Schedule
- 9:00–9:30: Breakfast & networking (Little Kitchen HTX Tiny Ballroom)
- 9:30: Opening comments
- 9:35: Vice Chair election & bylaws vote
- 9:45–11:45: Technical speakers
- 11:45: Closing comments & door prizes (over $500 in door prizes)
- 12:00: Lunch next door (16000 Dillard Dr, Suite F), provided by APSG for those who stay
Limited to 50 people. Members free, non-members $25. Can't attend? Send a written proxy to chair@apsgus.com by 11:59 PM CT, Mon Nov 16.
Technical Speakers (9:45–11:45)
- Stacey D. Lyle, PhD, RPLS, and team, Texas A&M University (Zachry Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering): "Houston is Sinking: GNSS Subsidence Monitoring with NATRF2022 Dynamic Datum." A dashboard in development that combines GNSS-derived subsidence measurements, property valuation data, water/oil/gas wells and subsurface geology to assess the economic impact of land subsidence across the Houston region.
- Pete Weber, COO, DoC Mapping: "Magnetometers & EM Field Modeling: Where the technology stands for pipe, well and utility detection."
- Paul Barth, MGsc GIST, Surge Energy America: talk title to come.
- Bryan B. Smith, PE, Pivotal Environmental: "Beyond the Cloud: Self-Hosted UAV Photogrammetry for Professional Geospatial Workflows."
APSG Meeting & Technical Talks
Notice to Members
- Upcoming member votes and recent APSG changes.
November 17, 2026 vote
- In place of the usual GIS Day event, a one-time meeting the day before to handle APSG business and set us up for success in 2027.
- Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 9 AM at Little Kitchen HTX, 16000 Dillard Dr, Jersey Village.
- Election of Vice Chair, the only office up for election.
- Nominee for Vice Chair: Billy Busey.
- Ben Holden becomes APSG Chair at the end of the meeting.
- Vote on a three-year Chair term, which would also apply to the current terms.
- Vote in person or by written proxy. Written proxies must be received at chair@apsgus.com by 11:59 PM, Monday, November 16, 2026, to be counted.
Elections
- Officer elections are at the Tue Nov 17, 2026 meeting.
- Vice Chair nominee: Billy Busey.
- If Questions 1 and 1B pass, the Vice Chair term is 3 years (2026–2029). Otherwise it's one year under the 2016 bylaws.
- Ben Holden becomes Chair automatically under Art. 5, Sec. 2.C.
- Written proxies must reach chair@apsgus.com by 11:59 PM CT, Mon Nov 16, 2026.
Proposed bylaw change: three-year Chair and Vice Chair terms (Questions 1 and 1B)
Article 5, Section 2.B (Chair's term) [Question 1]
Current text (2016 bylaws)
B. The Chair shall be the chief executive officer of APSG and shall serve for one year as such. The Chair shall be the spokesperson for APSG on all matters pertaining to the public; shall appoint the members of all committees within the limits prescribed in these Articles; and shall serve as chairperson of the Executive Committee.
Proposed text
B. The Chair shall be the chief executive officer of APSG and shall serve for a term of three years as such. The Chair shall be the spokesperson for APSG on all matters pertaining to the public; shall appoint the members of all committees within the limits prescribed in these Articles; and shall serve as chairperson of the Executive Committee.
Article 5, Section 2.C (Vice Chair election and succession) [Question 1]
Current text (2016 bylaws)
C. The Vice Chair shall serve for one year. The Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the absence or inability of the Chair to serve. The Vice Chair shall assume the Office of Chair for the remainder of the Chair's term in case of a vacancy for any cause in that office and then assume that office for a full term of one year. The Vice Chair shall perform such further duties as may be assigned by the Chair. The Vice Chair of the Executive Committee will automatically succeed the Chair. Voting for Executive Committee members will therefore be limited to the positions of Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer unless the Vice Chair is unable or unwilling to assume the position of Chair, in which there will be a vote for Chair.
Proposed text
C. The Vice Chair shall be elected at the final meeting of the year following which a new Chair term begins, and shall serve a term of three years, concurrent with that Chair term. The Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the absence or inability of the Chair to serve. The Vice Chair shall assume the Office of Chair for the remainder of the Chair's term in case of a vacancy for any cause in that office and then assume that office for a full term of three years; in that case, a person appointed to fill the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice Chair serves only until that remainder ends, and a Vice Chair shall be elected at that final meeting for a term concurrent with the new Chair term. The Vice Chair shall perform such further duties as may be assigned by the Chair. The Vice Chair of the Executive Committee will automatically succeed the Chair when the Chair's term ends, without further vote. Voting for Executive Committee members will therefore be limited to the positions of Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer unless the Vice Chair is unable or unwilling to assume the position of Chair, in which there will be a vote for Chair under paragraph F.
