The Geoholics

Latest Episodes:

Episode 288 - Sean Donegan & Satelytics Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

What can a satellite see that the rest of us can’t?

On Episode 288 of The Geoholics, we’re joined by Sean Donegan, President and CEO of Satelytics, to explore how AI and satellite imagery can help identify methane leaks, vegetation changes, land movement, encroachments and other risks across vast infrastructure networks.

We get into what’s hiding inside those pixels, how an alert becomes a decision, and the question every surveyor should ask: How do we verify what the technology says it found?

Plus, Sean takes on Bullshit, Breakthrough, or Too Soon to Tell? Can AI spot problems before operators know what to look for? Could satellite monitoring change the future of field inspections?

Tune in for a conversation about intelligence from space, confidence on the ground, and what it all means for the people managing our physical world. Adding value and making friends!

#TheGeoholics #GeoholicsPodcast #SeanDonegan #Satelytics #Geospatial #LandSurveying #RemoteSensing #SatelliteImagery #ArtificialIntelligence #Infrastructure #MethaneDetection #RealityCapture

2026 12D Tech Forum - Day 3 Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Day 3 of the 2026 12d Tech Forum delivered an incredible mix of conversations with Michelle Blicavs, Brad Cox, Luke Studdert, Joel Gregory, Mitch McPherson, Keeton Williamson-Smith and Bridget Van Vugt. We dive into advocacy for the surveying profession, accessible GNSS technology, machine control, better 3D data workflows, the story and global growth of 12d—and the life-changing impact of creating meaningful geospatial careers for neurodivergent talent.

00:01:35 Michelle Blicavs, CEO, Surveyors Australia and ITA

00:21:08 Brad Cox, Survey hardware GIS Specialist at Mangoesmapping

00:39:32 Luke Studdert, Senior Surveyor & Chief Remote Pilot at Sunrise Surveying

00:56:21 Joel Gregory, CEO and Mitch McPherson, VP at 12d Synergy

01:24:59 Keeton Williamson Smith, Lead Data Analyst and Bridget VV from Australian Spatial Analytics

Big technology, honest perspectives and one seriously inspiring finish to an unforgettable three days in Brisbane. Grab a drink, hit play and join us for the final chapter of The GEOHOLICS Down Under!

#TheGEOHOLICS #12dTechForum2026 #Geospatial #LandSurveying #Surveying #DigitalEngineering #GNSS #MachineControl #ConstructionTechnology #Neurodiversity #InclusiveEmployment #Innovation #Brisbane #Australia #AddValue #MakeFriends

2026 12D Tech Forum - Day 2 Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Day 2 of the 2026 12d Tech Forum brought another killer lineup of conversations with Tom Neighbours, Isaac Kennedy, Mick Connor, Dan Di Mattina, Steve White, Hani Arab and Max Leung. We dive into connected data environments, field-to-office workflows, drones, AI, automation, digital transformation and the technologies reshaping surveying and infrastructure delivery around the world.

00:00:56 Tom Neighbours, Regional Manager - Digital Engineering and Isaac Kennedy, Survey Solutions Lead - Digital Engineering at12d Synergy

00:18:31 Michael “Mick” Connor, National Geospatial Manager at Fulton Hogan

00:36:28 Dan Di Mattina, Project Survey Manager at Seymour Whyte

00:47:02 Steve White, General Manager at Civillo

00:59:29 Hani Arab, Chief Information Officer at Seymour Whyte

01:15:44 Max Leung, Solutions Engineering at Mach9

Big ideas, honest perspectives and plenty of GEOHOLICS-style controlled chaos recorded live from Brisbane. Grab a drink, hit play and join the conversation!

#TheGEOHOLICS #12dTechForum2026 #Geospatial #LandSurveying #Surveying #DigitalEngineering #ConstructionTechnology #ArtificialIntelligence #Automation #RealityCapture #Infrastructure #Brisbane #Australia

2026 12D Tech Forum - Day 1 Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Recorded live from the 2026 12d Tech Forum in Brisbane, these rapid-fire conversations feature Andrej Mocicka, David Mares, Andrew Fenwick, Meghan Bowman, Gary Dunn, Marisa Dittmann, and Alex Badaoui. We’re talking massive infrastructure projects, smarter data management, industry innovation, AI and the evolving role of today’s geospatial professional—all with the candid insights and controlled chaos you expect from The GEOHOLICS!

