N. STEVEN LEVINE, PSM, PLS
15312 Vireoglen Lane, Lithia, FL33547
, (813) 294-3871
RESUME & GENERAL STATEMENT OF EXPERIENCE
I am excited to have this opportunity to pursue new and exciting opportunities utilizing the skills described herein. I have in excess of 38 years of experience in the management,practice, and teaching of surveying and mapping, civil engineering, planning and zoning, and the environmental sciences. Emphasis is on eminent domain, right of way mapping, right of way acquisition, the legal aspects of boundaries, water boundary (mean high water) surveys and complex land title issues. I have extensive experience in a broad range of surveying related assignments such as boundary, topographic, ALTA and engineering design surveys as well as engineering as-built and record surveys, large scale right-of-way mapping, subdivision and condominium platting in many jurisdictions. I have developed anexpert reputation for services related to boundary dispute resolution and eminent domain with particular emphasis in litigation support and expert witness testimony as well as real property acquisition. I have many years experience associated with land use planning and zoning representation, environmental site assessments, right of way/design plans comparison for constructability as well as assurance that all property interests required to support proposed construction has been acquired. I am fully versed in other functions common to the professional practice of surveying and the direction of property/right of way acquisition.
From May, 1989 until Sept. 1997 I practiced individually and as founder and president of Levine and Associates, Inc, a full service surveying, land use planning, environmental and development consulting firm. The firm specialized in providing consulting services in the practice areas of eminent domain with particular emphasis in litigation support and expert witness testimony including real property acquisition, right of way mapping, property appraisal principals and their impacts on right of way mapping and varied turn key land development projects. Specifically, the firm’s areas of specialization included right of way mapping, coordinate control surveys, zoning work out services, accident reconstruction, complex land title issues, wetland and environmental mapping, retracement of the Public Land Surveys in Florida and Alabama and a broad range of unique and varied surveying assignments. My clients included professional surveyors, engineers, attorneys, the FDIC, Resolution Trust Corporation, Hillsborough County School Board and numerous municipal, county governments,Florida and federal agencies.
Additionally, I hold a Florida Teaching Certificate (currently inactive), and have served as an instructor for the University of Florida, Dept. of Civil Engineering, touring instructor for the Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors, an approved instructor for The Florida Bar and producer of several professional and associate level seminars in the legal aspects of surveying and boundaries. For the past eight years I have served as the District Right of way Surveyor for District 7 of the Fla. Dept. of Transportation. I have authored numerous texts and articles relative to the above subjects. I authored the Charlotte County Right of way Procedures Manual and have been qualified as an expert witness in Circuit Court in numerous jurisdictions throughout the west coast of Florida. I have been under contract with the Florida Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers as an “Expert Witness” and consultant in matters of survey and issues related to disciplinary actions by the “Board” from September 2003 until July 2009. Included with permission of the Office of the Attorney General.
The experience and accomplishments briefly described above evidence a broad and unique skill set. Further, my experience in management, business and teaching evidences my ability to interface with the public, staff, colleagues and the related professions. I am an exceptional motivator and administrator. My long earned reputation will bring a level of respect, and credibility to the organization that will attract the very best talent and will clearly be reflected in attaining the organization's goals.
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS:
State of Florida: Professional Surveyor and Mapper No. 3504 1981
State of Alabama: ProfessionalLand Surveyor No. 17835 1990
State of Florida: Dept. of Education Teaching Cert. No. 261-XX-XXXX 1987 (Inactive)
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
District Right of Way Surveyor(April 9, 2004 to September 2, 2011)
Documents Unit Coordinator (March 17, 2000 to April 8, 2004)
Florida Department of Transportation District 7
Surveying and Mapping
Tampa, FL
Managed and directed the scoping, negotiations, preparation and review of Right-of-way (R/W) maps, R/W control surveys maintained right of way mapping and revisions of same for accuracy, completeness and compliance with the Department's policies and procedures within the District's five county area including interstate highways. Directed the preparation and quality assurance of legal descriptions, mapping and all documents for Right-of-way acquisition for Appraisal, Eminent Domain and Property Management Sections. Served as the primary contact with other departments within District 7, Central Office, other Districts, governmental agencies, consultants and the public with respect to issues involving Right-of-way, surveys, mapping, legal descriptions as well as matters of title, R/W acquisition and eminent domain. Prepared contracts, man hour estimates and participated in Technical Review Committees associated with survey and title searches for right-of-way projects. Served as Surveying and Mapping Liaison to and provided expert professional services, litigation support, expert witness testimony and defenses relative to Department related litigation including all inverse condemnation cases in the District for the Tallahassee Office of the General Counsel. Managed, scheduled and prioritized work of the Documents Unit, Technical Review Unit and Land Title Unit staff and General Engineering Consultants, and the preparation and quality assurance reviews of all right-of-way maps, control surveys and legal descriptions prepared by the District. Applied the principals of appraisal to right of way parcel design. Served as District wide contract Manager for all land title contracts. Directed the preparation of in house title searches, subordination of property rights and the preparation of all instruments of conveyance and/or to clear title to lands acquired. Assured the quantity and quality of title to all lands acquired. Represented Surveying and Mapping at all monthly production and project meetings. Responsible for directing, motivating, training and evaluating subordinates, including review and performance planning, individual training plans, disciplinary matters and counseling. Responsible for and directed the activities of a staff of fifteen, including two supervisors and five (5) Professional Surveyors and Mappers.
