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The winning of a drone at surveying conference a few years ago set Navajo County Engineer Project Manager Jason Owens on a path that has not only opened drone operations in Navajo County but recently won him the Arizona County Engineer’s Association Esterbrooks Award for Engineering Support in 2018.
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At the Navajo County Board of Supervisors meeting on April 9, County Engineer Bill Bess acknowledged Owens’ accomplishment, saying, “Jason is an outstanding employee but he took and won this drone as a door prize at a workshop and started playing with it, turning it into a viable tool that is very productive and useful for Navajo County, saving us thousands of dollars in surveys,” shared Bess.
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Five more drones have since been added at the county, with two in Public Works and four at the Sheriff’s Office.
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As Deputy County Attorney Brandt Clark shared during the presentation, “The field of drone operation is expanding rapidly. If a student can have their drone pilot license right out of high school, they will be able to go into the work force flying drones. All this started with the program that Jason spearheaded. He is a worthy recipient of this award because he has not only changed the face of engineering and technology in the Public Works Department but at the Sheriff’s Office and Show Low High School. Jason has transcended the drone operation in Navajo County.”
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In his acceptance of the recognition, Owens said, “I do express my thanks to Navajo County especially the public works department, which is a wonderful place to work. It has been a great opportunity to take technology and make us more efficient at what we are doing. In the past we have done good to survey a half a mile of road a day; with the drones, we can cover between two and a half to three miles a day.”
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