00:04:53 Andrej Mocicka, Country Manager Australia at 1Spatial

00:21:56 David Mares, Core Spatial and Andrew Fenwick, Senior Survey Manager at John Holland

00:42:18 Meghan Bowman, Senior Surveyor Marissa Dittmann, and Gary Dunn, Surveyor at Sunrise Surveying

00:56:18 Alexander “Alex” Badaoui, Associate Designer Marisa Dittmann, Experienced Designer at SMEC

Grab a drink, hit play and join us from the other side of the world! 🍻🌏

#TheGEOHOLICS #12dTechForum2026 #Geospatial #LandSurveying #Surveying #DigitalEngineering #Infrastructure #DataManagement #Innovation #Brisbane #Australia

Episode 292 - Steve Willard, PLS & 9/11 Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Today marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks—a day that forever changed our nation and countless lives. Episode 292 of The Geoholics is dedicated to remembering those we lost, honoring those who responded, and sharing an important chapter of surveying history that deserves to be preserved.

Our guest, Steve Willard, PLS, takes us back to the aftermath of 9/11 and the critical role land surveyors played at Ground Zero and throughout Lower Manhattan. When streets, buildings, monuments, control points, and familiar reference systems had been damaged, buried, or destroyed, surveyors helped restore spatial certainty amid unimaginable devastation—providing trusted information to first responders, engineers, contractors, utility providers, public agencies, and recovery teams.

Steve shares the technical challenges, dangerous working conditions, emotional toll, and acts of service that defined the response. We also explore what has changed since 2001—and why, despite tremendous advances in GNSS, laser scanning, drones, and real-time mapping, professional judgment and boots-on-the-ground verification remain irreplaceable during a crisis.

This is more than an episode about surveying. It is a conversation about service, courage, responsibility, and the quiet professionals who stepped forward when their expertise was needed most.

We remember. We honor. We will never forget.

Episode 292 featuring Steve Willard, PLS, is available today wherever you listen to The Geoholics.

#NeverForget #September11 #September11th #911Remembrance #LandSurveying #Surveyors #Geospatial #EmergencyResponse #DisasterRecovery #NYSAPLS #TheGeoholics #AddingValueAndMakingFriends

Episode 287 - Aaron Michalenko & Willis Long Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Episode 287 asks the question every surveyor should be thinking about: Will artificial intelligence replace the land surveyor—or reinvent the profession?

The guys are joined by Aaron Michalenko, owner of DBE Surveying, and Willis Long, Head of Survey Operations and Senior Director, for a no-BS conversation about where AI is already creating value and where the hype gets ahead of reality. They explore point-cloud processing, feature extraction, drafting, boundary research, QA/QC, workforce development, data security, and the skills tomorrow’s geospatial professionals will need to remain relevant.

The conversation gets especially real when AI meets boundary surveying. An algorithm may calculate where a corner could be, but can it determine where that corner legally is? Can it evaluate monuments, occupation, historical evidence, and intent and then accept responsibility when the answer is wrong?

The crew also tackles whether AI will eliminate traditional field crews, replace manual drafting, solve the workforce shortage, or make professional licensure even more important. The takeaway is clear: the tools will change, the workflows will evolve, and the volume of data will explode, but the surveyor’s responsibility to verify the evidence, exercise professional judgment, and protect the public remains firmly intact.

Buckle up for another round of “Bullsh*t, Breakthrough, or Too Soon to Tell,” a Leica Geosystems Pro Tip, and Rise Against’s “Savior” as the Song of the Week.

The future does not belong to surveyors who blindly reject AI—or blindly trust it. It belongs to the professionals who understand it, question it, verify it, and know when the human surveyor must remain in control.

ASPRS Gulf South 2026 Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Check out these interviews from this years awesome event:

00:00:00 - Cold Opening

00:02:25 - Dustin Smith, GIS Specialist at the Louisiana Department of Transportation

00:21:52 - Linda Anderson and Daphne Kent with North Central Texas InterLink

00:46:11 - Samuel Landry, Student and Research Assistant at Nicholls State University

01:08:45 - Timoteo Garza, Vice President of Operations at Gratia Geomatics LLC

#TheGeoholics #GeoholicsPodcast #ASPRS #ASPRSGulfSouth #GeospatialConference #Geospatial #Geomatics #Photogrammetry #RemoteSensing #LiDAR #MobileLiDAR #GIS #UASMapping #PointClouds #3DVisualization #GeospatialTechnology #GeospatialStandards #ASPRSCertification #GeospatialEducation #GeospatialProfessionals #Surveying #MappingTheFuture #TopoDOT #NichollsStateUniversity #ThibodauxLA

TopoDOT Users Conference 2026 #TUC2026 Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

Check out these highlights from this year's awesome event!!!

