Sylvester obtained his drafting certification from Rolla Technical Institute (RTI), Rolla, Missouri and has completed drafting coursework from East Central College, Rolla, Missouri. He has also completed coursework in civil engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri.
Sylvester was registered as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) in Missouri in 2011 and has over 23 years of experience in the survey industry. He has worked with Archer-Elgin, (formerly Elgin Surveying & Engineering, Inc.), starting with the firm upon graduating from RTI in 1996. He is a member of the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
Sylvester started as a draftsman and a rod man on field crews when first coming to work for the firm. Over the years his role has expanded and he now oversees all boundary survey work, and has extensive experience working with ALTA/ACSM land title surveys, topographic and site surveys for engineering project and Dependent Resurveys for governmental agencies including U.S. Forest Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sylvester is responsible for overseeing all field and office work for the firm’s work for Casey’s General Stores throughout Missouri and at various sites in Kansas. Over the years, he has worked on a variety of surveying and mapping projects on airports to include obstruction surveys, “Exhibit A’s, aviation easements, aerial photocontrol, and navigation aid surveys. Sylvester has worked with Missouri University of Science and Technology on the preparation of digital terrain models and site/topographic drawings. He had the opportunity to work as a subconsultant for the US Army Corps of Engineers, providing professional surveying services to assist in the rebuilding of the hurricane protection system near the 7th Street Canal in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Sylvester was born and raised in the town of Doolittle, Missouri, a small community located just outside of Rolla. He is the eldest of two children and growing up, he was surrounded by extended family as Doolittle is home to his father’s family and Rolla is home to his mother’s family. He attended Newburg schools and graduated from the Newburg High School. While in high school, Sylvester enrolled at Rolla Technical Institute and completed two years of vocational/technical education and after graduation, completed his final year of education.
Sylvester spent the summer after graduating from high school as an intern with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in their land surveying section. When classes resumed at RTI in the fall, he took a part-time internship with the City of Rolla, working in the Public Works Department on topographic surveys for the City’s transportation system.
Sylvester and his wife Heather live in Rolla, Missouri and are blessed to have two young sons, Ryker and Kanon. They enjoy spending time with family and feel blessed to be surrounded by extended family as both Sylvester and Heather’s families live in the Doolittle/Rolla area. Sylvester is very involved in his church and plays drums in the praise team and assists with adult Christian Education classes. He is interested in theology and hopes one day to pursue additional education in this area. Sylvester and Heather enjoy vacationing on the gulf coast and hope to return to this area for future vacations.
Sylvester frames his personal and professional life with his faith and words of his Grandfather – “Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and make it so.” He applies these words to his work at Archer-Elgin and places an emphasis on listening to the firm’s clients and his co-workers.