Engineering Support Services Supervisor (Feb. 4, 1998 to March 10, 2000)
Charlotte County Engineering Department
CharlotteCountyAdministrationCenter
Port Charlotte, FL
The Engineering Support Services Department (ESS) oversees three primary functions within the Engineering Department. The first is the direction and management of the Real Property Section which includes right-of-way engineering and all real property acquisition/management activities for capital projects as well as all other County departments. Included within this function was the professional signatory responsibility for the preparation of maintained and capital improvement right-of-way mapping, surveys, land descriptions and parcel sketches by in house design professionals as well as consultants under contract to the County. Applied the principals of appraisal to right of way parcel design.In addition, ESS assures the quantity and quality of the County's title interest in real properties, reviews valuation appraisals and environmental site assessments. This position coordinates with and supports the Office of the CountyAttorney and represents the County in all eminent domain and legal proceedings. This area of responsibility also includes the development of right-of-way acquisition budgets and schedules, reviewing and approving acquisition expenditures, and management of County easements and rights-of-way. Under my supervision, the ESS mapped, described and acquired over 650 individual parcels of land for right-of-way, parks, landfills and the Charlotte County Rails To Trails with expenditures of approximately $20,000,000. As the ESS Supervisor, I served as the County's representative and/or expert witness in all legal proceedings relative to real property litigation and eminent domain including over 500 parcels by order of taking. I authored the County’s “Right of way Procedures Manual” as well as developed a GIS based right of way parcel tracking system with a robust data base.
The second function within the ESS Department is the oversight of the land development review process within the Public Works Division. This includes both personally reviewing submitted land development plans, condominium and subdivision plats, as well as coordinating the review of land development submittals by other Public Works staff to insure conformance with the Transportation Element of the County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Capital Improvement Program, applicable codes and regulations, as well as the standards of practice of engineering and surveying. In this capacity, I was the primary public point of contact with the Engineering Department and served as the Public Works Division representative to the County Development Review Committee.
The final responsibility of the ESS Department is to direct the preparation of all graphic design and drafting support for the Engineering Department and Public Works Division. Included in this function is the preparation, maintenance and preservation of maps, plats, as-built plans, real property and other records in a serviceable and readily retrievable manner. Software utilized by the graphics design section includes AutoCAD, ArcView, Power Point, spreadsheets and databases among numerous others. During my tenure as ESS Supervisor I developed a GIS data base to track all development projects within the County to facilitate a coordinated review of development requests.
The ESS Supervisor reported directly to the CountyEngineer, CountyAdministrator and the CountyCommission and was responsible for the preparation and management of applicable portions of the capital improvement budgets, program and department budgets.
Vice President and Manager of Survey Operations(September 1997 to February 1998)
Envisors, Inc.
Consulting Civil and Environmental Engineers, Planners and Surveyors
Winter Haven, FL
Responsible for managing all survey operations of the firm including client development, client relations, contract negotiations, project management as well as all field and office survey services. Coordinated all planning and engineering services with the firm’s survey operations. Created a highly profitable surveying operation for the firm. Managed a professional and technical staff of six as well as clerical and financial staff.
President &Owner (May 1989 to August 1997)
Levine and Associates, Inc.
Tampa, FL
Responsible for all professional activities of the firm. Managed a staff of 7 professional, technical and clerical personnel. Levine and Associates, Inc. was a fully automated firm serving as consultants in the legal aspects of eminent domain, boundary location, ALTA surveys, litigation support and expert witness services, commercial site, subdivision and condominium platting including development management, control surveys, accident reconstruction, engineering design surveys together with as-built surveys, wetland and environmental mapping, Phase I Audits, tidal boundary Surveys (MHW), and retracement of the Public Land Surveys in Florida and Alabama. My clients included Professional Surveyors, engineers, Architects, attorneys, the FDIC, the Resolution Trust Corporation, and municipal and county governments.
Chief of Engineering/Land Surveying(May 1973 to April 1989)
Bay Area Engineering Co., Inc.
Tampa, FL
Responsible for all civil engineering and surveying activities of the firm. Managed a staff of 16 professional, technical and clerical personnel. The firm was engaged in a broad range of surveying, civil engineering and related assignments such as boundary and topographic surveys, subdivision platting, land use planning and zoning representation, environmental site assessment, tidal boundary surveys, right of way mapping of roadways, utilities and drainage canals, and other functions common to the professional practice of surveying. Engineering experience included design of drainage (specialty), water distribution, sanitary sewer collection/transmission, roadway and pavement design, environmental engineering and permitting.
EDUCATION:
Florida Society of Prof. Land Surveyors 2 Year Proctored Training Program
International Correspondence Schools Scranton, Pa., Credit via Univ. of Scranton, PA (1978) 32 Sem. Hrs. Equ.
