Spring 2025 CPI Supervisor Spotlight: Dean Coon of Atlas Land Surveying

The Career Path Internship (CPI) program is proud to recognize Dean Coon, owner of Atlas Land Surveying, as the standout CPI Supervisor for the Spring 2025 semester. Known for his commitment to mentoring aspiring land surveyors, Coon has made a lasting impact on students preparing for careers in this vital field.

Originally from Weiser, Idaho, Coon brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the profession to his role as a mentor. After earning dual degrees in Land Surveying (1994) and Civil Engineering (1997) from Purdue University, he began his career surveying for a geophysical company along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. In 1998, he returned to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to family, eventually settling in the Treasure Valley. Over the years, he has held positions across Washington and Idaho before founding Atlas Land Surveying in 2012 to meet the land surveying needs of the lower Treasure Valley.

During the 2024–2025 academic year, Coon mentored Clay Ready through the CPI program. Ready gained valuable real-world experience in GPS/GNSS applications, construction staking, boundary retracement, and subdivision work. Thanks to his growth and development under Coon’s supervision, Ready was hired full-time as a survey technician at Atlas Land Surveying—an excellent example of how CPI internships can lead directly to meaningful career opportunities.

“The most rewarding part of being a CPI supervisor,” Coon shared, “is helping the next generation of land surveyors move along in the profession and become comfortable and proficient in the field.”

Outside of work, Coon enjoys downhill skiing, hiking, backpacking, golfing, and boating. He also speaks passionately about the unique nature of his profession: “Surveying is a rewarding and fulfilling career that has taken me from the desolate reaches of southern California to beautiful parts of the Pacific Northwest. It requires an understanding of history, law, mathematics, and strong communication. I love the mix of office and field work—it keeps every day fresh. I feel truly blessed to be a surveyor.”

The Spring 2025 CPI Supervisor of the Semester award also included five runners-up: Denece Schwartz – ISU College of Education, Trent Yost  –  Red Cedar Wealth Advisors, Brady Cook – ISU Career Center, Susan Marion – ISU Department of Biology, and Amy Commendador – Idaho Museum of Natural History.  

Now in its thirteenth year, the CPI program at Idaho State University offers approximately 900 paid internships annually, providing students with opportunities to explore careers, gain essential experience, and prepare for success after graduation.

To learn more about the CPI program, visit isu.edu/career.