RICK Announces New Leadership Team in the Tucson Land Survey Department

Tucson, Ariz. – RICK, a multidisciplinary planning, design, surveying and engineering firm serving the western United States with 11 offices, has announced a new leadership team for the Land Survey Department in Tucson, following the retirement of Doug Schneider, who headed the local survey team for more than 25 years.

“We are excited to announce the promotion of Brian Laird to director of survey operations and the hire of Skip Pomeroy as survey manager,” said Kevin Hall, PE, principal of the RICK office in Tucson.  “Brian and Skip each bring 30 years of high-level surveying industry experience to the RICK Tucson Surveying team. Additionally, Sean Laird has been promoted to field supervisor as the third member of the key leadership team.”

Laird virtually grew up in the Arizona surveying industry: he is the son, grandson and nephew of Arizona surveyors and began his career at RICK’s Tucson office,” said Hall. “Brian has distinguished himself as a respected leader in Reality Capture and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, some of the leading-edge tools in the surveying industry,” he added.

Laird is a founding member of the United States Institute of Building Documentation, as well as a member of the California Land Surveyors Association, the Arizona Professional Land Surveyors (APLS), and the American Public Works Association, where he was the former San Diego Technology Committee chair.

He was a key team member on a variety of Southwestern projects, including the Whetstone Ranch in Benson, Arizona, where he developed precise topographic mapping and orthophotography for the 13,000-acre project, and the Colorado River Aqueduct Repair and Rehabilitation Improvements project.

Skip Pomeroy, who has 35 years of land survey experience, including 12 years with Tucson Water as the chief land surveyor, has joined RICK as survey manager in Tucson.   Licensed in several states, Pomeroy is active in the APLS and brings a potent combination of project expertise and personnel management. He will manage the department’s day-to-day operations. Pomeroy performed the key role of chief surveyor for the Shirley Scott Southeast Houghton Area Recharge Project (SHARP), a 2024 Crescordia Award recipient, while working with Tucson Water. He executed the boundary, performed the topographic aerial survey (using UAS/UAV technology), and provided oversight for the construction staking scope.

Sean Laird, who has been at the core of RICK’s survey field crews for over 25 years as a crew member, analyst, and survey coordinator, has been promoted to field supervisor. Sean, also part of the Laird family surveyor dynasty, uses his extensive field and office knowledge to facilitate effective communication among various departments and clients. Nearly all of Laird’s career has included the Gladden Farms and Gladden II master-planned communities in the northwest Tucson region, performing nearly every aspect of the land surveying profession.

“With our new leadership team of Brian, Skip, and Sean in place, we’re ready to capitalize on the legacy of Doug Schneider, who was dedicated to mentoring young professionals and bolstering the survey profession through his work with APLS and the National Society of Professional Surveyors,” said Hall. “We’re equipped to expand our impact on the Tucson and Southern Arizona community.”

RICK, established in San Diego in 1955, has been serving the Arizona market since 1984 and has offices in Phoenix and Tucson. RICK has a diverse workforce of more than 400 professionals who collaborate and work seamlessly from 11 offices in Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada.