There’s a moment in every surveying project where the complexity of the real world has to become something clean, precise, and usable. For Darryl Strickler, RPLS, that transformation is more than a job requirement — it’s what drew him to land surveying in the first place.
“Looking at the world and thinking about it in a more digestible way — that’s exactly what I do in survey. I observe a complicated reality and find a way to make it simple, accurate, and actionable.” said Darryl.
It’s a philosophy rooted in his academic foundation. Darryl’s background in Physics and Mathematics gave him a natural aptitude for spatial thinking and precise modeling, a framework for critical thinking that shows up in every project he delivers.
Built from the ground up
Darryl entered the surveying field in 2012 as a Party Chief; a boots-on-the-ground role that put him right at the heart of fieldwork from day one. Over the years, he moved through roles as Field Operations Manager, Survey Technician, and Drafter, accumulating a skill set that spans the full spectrum of survey operations.
Today, as Senior Survey Specialist in our Houston office, Darryl brings that complete picture to every engagement. He understands how decisions made in the field affect the office, and vice versa — a perspective that is rare, and invaluable.
We keep it all internal
When every stage of a project — research, fieldwork, data processing, drafting, and quality review — flows through one connected team, something important happens; nothing falls through the cracks. Decisions made in the field carry directly into the office, questions get answered in real time, and the final deliverable reflects a single chain of accountability from start to finish.
That continuity isn’t accidental, it is a deliberate choice, and one that sets Colliers Engineering & Design apart. While many firms outsource portions of the process, the firm maintains full responsible charge across every phase. For Darryl, it comes down to something straightforward: “We keep it all internal because we are ethically bound to maintain responsible charge across the entire process. And that is important to me, because my name is on it.”
As a RPLS in the state of Texas, that accountability is both a professional and ethical commitment to clients, to the public, and to the team that carries the work forward.
Always mentoring, always learning
Great surveyors aren’t just built in the field or in the classroom, they’re shaped by the people standing next to them. Darryl has always understood that, and it’s driven both how he grew in this profession and how he leads within it today.
He’s a firm believer that the knowledge passed down through mentorship is just as critical as the technical training, and that it carries a responsibility to pay forward.
That philosophy is reflected in Darryl’s own story. One of his earliest mentors was Corey Campbell, our Texas Geographic Discipline Leader, and in a full-circle moment that speaks to the strength of this team, Darryl is now working alongside Corey for the third time in his career.