William J. Fleming, PLS
Bill has more than 32 years of experience in land surveying, project management, and quality control/quality assurance. He has extensive expertise in transportation surveys, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, topographic and boundary surveys. He joined EDI in 2016 and manages the firm’s Land Surveyor Department.
Prior to EDI, Bill worked for 26 years with a Milwaukee-based engineering firm, and managed their land survey group in Chicago.
Bill was exposed to land surveying through his father, who was an Illinois Land Surveyor. He started in the field as a preteen and has been enjoying his career ever since. “Every day and every project is unique,” he said. “Seeing projects from planning through design and construction is very rewarding.”
The most memorable project Bill worked on was the design and permitting phase for a 130-mile natural gas pipeline in Illinois and Wisconsin. It included GPS control, hydrographic surveys of the Des Plaines River, topographic surveys, and boundary surveys for the development of plats for acquisition. His favorite projects are land acquisition surveys for facility and infrastructure improvements.
Bill currently serves as the Illinois Director for the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and was a past president of the Northeast Chapter of the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association. He is also very active at the state level and is particularly interested in attending functions for grade and high school STEM and career programs to encourage young people to consider a career in Land Surveying.
Bill’s advice for someone who is in college, or looking to start a career in land surveying:
“Nationwide and in Illinois there is a significant shortage of Professional Land Surveyors, with the national average age being 58 years old. It is a rewarding, challenging, stable and well-paying career that is a great choice for individuals who enjoy the outdoors and have a strong mathematics background. Positions are plentiful for individuals on the college or technical track, and diversity is encouraged throughout the profession. Nationally, there are great college programs and scholarship money is available and unfortunately frequently unused.”