Chairman's Message

Board to Launch New Website

Governor Appoints New Board Member

Computer-based PS Exam
With the April 2016 Exam Administration, NCEES closed the door on the pencil-and-paper version of the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. NCEES will now only be offering the PS exam via computer based testing (CBT). Registration opened June 20, with the first CBT appointments available October 3. The exam will be offered year-round at approved Pearson VUE test centers. Go to, http://ncees.org/surveying/#Nevada for more information about the NCEES PS exam. With the move to CBT, the Nevada Board requires you to have taken and passed the NCEES PS exam before applying for licensure in Nevada.
CBT transition for PE exams
For now, all Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams will continue to be offered twice per year as pencil-and-paper exams. NCEES continues to work toward moving its 25 PE exams to CBT, with each exam following its own transition timetable. A number of the PE exams could be offered via CBT as early as January 2018.
BOARD MEMBERS REAPPOINTED

Governor Brian Sandoval reappointed land surveying member, Bob LaRiviere, to the Board effective July 1, 2016.
Bob is a licensed professional land surveyor in Nevada and California, and has been working in the northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe area for the past 33 years. He currently is the president-owner of CFA, Inc, a Reno civil engineering, land surveying, planning, landscape architecture, and construction observation firm. He has been a partner at CFA since joining the firm in 1998.
Bob graduated from Paul Smith’s College in New York with a degree in surveying and forestry. He is active in the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors, the Sparks Centennial Sunrise Rotary Group of which he is a Charter Member, the Nevada Land Conservancy, and the Builders Association of Northern Nevada.
Bob and his wife Terry live in Sparks. They have a son Dave, daughter-in-law Leah, and three grandchildren.
Governor Sandoval also reappointed public member, Bud Cranor, to the Board effective July 1, 2016. Bud was originally appointed in 2003 and was the first public member to serve on the Board. He served one term and was then reappointed again by Governor Sandoval in 2013.
Bud is the Director of the Communications and Council Support Office in the Mayor’s Office at the City of Henderson. He oversees the administrative and constituent affairs for the Mayor and Council. Bud also serves as the City’s primary spokesman and directs the City’s public information efforts.
Prior to coming to the City of Henderson in 2003, Bud was the Director of Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn’s Southern Nevada Office, and was a member of the Governor’s senior staff from 1998 to 2003.
Before entering public service, Bud held positions in the private and non-profit sectors after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University in 1995.
Bud serves on the Emergency Response Review Committee for the Clark County School District (CCSD), the Voices in Voting Board of Directors, the APPLE Partnership Executive Committee, and the Del Sol High School Governance Team.
Bud lives in Las Vegas with his wife Erin and their four children.
NCEES RECORDS CREATION
The Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors would like to recommend to all licensees to explore NCEES and all the features it offers. NCEES now allows licensees to create a profile in their database free of charge, a NCEES Record. A NCEES Record eliminates the hassle of resubmitting your:
■ College transcripts
■ Exam results
■ Employment verifications
■ Professional references
When applying for a license in an additional state, NCEES will review your materials and electronically submit them directly to the state licensing board on your behalf. This saves time and simplifies the application process when you need to practice in multiple states.
Another feature of creating an NCEES Record is storing your Professional Development Hours (PDH) documentation online. You can select which states you are licensed in, and store your PDH documentation in the database so that each state can access these documents electronically. This simplifies your record keeping and expedites the audit process. Keeping track of your PDH using the NCEES Record is convenient for licensees licensed in multiple states, and keeps an online electronic record eliminating personal filing of PDH and supporting documents.
Creating an NCEES records account is free and simple. Simply go to NCEES.org/records/ and follow the links to complete the application to be included in the NCEES Records program.
DOES LICENSURE REALLY MATTER?
n the June 2016 edition of NCEES Licensure Exchange, an official NCEES publication for the exchange of information, opinions, and ideas regarding the licensure of engineers and surveyors, NCEES President Michael Conzett, PE, wrote an article called, “Does licensure really matter?” As a reminder of the value of your license, we wanted to share the article with you.
Does Licensure Really Matter?
Nevada Board Compliance Actions
by Ryan Mulvany, Compliance Officer
As the new compliance officer for the Nevada State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors, I am frequently presented with different compliance questions and complaints. A vast majority of complaints pertain to potential Nevada Revised Statutes 625 and Nevada Administrative Code 625 violations. As a licensed Nevada Professional Engineer or Professional Land Surveyor, you are expected to know and understand Nevada statutes related to engineering and surveying (NRS 625 and NAC 625). As professionals in your industry, you are held to a very high standard, and ignorance is no excuse for a violation of the law. NRS 625 and NAC 625 are available online for your review. The Board is also here to help you. If you have questions concerning compliance and the law, please feel free to give us a call.
Recently, I have been conducting a license renewal audit where the Board audits the Professional Development Hours (PDH) reported by each licensee. During each renewal period, we randomly select 10% of our licensees, using a random number generator, for auditing of their PDH. Random audits are conducted in an effort to verify that regulations are being met and to identify potential communication problems between the Board and its licensees. Of this 10% selected for audit, we narrow the licensees down to those whom are Nevada residents, or those in which their home state does not require PDH. If you are selected for a random audit, you must provide documentation of proof of completion of the PDH you have reported. Documentation of PDH activities may include:
■ Attendance lists
■ Certificates
■ Letters or reports documenting successful completion of courses by employers
■ Employer training lists
■ Educational institutions or associations
■ College transcripts
■ Receipts of seminar or conference program fees
■ Cover or title page of a published document
During the recent audit, there have been a number of licensees who had difficulty providing PDH documentation, or have not provided specific proof of completion. NAC requires licensees to keep proof of completion of PDH’s for a minimum of 3 years. We are looking for a certificate of completion, plain and simple. Please do not send in piles of paperwork that could not be considered proof of completion. After your documentation has been reviewed, you will be notified whether you have successfully completed the audit, or you are required to send more information. If you are not able to prove completion of PDH in accordance with NAC 625.430, your license will be made “inactive” and will remain inactive until such time as you provide the appropriate documentation. When your license is inactive, you are not able to legally practice engineering.
Edward Phariss, PE # 18976
Case Number 20150017
Violation NRS 625.410(7)
Mr Phariss self- reported that he stamped and signed two projects for the Washoe County Health Department after his license had expired. Performing engineering work while your license is expired is grounds for discipline by the state Board.
Stipulated Agreement Mar 10, 2016
- Mr Phariss shall pay an administrative fine in the amount of $500
- Mr Phariss shall reimburse the State Board for all investigative costs and fees incurred in the matter.
David Steward, PE #22679
Case Number 20150018
Violation NRS 625.410(7), NRS 625.383(1)
Mr Steward self-reported providing two electrical engineering plans for a client after his PE license had expired. Performing engineering work while your license is expired is grounds for discipline by the state Board.
Mr Steward’s stamp on the plans was not authorized by the State Board. Each Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor must obtain a stamp of the design authorized by the State Board.