00:00 - Paul DiGiacobbe, Vice President, LiDAR Solutions and Rob Dannenberg, President at Phoenix LiDAR Systems

00:21:25 - Jonah Colebrook, LiDAR Tech and Ryan Hagler, LiDAR/photogrammetry tech at GPI Geospatial, Inc.

00:31:35 - Mike Graham, LiDAR & Point Cloud Specialist at McElhanney and Zachary Diaz, Applications Consultant at TopoDOT

00:47:49 - Wesley Newman, LSIT and ORD Specialist and Stephania Coots, Design Tech at QK4

01:02:47 - Jason Rhodes, Technical Leader: Survey & Reality Capture at Jacobs

01:19:34 - Noah Bremer and Stephanie Wood, LiDAR Tech at McKim & Creed

Episode 286 - Liz Babcock Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Forty years in Land & Right-of-Way. An Enron survivor. A woman who earned her seat at the table in historically male-dominated industries. And, in her own words, someone who has spent her career “navigating a male-dominated world one martini at a time.”

This week, we sit down with Liz Babcock, Vice President of Land & ROW at ALTAEI, for a candid conversation about resilience, trust, relationships and what it really takes to succeed in the people-heavy world of land and right-of-way.

Liz shares lessons from four decades spent working with landowners, attorneys, engineers, agencies, utilities and energy companies—and explains why technical knowledge alone is never enough.

We also dive into:

How the Land and ROW profession has changed—and where progress is still needed
What surviving the Enron collapse taught Liz about reputation and resilience
How to build trust with skeptical or frustrated landowners
The importance of bringing ROW professionals into projects earlier
Earning your voice and your seat at the table
Why relationships, humor and genuine human connection still move projects forward
The stories and experiences that make a 40-year career truly meaningful

This episode is a reminder that successful projects are not built through data, documents and processes alone. They are built through trust, communication, judgment and treating people right.

Because the best ROW professionals do not just help projects acquire land—they protect relationships, reduce risk and create a path forward.

Music by Prince!!

#TheGeoholics #LandSurveying #RightOfWay #ROW #LandAcquisition #Geospatial #Surveying #Infrastructure #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #WomenInEnergy #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerLessons #RelationshipBuilding #ProjectManagement #Prince #WhenDovesCry #Podcast

Episode 285 - Trent "TK" Keenan & Ryan "Big Shoots" Kelly Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

The guys are joined by TK and Big Shoots for a full-circle conversation about where The Geoholics started, what it has become, and why this crazy little show continues to resonate with surveyors, mappers, photogrammetrists, tech leaders, mentors, troublemakers, and everyone else trying to move the profession forward.

This episode gets into the early days of the show, the raw and scrappy chemistry that made it work, the guests and moments that left a mark, and the bigger mission that has always been at the heart of it all: adding value and making friends.

We also dig into the future of surveying, mentorship, recruiting the next generation, technology, AI, drones, scanners, mobile mapping, and the role of professional judgment in a world moving faster than ever. Because the best surveyors are not just button-pushers — they understand the why behind the workflow, the risk behind the data, and the responsibility behind every deliverable.

Big Shoots is back behind the mic. TK brings the fire. Kent and Sean keep it moving. Buckle up…this one is a ride you don't want to miss!

Huge thanks to this week’s featured partners: EMLID, TopoDOT, AllTerra Central, Leica Geosystems, David Evans & Associates, and DBLS.

Music by Lainey Wilson!

Until next time…add value, make friends, and most importantly, be safe and healthy!

#TheGeoholics #Surveying #LandSurveying #Geomatics #Geospatial #Mentorship #RealityCapture #MobileMapping #Photogrammetry #LiDAR #SurveyLife #ProfessionalSurveyor #FutureOfSurveying #AddingValueMakingFriends

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