Article 5, Section 2.E (Terms of office and term limits) [Question 1]
Current text (2016 bylaws)
E. The Chair and Vice Chair, each as such, shall serve a one year term except as provided in sub articles (c) above. The Chair and Vice Chair may not succeed themselves in office for more than one additional term. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve a two-year term and may succeed him/herself in office for one additional term. The terms of office shall commence following the final meeting of the year, at which meeting the officers’ elections shall be held.
Proposed text
E. The Chair and Vice Chair, each as such, shall serve a term of three years as provided in paragraphs B and C except as provided in sub articles (c) above. No person may serve as Chair for more than one consecutive full three-year term. No person may serve as Vice Chair for more than one consecutive full three-year term. A person who has served as Chair may not be elected Vice Chair again until three years after leaving the office of Chair. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve a two-year term and may succeed him/herself in office for one additional term. The terms of office shall commence following the final meeting of the year, at which meeting the officers’ elections shall be held. Officers continue in office until their successors take office.
Article 5, Section 2.F(ii) (Nominations and election) [Question 1]
Current text (2016 bylaws)
(ii) The Nominating Committee shall not later than one month prior to the final meeting of each year recommend one or more candidates each for the office of Vice Chair and biennially recommend one or more candidates for the office of Secretary/Treasurer. The Nominating Committee's recommendations shall be considered by the Executive Committee which shall annually approve not more than two candidates for the office of Vice Chair and biennially approve not more than two candidates for the office of Secretary/Treasurer. At the final meeting of the year or within two weeks of the final meeting, the annual members of APSG will vote on the candidates. A plurality of all votes cast for an office is necessary for election. In case of a tie vote the Executive Committee shall cast one additional deciding vote.
Proposed text
(ii) The Nominating Committee shall not later than one month prior to the final meeting of each year recommend one or more candidates each for the office of Vice Chair (in a year in which a Vice Chair is to be elected under paragraph C) and biennially recommend one or more candidates for the office of Secretary/Treasurer, and, when a vote for Chair is required under paragraph C, one or more candidates for the office of Chair. The Nominating Committee's recommendations shall be considered by the Executive Committee which shall approve not more than two candidates for the office of Vice Chair (and, when required, Chair) and biennially approve not more than two candidates for the office of Secretary/Treasurer. At the final meeting of the year, the annual members of APSG will vote on the candidates. A plurality of all votes cast for an office is necessary for election. In case of a tie vote the voting members of the Executive Committee who are not candidates for that office shall cast one additional deciding vote.
Article 10 (Transition Provisions), paragraphs A, B, B-2 and C [new; Question 1, with B-2 as Question 1B]
Current text (2016 bylaws)
None. The 2016 bylaws end at Article 9 (Amendment History).
Proposed text
A. Effective date and sequencing. Each amendment adopted at the final meeting of 2026 (held November 17, 2026) takes effect at the adjournment of that meeting. The officer elections held at that meeting are conducted under these Articles as in effect before adoption. The Vice Chair in office immediately before that adjournment succeeds to the office of Chair at the adjournment. The terms of the Chair and of the Vice Chair elected at that meeting are as provided in paragraphs B and B-2.
B. Chair and Vice Chair term transition.
(i) The three-year terms under Article 5, Sections 2.B and 2.C apply to every Chair term that begins following the final meeting of 2027 or of any later year, and to the Vice Chair term that runs concurrently with it.
(ii) Unless paragraph B-2 is adopted, the Chair term that begins at the adjournment of the final meeting of 2026 (held November 17, 2026) is a one-year term ending following the final meeting of 2027.
(iii) Unless paragraph B-2 is adopted, the Vice Chair elected at the final meeting of 2026 (or any person later appointed to fill that office under Article 5, Section 2.H) serves until the final meeting of 2027 and then succeeds to the office of Chair under Article 5, Section 2.C for a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2030. A Vice Chair shall be elected at the final meeting of 2027 for a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2030.
B-2. Application to the Chair term beginning November 17, 2026. [Question 1B: a separate question. It takes effect only if Question 1 is adopted at the same meeting. If Question 1 is not adopted, this paragraph lapses and has no effect.]
(i) Notwithstanding paragraph B(ii), the Chair term that begins at the adjournment of the final meeting of 2026 (held November 17, 2026) is a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2029.
(ii) Notwithstanding paragraph B(iii), the Vice Chair elected at the final meeting of 2026 (or any person later appointed to fill that office under Article 5, Section 2.H) serves a three-year term until the final meeting of 2029 and then succeeds to the office of Chair under Article 5, Section 2.C for a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2032. No Vice Chair election shall be held in 2027 or 2028, and the next Vice Chair shall be elected at the final meeting of 2029 for a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2032.
(iii) A Chair term, and a Vice Chair term, extended by this paragraph each counts as one full three-year term in that office for purposes of Article 5, Section 2.E.
