Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a…drone operated by Grouse Mountain Environmental Consultants’ newest GIS Technician, Troy Snyder!
Snyder began working for GMEC seven months ago and from Day 1, he’s been so incredibly excited to be a part of the team.
“I was living and working in Utah, working for the Utah Department of Transportation,” Snyder said. “It was just a seasonal internship and I really enjoyed it. But I was looking to get in with a firm that dealt with more wildlife and environmental aspects of things.”
Snyder said that his wife was actually the one who noticed the job posting from GMEC.
“She was like,’ You should apply for this,’” Snyder said. “So I did and I felt really good about it. They offered me the position and we felt really good about it, so we decided to come up here to Buffalo and it’s been a great experience.”
Troy brings with him a wealth of skills and knowledge, including the fact that he is a fully-licensed drone pilot.
“A drone license is required by the FAA to fly a drone commercially for any new company,” Snyder said. “And that was something that Jason and Jenna wanted each of us to have, as members of the GIS team, to allow us to serve our customers better. You can use drones for a lot of different things, but something that I was recently able to do was that I went to a gypsum mine in Cody, Wyoming and I got to fly over that. It was a pretty simple flight, but it’s really neat that you can fly over an area and get aerial imagery and then, from that imagery, you can show the changes over time. You can calculate area or volume and do all of these different cool things with the software.”
It’s definitely a new, unique skill that Troy brought with him to GMEC. We wanted to get to know Troy a little better, so we asked him some questions to find out more about GMEC’s newest GIS Specialist.
How did you come to work at Grouse Mountain?
I was finishing up a summer GIS internship in Utah, and my wife found the GIS Technician posting with Grouse Mountain. She encouraged me to apply for it since it seemed to be a perfect marriage of my passion for/experience with wildlife work and GIS. I applied and interviewed for the job, and after the interview I had a really good, warm feeling. After much prayer and consideration (and being offered the job), my wife and daughter and I decided to move up to Buffalo. This took some faith, especially since I started work in mid-November, and winter pretty much came on all at once at that time! Working for GMEC and living here has been such a blessing to us!
What do you do for Grouse Mountain?
Along with my 2 GIS team members, I assist in creating maps for navigation, permitting, wildlife surveys, and other purposes per the needs of our various departments. I also run a geographic model to help us determine the suitability of drilling locations. In addition, I recently got my drone pilot license and have the opportunity to fly the drone for various projects to help meet our clients’ needs.
What made you choose this career path?
I have a deep passion for wildlife and the outdoors, and I’ve always wanted to work to help conserve natural resources for my family and future generations to enjoy. I also love to study geography, and maps fascinate me. I associate memories, smells, feelings, etc. with geographic locations.
What’s your favorite part about working at Grouse Mountain?
The people! I love working with my teammates at Grouse Mountain. They are very patient, kind, and helpful. We really work as a team and enjoy working together, even when workloads are heavy and timelines are tight.
What’s an experience that stands out to you from working at Grouse Mountain?
I can’t really nail down one experience, but the experience of continually receiving good feedback from project managers and my other coworkers is extremely helpful. All of our managers do an awesome job at encouraging and uplifting their teammates, which really makes a difference to me and sets GMEC apart from any other company or agency I’ve worked for!
What do you love about Wyoming?
I love the small-town feel that is prevalent throughout the state. I also love that there is plentiful wildlife and plenty of wild places left here. The climate is nice (except in the winter!), and it doesn’t get blazing hot, and there’s actually water here! My family and I enjoy watching the deer and the antelope play on the land behind our apartment building.
What are some of your hobbies?
Hiking, birding, hunting, fishing, shooting, camping, playing musical instruments, singing, making hiking sticks, and writing.
What are a few fun facts about you?
I am an identical twin; my twin brother is ~1 minute older than me, and he and his wife live in our home state of Pennsylvania. I am a self-taught banjo player and enjoy playing other instruments such as the ukulele, the Native American flute, the piano, the drums, and various other percussion instruments. I also love to write and read poetry, and I have a few published poems. I paint and draw wildlife for fun! My wife, Casey, and I have a 20-month-old daughter named Millie, and she’s the joy of our life!
What differentiates Grouse Mountain from its competitors?
First of all, our Principals- Jenna and Jason are deeply involved in just about every department and every aspect of what we do. THEY REALLY CARE about the success of their employees in addition to the success of the company. I find these things to be inspiring and exceptional in today’s business world. GMEC’s people set us apart from competitors; our people really know their stuff and want to do what’s right for our clients and the company.
If you could tell readers one thing about yourself and your job, what would that be?
My job helps me to learn and grow and excel to become a more well-rounded professional in my field, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.
If you could tell readers one thing about Grouse Mountain, what would THAT be?
Grouse Mountain is a wonderful place to work, and they do the best they can to serve their clients and employees well. Being a part of GMEC is like being a part of a family.
Favorite part about operating a drone?
I love being able to see the fine details of the landscapes and projects we fly over.
Any additional information you’d like to provide?
Grouse Mountain takes care of its people and its clients. Their loving and professional culture has blessed me and my family (and even helped motivate me and my family to endure our first BRUTAL Wyoming winter).
