What has 1,000 horsepower and goes from zero to 80 in 1.1 seconds? A dragster
with Dean Privett Jr. at the wheel.
Privett likes to go fast and his surveying career in Florida and Georgia has
progressed almost as fast as he travels down drag tracks throughout the
region.
Privett attended UNF before there was an engineering program, so he took
nearly every math course offered at the time. “I discovered math is a universal
language. The extensive education in mathematics I received at UNF gave me an
insight into how to deal with particular problems relating to surveying.”
He credits Dr. Bill Caldwell with much of that insight. “He was very
interested in students and took whatever time was needed to get the light bulb
to come on.” Privett graduated in 1976 but consulted with Caldwell after
graduation on some of his first surveying projects. “There was some high power
math needed on those jobs.”
Those projects included some of the most notable landmarks in the region.
Privett is the president of Privett & Associates of Florida based in
Jacksonville and Privett-Bennett & Associates based in St. Marys, Ga. The
two firms have handled surveying work for such projects as Kings Bay Submarine
Base in St. Marys and the Hodges tract in Jacksonville.
His work within the 14,000-acre Hodges tract included not only surveying for
Kernan and Hodges boulevards but also work on Glen-Kernan Golf & Country
Club. Some of the Hodges tract was eventually donated to the state of Florida
for development of UNF. Outside the Hodges tract, Privett has been involved with
the surveying for many metro housing developments including Hampton Park,
Bartram Park and Palencia.
Working in the two states has given Privett a unique perspective. “Georgia is
about 10 years behind Florida in development. It’s been the closest thing in my
life to having a crystal ball when I worked on committees up there
(Georgia).
He also enjoys working on committees in Jacksonville, such as the Subdivision
Standards and Policy Advisory Committee. He sees Jacksonville’s development as
being “sensible” compared to other cities such as Orlando where he was involved
in the surveying of Disney World.
Privett attributes his success directly to UNF. The success also played a
role in the selection of UNF by his son, Buck, who graduated in ’06 with a
degree in civil engineering. “We felt UNF was best for him. I was very impressed
with the engineering program that has been established.”
When not surveying the landscape, Privett loves to cross the landscape in a
blur. As a drag racer he has driven in competitions in Memphis, Atlanta and West
Palm Beach. With the exception of a minor off-track fender-bender, he has driven
accident free. “I’ve been able to keep it off the wall for the last 13
years.”
Privett is proud of his hobby and his profession while maintaining a strong
curiosity in the world around him. In that respect he says he is glad UNF has
such strong academic programs in order to “develop more curiosity in our younger
generation.”