(iv) This paragraph was submitted to the members as a separate question. The Chair whose term it extends did not vote on it, did not hold or cast proxies on it, was not counted in any determination of approval by disinterested persons, and did not present or preside over its consideration.
C. Term limits. Service as Chair or Vice Chair before the effective date does not count toward the limits in Article 5, Section 2.E, except that a term extended under paragraph B-2 counts as one full three-year term in that office.
What the questions mean for the officers
| Result on Nov 17 |
Ben Holden, Chair |
Billy Busey (Vice Chair elected Nov 17, if elected) |
Next Vice Chair election |
| Q1 and Q1B pass |
to the final meeting of 2029 |
Vice Chair 2026–2029, then Chair 2029–2032 |
2029, for 2029–2032 (none in 2027 or 2028) |
| Only Q1 passes |
to the final meeting of 2027 |
Vice Chair 2026–2027 (one year, elected under the 2016 rules), then Chair 2027–2030 |
2027, for 2027–2030 |
| Q1 fails |
to 2027 (one year, current rules) |
Vice Chair to 2027, then Chair for one year |
2027, then every year |
Steady state: every three years, one final meeting elects a new Vice Chair while the outgoing Vice Chair becomes Chair. Both serve the same three years, so there are no years without a Vice Chair.
The Secretary/Treasurer's term and election years are unchanged.
Ballot wording
Question 1: Three-year Chair and Vice Chair terms
Shall the Bylaws be amended, effective at the adjournment of the November 17, 2026 meeting of members, as set out in Article 5, Section 2.B, 2.C, 2.E and 2.F(ii), and new Article 10, paragraphs A, B and C, of the published text, so that:
(a) the Chair and the Vice Chair each serve three-year terms, at the same time. The Vice Chair is elected at the meeting at which a new Chair term begins, serves alongside the Chair for the full three years, and then automatically succeeds the Chair. This applies to Chair terms that begin following the final meeting of 2027 or of any later year;
(b) the Chair term that begins at the adjournment of the November 17, 2026 meeting remains a one-year term, ending following the final meeting of 2027, unless Question 1B is also adopted. The Vice Chair elected on November 17, 2026 then serves until the final meeting of 2027 and succeeds as Chair for 2027–2030, and a new Vice Chair is elected in 2027 for 2027–2030;
(c) no person may serve as Chair or as Vice Chair for more than one consecutive full three-year term, and a former Chair may not be elected Vice Chair again until three years after leaving the office of Chair. Service before November 17, 2026 does not count; and
(d) officers are elected at the final meeting of the year, and a tie is decided by the Executive Committee members who are not candidates for that office?
☐ YES ☐ NO
Question 1B: Apply three-year terms to the Chair and Vice Chair terms beginning November 17, 2026
Voted only after Question 1. If Question 1 is not adopted, Question 1B lapses and has no effect. The incoming Chair, Ben Holden, does not vote on this question, does not hold or cast proxies on it, and does not present or preside over it.
Shall the Bylaws be further amended, effective at the adjournment of the November 17, 2026 meeting of members, as set out in new Article 10, paragraph B-2, of the published text, so that:
(a) the Chair term that begins at the adjournment of the November 17, 2026 meeting is a three-year term ending following the final meeting of 2029, and counts as one full three-year term;
(b) the Vice Chair elected at the November 17, 2026 meeting serves until the final meeting of 2029 and then automatically succeeds to the office of Chair for a three-year term (2029–2032); and
(c) no Vice Chair election is held in 2027 or 2028, and the next Vice Chair is elected in 2029 for 2029–2032?
☐ YES ☐ NO
Each question needs "a two thirds affirmative vote of the annual members" (Art. 7.4). Voting is in person or by written directed proxy only; the bylaws give no authority for mail or electronic ballots.
February 2027 vote: bylaws revision
- Members' meeting in February 2027. Date, time and place to be announced.
- Vote on a revision of APSG's bylaws.
- Full proposed text sent to members at least 30 days before the vote.
- Two-thirds vote needed to pass.
Website and membership changes
- Redesigned apsgus.com home page.
- Corporate sponsors get access to APSG Career Day and other educational events.
- New members-only Member perks page: member directory, past presentations since 1998, photo gallery, publications and resources. Recorded talks coming soon.
- Membership dues:
- Annual: $60
- 5 Year: $270
- Lifetime: $900
- Student: free
- Student membership: approved by the APSG Executive Committee, renews every September 1, with a reminder around August 15.
- APSG is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
- LinkedIn is APSG's main social channel. The Facebook link has been removed.
- We're looking into moving APSG email to Google, storing our files in Google Drive, and adding a Slack workspace for committee and member communication.
Open positions
- Education Committee chair
- Q2 event lead
- Q3 event lead
- Happy hour lead
- Monthly virtual meeting lead
- Corporate sponsor liaison
- To volunteer: chair@apsgus.com
Contact
