James B Gillis, NSLS, CLS, RPLS, CP first qualified as a Land Surveyor in 1973, at the age of 21 years. He started in private practice with his own firm two years later, which he continued to operate until he moved to the US. He now holds commissions as a Nova Scotia Land Surveyor, a Canada Lands Surveyor, and a Texas Registered Professional Land Surveyor as well as being a Certified Photogrammetrist. Jim has Diplomas (Associate Degrees) in Land Surveying and Geophysical Surveying from the Nova Scotia Land Survey Institute (now known as the College of Geographic Sciences), where he also taught part time.
For 50 years, Jim has practiced throughout North and South America and the Middle East and has worked in the field from 78 Degrees North Latitude to 58 Degrees South Latitude and from 52 Degrees East Longitude to 177 Degrees West Longitude. He and his wife Flora live in Johns Creek, Georgia, where he is employed as Survey Department Manager for VeriDaaS Corporation, a firm specializing in airborne Geiger-Mode lidar data collection and extraction, operating in the US and internationally.
While living in Texas, Jim served as Chairman of the Education Committee, as Chairman of the Constitution and ByLaws Committee, and of the Nominating Committee, as a member of the Tellers Committee, as Parliamentarian, as well as Director and President of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Dallas College teaching online surveying and mapping courses.
