Board President’s Message

Greetings!  It is my honor and privilege to serve as the 2022-2023 President of the Arkansas Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS).

Being a member of the PELS Board has been a great experience.  The PELS Director, Heather Richardson, and the staff support Arkansas’ licensed engineers and surveyors with professionalism and efficiency.

As the Director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, I understand the importance of licensing engineers and surveyors.  ARDOT is the largest employer of Civil Engineers in the State.  In addition, we employ a large staff of surveyors that perform highway and bridge project surveys throughout the year.  Along with our in-house efforts, we oversee a large number of consultants that work as an extension of ARDOT staff to provide these services.

The safety of those driving on our roads and bridges is ARDOT’s most important goal.  Another important goal is the effective stewardship of public funds to provide the best infrastructure solutions at the lowest cost.   Therefore, licensure is imperative for the continued protection of the health and safety of the public and for maintaining professional standards to ensure competency in the fields of engineering and surveying. The personal advantage of having the PE and/or PS after your name is that it will open doors for you the rest of your life.  It is an indicator of your competency and commitment to excellence.  The Board remains committed to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the licensing process.

~ Lorie Tudor, President