This past fall I again enjoyed the opportunity to network with a vast number of members while attending the regional meetings. The quality of the educational programs--both general sessions and break outs--was exceptional, focusing on both leadership and technical skills areas. The networking experience proved valuable in further developing long-term collaborative relationships with colleagues and business partners. There was more time spent this past year utilizing speakers external to the facilities profession. In other words, APPA members are actively focusing on increasing their understanding and awareness of other subject matter areas beyond facilities management (such as diversity, continuous quality improvement, human resource management, media relations, etc.). Certainly, all are essential to the success of the facility professional.

I chose to highlight the content and experiential benefits of the regional meetings more fully to make the following point: These activities reinforce the need for our strategic plan to be on target. (For the full text of our present strategic plan, you can also visit APPA s website, www.appa.org/about/).

More specifically, our educational programs are helping to develop our professional competency. Our networking experience is fostering stronger, mutually beneficial collaborative relationships. Our focus on increasing our awareness about broader areas of responsibility help us improve our own credibility in the larger community. Therefore, the three desired outcomes of our educational programs are: 1) competency, 2) collaborative relationships, and 3) credibility. These are important because they make the strategic plan become a real, feasible, and achievable tool for change and future progress.

Now, from a member s vantage point, I reviewed the feedback from the Member Opinion Survey of last year to determine if the members expectations were in alignment with the revitalized strategic plan s direction and focus. Let me reiterate what the members said by quoting from my June report to the APPA Board and membership:

You made it clear that your overarching expectation of APPA is to increase the awareness, visibility, and credibility of the facilities profession with senior institutional officers and across the industry as a whole. To do this, you stated we must:

1. deliver high-quality information and education concerning the present and future of the profession;
2. provide access to knowledge that stems from quality research grounded in comprehensive data collection and information derived from effective practices in the industry;
3. establish legislative ties with the federal government and its regulatory agencies;
4. stay abreast and informed of the newest, emerging technologies; and
5. continuously improve communication to and between members.

Therefore, from my perspective, we have a wonderful opportunity to positively connect what we plan to do as stated in the strategic plan with the members needs and expectations.

One additional point within the strategic plan concerns a "tag line." (A tag line is a marketing tool organizations use to "brand" itself; that is, connect itself with its focus audience and define itself within the larger community.) It is interesting to point out that although we reaffirmed our original vision "to become a global partner in learning," this concept can be strengthened further by adding a simple tag line--APPA: Becoming a Global Partner in Learning--Building Your Children's Future.

"Building Your Children s Future" reinforces APPA s importance and purpose to the general public and the higher education community we serve in simple, easily understood terms.

I hope the above background and context serves to reinforce and reconnect our efforts in the revitalization and reaffirmation of the strategic plan with past and present activities. It will be an important guidepost for all of us during the next few years.

All that being said, what are we actually engaged in at the present time or have accomplished during the past several months. I have attempted to capture these activities under the new strategic plan s framework of desired outcomes.

Competency:

• Two of the three components of the Professional Leadership Center (PLC)--the educational academy and the research program--have been finalized with information on the web and printed brochures being distributed.
• On the utilities deregulation front, five new RR-USA (Resource Reallocation--Utilities Strategic Assessment) state-based Executive Briefings have been slated for delivery with endorsement from NACUBO and EPRI and funding by the DOE/RBA, EPA, and TREMCO.
• The Institute for Facilities Management redesign is still a monumental success as demonstrated by the burgeoning enrollments.
• The CCAS (Comparative Costs and Staffing report) will be ready for use and order fulfillment by March.
• The APPA website is being updated and refreshed on a regular, timely basis, thereby meeting our members needs and expectations more than ever before. This has been demonstrated by heavy APPAinfo listserv traffic; a new Listnotes column in Facilities Manager magazine; and job descriptions added to the Job Express section online.

Collaborative Relationships:

• Both our Grounds and Trades Guidelines Task Forces are working tirelessly and expect to have their publications complete this coming fall 2000 and next winter 2001, respectively.
• Our relationships with CSI and correspondingly with the CMD Group (two of our strategic alliance partners) are flourishing. The beta test of their latest design/build construction software "Perspective" is at several higher education institutions. Plus, we are collaborating with CSI and the National System Contractors Association (and others such as McGraw-Hill, the National Glass Association, and possibly IFMA) on a conference addressing Emergent Building Technologies scheduled for delivery in February 2001.
• We will co-facilitate a day-long pre-conference workshop at the ACUHO-I Conference this July 2000 in Pittsburgh entitled Building an Effective Relationship between the Housing and Facility Professional.
• We have completed the migration to a new membership database and have printed the 2000 membership directory.
• We will offer Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) complimentary, trial membership for both APPA and all the regions this spring during the dues billing cycle. Credibility:
• The Strategic Assessment Model (SAM) Task Force is ready to deliver its survey and prepare a toolkit for publication this year.
• We are continuing to work with NACUBO on a number of projects: co-location of our annual meetings in both 2003 (Opryland) and 2006 (Hawaii); a full, joint revision of the publication Managing the Facilities Portfolio; a seminar revisiting the old Institute for Facilities Finance; and, co-sponsorship of our Professional Leadership Center academies.
• The RR-USA briefings and case studies book will be another way to improve our standing in the higher education community as we take a leadership role in managing the response to utilities deregulation.
• We are continuing to work with the Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA) on a number of projects such as the Effective Practices/ Benchmarking website and a companion executive level publication, and participation in a conference for corporate business partners called the "Campus/Corporate Partnership" to be held in conjunction with the CHEMA meeting in early June in Baltimore, Maryland.

And, all of this is being accomplished within the parameters of the budget. Indeed, our financial situation is more stable than ever before even against the backdrop of leveling revenues and rising costs across many categories of expense in an association budget (publication and advertising sales; membership renewal and recruitment; inordinate increases in airfare, lodging, and business meals; and, audiovisual and office technology enhancements).

Yet, we are still planning to achieve not only our targeted 3 percent of the total budget toward reserves, but a net surplus beyond that amount as well. As always, your support is appreciated and your active involvement and participation in the fabric of APPA is encouraged and welcomed.