6 year Internship under the direction of D. B. Anderson, PLS (Completed 1980)
Fellow, American Congress On Surveying And Mapping
Numerous Professional Development/Continuing Education Courses (List Available Upon Request)including Trimble GPS Post Processing Training as both instructor and student
FDOT Leadership Effectiveness Training
FDOTManagementAcademy- FDOT and American Association of State Highway and
FDOTLeadershipAcademy- Transportation Officials (AASHTO) State Management
Institute
FDOT Instructors Program, Development & Presentation
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:
A. Instructor: SUR: 3403 University of Florida, Dept of Civil Engineering1990 & 1991
(Legal Aspects of Real Property and Boundary Location)
B. Instructor: Advanced Surveying 1987 to 1991
TampaBayTechnicalCenter
(Legal Aspects of Real Property and Boundary Location)
C. Instructor: Touring Instructor for Florida Society of ProfessionalLand Surveyors
Professional Development-Continuing Education Courses
(Approved By The Florida Board of ProfessionalLand Surveyors)
D. Instructor: Approved Instructor for Continuing Legal Education Credit for The Florida Bar
E. Instructor and Author:Professional Development-Continuing Education
:
1.*Legal Principals of Surveying Boundaries, *Board Re-approved 2011 for 6 hrs
2. *U. S. Public Land Surveys *Board Re-approved 2011 for 6 hrs CEU’s
3. Minimum Technical Standards For Land Surveys In Florida.
4. Land Surveyor's Review Seminar, Legal Principals
F. Author or Co-Author:Publications and Texts
1. "Boundary Law In Florida" C1992 and 2ND EDITION C1993
2. "Florida Survey Issues - Recognition and Remediation" C1994
2ND EDITION Updated and Revised C 8/97
- Author of numerous articles on surveying, planning, and Florida growth
Management, land development, and environmental issues published in local,
state and national journals.
4. "CharlotteCounty Right-Of-Way Procedures Manual"
Right-of-way mapping, land description and real property acquisition
Standards presently in effect in CharlotteCounty
G. Co-Chairman: FSPLS Education Committee and Scholarship Fund, 1989-1991
H. Chairman: West CoastLand Surveyors Assn. Education Committee and Scholarship Fund,
1986-1994
I. Member: Survey Education Advisory Committee
HillsboroughCountySchool Board
FDOT AWARDS EARNED:
Excellence in Customer Service06/20/06
Excellence in Product Delivery05/29/08
Exceptional Contribution06/08/09
Excellence in Customer Service06/20/06
Exemplary Quality Award (Awarded by Right of way Section)06/09/09
Significant Contribution Award06/18/09
(Honoring) Jon S. Beasley AwardFor Year 2009
Excellence in Teamwork05/25/10
Excellence in Teamwork06/18/10
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICES HELD:
Florida Society of ProfessionalLand Surveyors now Florida Surveying & Mapping Society
Board of Directors 1988 through 1991 inclusive
Secretary of the Society 1991-1992
Member Education Committee 1989-1991 (Co-Chairman 1991)
FSPLS Liaison with Fla. Bar Assn. 1989-1991
American Congress on Surveying And Mapping
National Society of Professional Surveyors
Geographic and Land Information Society
West Coast Land Surveyors Association, An association of member firms
President 1986
Vice President 1987-1988
Chairman: Education Committee 1990-1994
Chairman: Scholarship Committee 1990-1994
Served as Registered Lobbyist1990-1994
International Right-of-way Association (IRWA)
Association of Eminent Domain Professionals
American Planning Association
PLEASE NOTE: LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FROM EACH EMPLOYER NOTED
HEREIN ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
REFERENCES
You are invited to contact the references listed below. They can speak meaningfully, from personal knowledge, as to my technical abilities, professionalism and character.
1.)Richard Vickers, Esq. Asst. General Counsel for PascoCountyFl.
8751 Citizens Drive, Ste. 340
New Port Richey, Fl. 34654
(727) 847-8120
2.)Martin Hernandez, Asst General Counsel, District 7, Fla. Dept. of Transportation
11201 N. McKinley Drive
Tampa, Fl. 33612
(813) 975-6000
3.)Mr. Clarence Wade, PLS, City Surveyor, City of Tampa
306 East Jackson Street
Tampa, Fl. 33601
(813) 635-3430
4.)Mr. Henry Echezabal, PSM President of Echezabal & Assoc., Inc.
Former Member, Fla. Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers
108 Country Club Drive
Tampa, Fl. 33612
(813) 933-2505
5.)Robert J. Gill, ESQ., Partner, Eminent Domain Counsel
Adams and Reese, LLP.
1515 Ringling Blvd., Ste 700
Sarasota, Fl. 34236
(941) 316-7600
6.)David Hurley, PLS, President
Landmark Engineering and Surveying Corp.
8515 Palm River Road
Tampa. Florida, 33609
(813) 621-7841 (Office)
(813) 220-6990 (Cell)
7.) Additional References Available Upon Request