The V.I. Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors has suspended the professional engineer licenses of Wayne D. Callwood and Francisco A. Nadal for six months, finding that the two engaged in misconduct involving the improper use of a professional seal on recorded land surveys, in violation of Virgin Islands law.
In a Decision and Order dated January 15, the Board concluded that Respondent Nadal permitted his professional engineer seal to be used by Respondent Callwood on surveys that Nadal had not reviewed, supervised, or prepared, and that Callwood used Nadal’s seal to submit and record surveys intended for official filing, despite legal and ethical requirements that he sign and seal his own work
The Board found that the respondents’ conduct violated 27 V.I.C. § 286(b) and constituted misconduct in the practice of engineering and land surveying, undermining professional standards designed to protect the public.
The matter arose from a verified complaint filed in May 2023 and was heard by the Board on April 11, 2025, with proceedings continuing through June 27, 2025. The complainant, Lawrence Best, appeared with counsel Jeffery Weiss, while Callwood and Nadal were represented by Stylish E. Willis. Board member Ryan Wisehart recused himself from voting on the case.
According to the Board’s findings, Nadal testified that he did not hold a professional surveyor’s license, had no involvement in surveying work, and had not visited the properties associated with the surveys in question. Nadal stated that his only role was allowing his engineer’s seal to be used and that he was unaware at the time that such use was illegal or that the Virgin Islands Code carried possible jail time for that conduct.
Callwood testified that the seal bearing Nadal’s registration number and name — which was incorrectly spelled — was computer-generated by a student and embedded in his “boilerplate” drawings used for all surveys. Callwood stated that “everyone does it,” a claim the Board found unsupported.
The Board concluded that Nadal was aware of the misuse of his seal, including evidence that he admitted to another Board member in 2019 that he was stamping surveys for Callwood, and that he failed to exercise professional oversight by allowing Callwood to use his seal for surveys intended for official recording.
Based on these findings, the Board ordered that:
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Both licenses be suspended immediately for six months
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Both respondents complete an eight-hour ethics course before the suspension may be lifted
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Proof of completion must be provided to the Board
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Neither respondent may use their own or another’s seal during the suspension period
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Any attempt to do so may result in revocation
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After reinstatement, both must serve a one-year probationary period
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The Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Department of Public Works, and other relevant agencies be notified of the decision
The Board further noted that nothing in its order precludes additional civil or criminal action by territorial or federal authorities
In a memorandum dated January 24, complainant Lawrence Best, a professional land surveyor with 58 years of experience, said he was relieved the Board finally took action after what he described as years of delay, but raised concerns that the sanctions did not go far enough given the seriousness of the violations
“I cannot imagine a more grievous violation of this law,” Best wrote, referencing the Virgin Islands Code provision that makes it a misdemeanor to use or present the seal of another, punishable by a fine or imprisonment.
Best stated that his complaints focused primarily on the content and accuracy of surveys produced by Callwood, including evidence that property markers were placed far from their proper locations. He said the Board declined to address those issues, stating it could not rule on accuracy without a court determination, despite his suggestion that field notes and raw data could be reviewed by a qualified surveyor.
Best also said he has repeatedly requested transcripts of the hearing and has not received them, which he believes “may be a violation of the VI Open Records Act.”
He further warned of broader implications, stating that if title insurance underwriters were to learn that the Virgin Islands Public Surveyor had been engaged in what he described as fraudulent private surveying practices for years, “real estate business would collapse.”
Best noted that he pursued the complaint at significant personal cost, relying on private counsel and bearing the financial burden himself. “Although the transcripts of the hearing have not been released, I have confidence that my memory of the hearing is accurate,” he wrote, noting that his wife attended the hearings in full and confirmed his recollections.
Under Virgin Islands law, any party aggrieved by the Board’s decision may seek judicial review within 30 days. The Board noted that its authority extends to licensure actions, while questions of criminal penalties fall under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General.
The suspensions remain in effect pending compliance with the Board’s order and any further legal proceedings.
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