Lander Medlin is APPA's executive vice president. She can be reached at lander@appa.org..

In this issue there is an article written by James O. Roberts, APPA's vice president for educational programs, in which he states, "In facilities management, dealing with change is a daily occurrence. In the past 20 years, our profession has moved from one of managers, training, and paper, to leadership, education, and technology."

Additionally, we have moved from buildings codified as expenses to strategic institutional assets (with a replacement value that appreciably exceeds most institutions' endow- ment)-resources that require strong management and leadership skills, by all members of the facilities staff. John Gardner, a leading author on leadership and a former university president and statesman, wrote: "The pace of change is swift. Institutions that have lost their capacity to adapt pay a heavy price. Continuous renewal is necessary."

In essence, institutions consist of two major components: "people" and "things." For the facilities professional, the buildings we seek to construct and maintain represent some of those important "things." Much has been written about our efforts to preserve the built environment and the need for continuous renewal.

But what about the importance of the "people"? Are we intentionally doing enough to maintain and improve the skills of the people at our institutions? For it is the people that are facing this rapidly and dramatically changing environment. Therefore, we must provide them with up-to-date training and professional development.

In order to provide the appropriate training and development for facilities professionals, we must first under- stand the challenges that are impacting and changing our industry. Below are just some of the changes facing education and the facilities profession.

• Technological Revolution-Information technology and the Internet are challenging the traditions of the education community and reshaping the way we learn, communicate, and do business.
• Public Accountability-The public perception of the way we do business, the cost of doing business, and the outcomes we produce are measured, skeptical, and wary at best.
• Globalization-The growing diversity and shifting demographics at our institutions and within our workforce bring new issues that will require different approaches.
• Regulations-Governmental and environmental rules and regulations are strangling us both financially and operationally and our ability to consider, maybe even embrace, them will be required.
• Education as a Business-Competition and a business-driven model are fast characterizing our educational enterprise.
• Changes in Leadership-People at all levels are becoming decision-makers and must develop a broader understanding of the institution.

These changes, and the challenges or opportunities they present, are daunting. Therefore, we must become more flexible and incorporate new ways of thinking about the educational enterprise. It is no longer just about managing the built environment, it's about understanding and translating stakeholders' needs into the right built environment.

This type of adaptation does not come naturally to any of us. We all need training that will teach us how to make the necessary changes and ultimately become more effective in the delivery of our business and services.

Do you consider your professional development (and that of your staff) an expense or an investment? In these times of economic adversity, it may appear necessary to reduce your professional development commitment. However, I encourage you to continue to make the investment. Consider the following:

• Your staff represents the largest single fixed resource in your operating budget.
• Your staff makes the physical delivery of education and learning happen daily.
• Your staff touches the lives of every stakeholder on the campus in one way or another.
• Your staff must know how to use and improve upon today's technologies and create streamlined processes.
• Successful business and process changes arise chiefly through the management and leadership of and by people.

As rapidly as the world and the institution are changing, so to are the training and development needs of your staff. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider the cost associated with professional development as a long-term investment rather than a one-time, short-term expense.

Hence, when you choose educational programs, publications, and information, you are looking for real value. APPA's reservoir of educational programs and publications continue to provide the best value for the educational facilities professional. In addition, APPA's delivery system continues to be modified and adapted to meet your individual and institutional changing needs. For example:

• The Institute for Facilities Management is offered twice a year (January and September) and provides education across the four core competencies of facilities management: General Administration & Finance; Operations & Maintenance; Energy & Utilities; and Planning, Design & Construction. The educational sessions are carefully designed, delivered, and organized to ensure that both maximum learning occurs and people connections are made, enhancing access to the rich network of colleagues and other professionals across the industry.
• The Leadership Academy is a three-track system (consisting of Individual Effectiveness Skills, Organizational Leadership Skills, and Professional Development Leadership Skills) offered each June. The Academy develops the essential leadership skills that every individual must have in order to effectively deliver facilities services in an ever-changing environment.
• The Individual Effectiveness Skills-on-Campus program noted above, along with the other two tracks of the Leadership Academy's curriculum, can now be delivered at your institution, thereby cost effectively canvassing a larger number of your staff at the same time.
• The Educational Facilities Leadership Forum replaces the Annual Meeting and Educational Conference in form, function, and focus. The Forum, offered every July beginning in 2002, will emphasize skills, ideas, and insights you can take home with you and put into practice. The Forum will feature interactive discussion panels, target experts in a variety of topical areas, different perspectives on common industry concerns, stimulating open discussion on relevant issues in educational facilities management, and provide a marketplace of products and ideas.
• APPA's Facilities Manager magazine (the cornerstone of your membership services) and the publications program are invaluable print and electronic resources on the critical issues that you have said are relevant and pertinent to the effective,
• daily delivery of your job responsibilities.

The importance and necessity of training and professional development could not have been captured more aptly than by Dr. Janet Lapp, who, this past July in Montreal, said, "The only thing more tragic than losing a staff member you have trained is never training that staff member at all." Make sure your long-term organization and institution investments include training and development for your staff, and yourself.