our great profession.

Beau Koopal, Big Sioux Chapter 

Mr. Koopal is a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in the State of South Dakota with over 13 years of experience. Beau is a partner at Infrastructure Design Group, Inc. with offices in Sioux Falls, Mitchell and Watertown SD where he manages all aspects of the firm. Mr. Koopal is the Vice President for the Big Sioux Chapter of the Society of Professional Land Surveyors, the former South Dakota Director for the National Society of Professional Surveyors and a member of the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire as well as the Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire.

2022 COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS