Concluding our series honoring Dawood’s veterans and active service members, we feature Joab (Jody) Carter, PLS, our Director of Survey, who has been an integral part of our team for four years. Jody’s leadership skills, developed throughout his 10-year military career in the US Army and the National Guard, have shaped Dawood’s survey operations and strategy.
Talk about your transition from active military to surveying.
As a Scout Section Sergeant in the US Army, I performed reconnaissance involving a lot of map reading, navigation, and use of GPS technologies. When it came time to find a new career outside the military, I discovered surveying, which I’ve been doing for over 20 years. In 2019, I joined Dawood’s survey team. Our broad spectrum of work supports all disciplines within the company and ranges from mobile mapping and LiDAR to drones, as-built surveys, and subsurface utility engineering (SUE).
How does your military background influence your Dawood experience?
The skills I honed in the Army—leadership, dedication, and a team-first mentality—are integral to my Dawood responsibilities. Working with diverse groups and handling complex exercises and deployments has refined my decision-making and planning processes. In service and corporate life, attention to detail and impartiality are essential for critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective leadership.
How have you evolved as a leader?
In the military, I adopted a hybrid approach to leadership that combined delegation and collaboration. This approach fostered growth and development when mentoring team members and project managers. I brought this balanced leadership style to Dawood and focus on mentoring rather than micromanaging—key to our team’s success and growth.
You recently assumed greater responsibilities at Dawood…discuss your current role.
As the Director of Survey, I lead a team of nearly 40 surveyors and SUE specialists, ensuring that daily operations are conducted efficiently, staff have the necessary resources and tools, and Dawood continually adapts to advancing technologies. To that end, I’m working with fellow technologists to form an emerging technologies group and strengthen external partnerships with industry leaders such as Trimble, Esri, and AutoDesk. I also review protocols and develop new standards within our own group.
As a voice for change, what do you wish more people understood about veterans?
It’s important to know that veterans internalize their experiences differently, shaped by factors such as branch of service, specific roles, deployments, and conflicts. We carry unique baggage and often struggle to integrate into civilian life while seeking a new purpose after service.