Kuker-Ranken appoints Douglas Spotted Eagle CSO/Unmanned
March 30, 2021 – Seattle, WA
Kuker-Ranken (KR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Douglas Spotted Eagle as KR’s Chief Strategy Officer/Unmanned with the mission to help first responders, AEC firms, and inspection teams fully realize the potential of their unmanned/drone systems in various operations.
One of the drone industry’s top resources and a highly experienced leader in unmanned aerial systems, Douglas joins KR by way of Sundance Media Group where he has held the role of Senior Director of Education Programming for the past 27 years. During Douglas’ years at Sundance Media Group, he has consulted with and contracted through several unmanned manufacturers with focus on specific verticals, products, and results-driven partnerships. Through his leadership and drive to bring new technologies to these verticals, he has become a well known and respected thought leader in the unmanned industry, having been a key presenter, speaker, and technical chair for organizations such as CommUAV Expo, InterDrone, National Association of Broadcasters, Government Security Exchange, WorldCon, and other events. Douglas’ background in airborne imagery began in 2004 as he set on his path to achieve a pilot’s license and a skydiving instructor/examiner rating.
In this new role at KR, Douglas will lead the strategy for products and programs in the AEC, public safety, and inspection vertical markets.
“It’s an exciting time in the world of AEC, first responder, and inspection channels for KR and for enterprise in these verticals,” says Douglas. “KR has been in the business of supplying and informing AEC for over 90 years, and their bold movement into robotic technology perfectly dovetails with the burgeoning use of unmanned in these channels. Kuker-Ranken is able to offer their clients the best solutions-focused products from providers across the industry including training, information, updates, product partnering, or solutions-focused output.”
“With Douglas’ background in risk mitigation, federal regulation, best practices and precision data in the unmanned aviation industry,” said Allen Shannon, COO, “we are confident KR is well-positioned to assist our customers in bringing this exciting new technology to the construction site, forensic scene, or inspection mission platform. Not only are we able to assist in meeting jobsite safety requirements, but also help our customers achieve a high ROI through the use of drones.”
Kuker-Ranken appoints Douglas Spotted Eagle CSO and the KR team is eager to dive into unmanned.
“KR is deeply excited to have Douglas join our leadership team as Kuker-Ranken experiences significant growth, as we build out our product lines and service offerings” said Robert Lycke Jr., President of Kuker-Ranken “With transformative product offerings, qualified staff, and appropriate partnerships, we are paving the way for the AEC, first-responders, and inspection services to experience the best in client services available within the drone industry. With Douglas’ extensive expertise and thought leadership in our specific verticals and the drone industry we can provide our clients the very best solutions for their unmanned challenges, and technical growth in these industries.”
About Kuker-Ranken/KR
For more than 90 years Kuker-Ranken has served Surveyors, Architects, General Contractors and Design Professionals in the Pacific Northwest. KR opened its doors in 1928 and now has expanded to six locations in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and St. George to better serve our customers. KR manufactures and sells products into the GIS and AEC industry. We continually train our personnel and we pride ourselves in quality products and customer service. Kuker-Ranken is the Authorized Leica Geosystems dealer for Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Northern California. We carry a full line of Leica Surveying and Construction equipment including the BLK360 Scanners, Laser Disto’s, Total Stations and Viva GNSS in addition to DJI, Autel, and other drone/unmanned products and accessories.
