In autumn, we at EFTAS celebrated the anniversaries of Sebastian Blecke and Nico Schültingkemper and raised a glass to two sets of ten years of GeoIT expertise!
Sebastian studied geography for his diploma and joined us at EFTAS after his first jobs in the fields of traffic flow analysis and agricultural administration. He initially started on a seasonal basis, carrying out checks on agricultural subsidies, and has been a permanent member of our team in this area since 2015. For many years, Sebastian also supported the Landesamt für Landwirtschaft und nachhaltige Landentwicklung (LLNL) in Kiel during the winter months as an ‘EFTAS external office’, entering reference plots into the agricultural land register there. “It wasn’t always easy to balance winter days by the Baltic Sea with life in Münster,” recalls Sebastian. “But the sweeping view from my window across the Kiel Fjord and the good rapport with the local team did make that time rather special.” Sebastian is now back working here in Münster on our agriculture and land-use projects, faithfully accompanied by ‘Eini’, his office unicorn.
Nico is also a qualified geographer and received a valuable tip from a friend ahead of his job interview with us: “That’s why I was able to answer straight away when asked what could be seen in the aerial photograph I was shown!” Nico recalls with a laugh. As you can see, this is how specialist knowledge and good networking go hand in hand! Nico started out digitising agricultural parcels in Schleswig-Holstein, followed later by further work in agricultural inspections, as well as jobs with other employers. For the LUCAS field surveys, he travelled around Minden and the Harz Mountains, sometimes even staying in a tent. Nico has been a permanent member of the EFTAS team since 2015. Today, he leads teams for agricultural subsidy inspections and delivers training courses. And whenever a World Cup or European Championship is coming up, Nico, with his passion for football, organises the EFTAS betting game!
It’s great to have you both on the team. Thank you for your ideas and your dedication! We look forward to many more years with you!
