Historically Speaking #5

In his book The Signal and the Noise[1], Nate Silver writes:

“The human brain is quite remarkable; it can store perhaps three terabytes of information… [I]f the quantity of information is increasing by 2.5 quintillion bytes per day, the amount of useful information almost certainly isn’t. Most of it is just noise, and the noise is increasing faster than the signal. There are so many hypotheses to test, so many data sets to mine – but a relatively constant amount of objective truth.

The printing press changed the way in which we made mistakes. Routine errors of transcription became less common. But when there was a mistake, it would be reproduced many times over…”

Information sharing, pointing to the signal, has always been integral to the operation of CAPPA. Methods for this sharing have ranged from formal technical presentations, to informal bench-marking, to simply swapping stories. Regardless of the method, the reason for sharing information continues to be the advancement of the facilities profession in the central states’ region.

The initial CAPPA gathering in 1953 started a decades-long precedent for gathering the region every fall to compare notes and discuss common and/or unique solutions to problems. This was similar to annual national conferences hosted by APPA. 

In 2020, the national impact of the COVID-19 virus and its variants resulted in cancellations of both CAPPA and APPA conferences. APPA’s meeting site would have been Boston, while CAPPA’s site would have been Tulsa. APPA used this ‘quiet time’ to review delivery methods. It concluded APPA would no longer offer national conferences with broad topics. Instead, they would provide strong support for general regional conferences, and provide smaller ‘boutique conferences’ to more targeted audiences (both faced to face and online).

Similarly, CAPPA’s review during this ‘quiet time’ resulted in continued commitment to a general, traditional face-to-face conference. Contract structures allowed CAPPA to [revisit] existing planning, and host a successful conference in Tulsa, OK, in 2021. This was followed by successful ‘typical’ conferences in Lincoln, NE (2022), and Allen, TX (2023). As of this writing, planning continues toward the 2024 joint CAPPA/MAPPA conference in St. Louis.

ANNUAL CONFERENCES

The common purpose of conferences across the years has been professional development for the participants. Most of this information sharing could be found under the umbrella of case studies concerning the presenter’s university. Some presenters might offer bench-marking examples, comparing operating costs per square foot among regional peers. Other presenters would review specialized, unique solutions to both common problems and/or evolving issues. Updates for building codes might be the topic of the day. Early conferences offered these opportunities mainly to the chief facilities officer (CFO), while agendas in later years broadened these offerings across the facilities organization. 

Each year, conference planners structured their agendas to offer participants timely and valuable content, focused on sharpening the skills of physical plant directs/facilities managers.

Some topics and titles were timeless. The presentation “How A Catastrophe Affects A Physical Plant Department” discussed the impact on Washburn University (Topeka) of the 1966 tornado.  But, that title would also describe the impact to University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) of the 1997 flood. Or, it could also describe changes made at Arkansas State University (Jonesboro) after a 2015 active shooter incident (no injuries were sustained in this incident).

Is it apparent which of these presentations is newer/older than the others? 

“Controlling Pigeons and Other Varmints”

“Integrated Pest Management”

“Energy Management, Retrofit, and Lighting System Maintenance”

“Facility Development And Life Cycle Software”

These were presented in, respectively:  1985, 2013, 1975, and 1993.

Some eras were reflected in agenda topics. 2013 presentations included “Elevator Sustainability” and “Sustainable Cleaning & Productivity.”

1985 saw these five titles among 12 presentations:

“Use of PC’s for Physical Plant Management Programs”

“Energy Management with the IBM PC”

“An Evaluation of PC’s and their Software”

“Computerized PM Program”

“An Evaluation of CAD Hardware and Software”

In 1986 (after attending the 1985 conference?), H. C. Lott wrote “The Changing Role of the Physical Plant Director” for newsletter #34. 

“The role of the Physical Plant Director as a manager has definitely changed over the past forty years. A review of the programs from the APPA (formerly the Association of Superintendents of Buildings and Grounds) Annual Meetings prior to 1948, revealed only a couple of presentations that would fall within the “scientific management” area. The presentations were more oriented towards the technical and operational functions of the Physical Plant. In the late 1950’s in order to meet the needs of its members, the APPA programs began to have more presentations on such subjects as work order systems, planning and scheduling, preventive maintenance, and worker productivity. In the 1970’s the advancement of the computer forced the Physical Plant Director into a new world of automated management, not only in data processing techniques, but in the economically automated operation of the Physical Plants’ utilities [emphasis added].”

Recognizing these changing information needs also moved CAPPA to consider alternate, additional forms of telling our stories.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE, aka PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Into its third decade, CAPPA had grown in numbers. It was also growing in its vision of providing educational opportunities across the region. Annual meeting minutes reflected that CAPPA was broadening its professional development effort from the chief facilities offer to all facilities staff. Newsletter articles announced opportunities outside of the annual conferences, to include specialized training targeting project managers, custodian, grounds, and HVAC technicians. 

CAPPA president Leroy Sondrol (University of North Dakota) wrote the following in his column for newsletter #58 (Apr’93):

“Our organization now has no one responsible for an education program.  We have a representative on the APPA Education Committee, which is concerned with the APPA Education Program. Educational events are occasionally held, such as the Technology ’93 Workshop in San Antonio March 4-5, under the sponsorship of Tom Atkins, John Green, and Pat Apel. These are generally due to the initiative of individuals and are not under the governance of CAPPA. The time may have come when we should have someone responsible for evaluating the need for CAPPA educational events, other than the Annual Meeting, and for coordinating the execution of those that are approved.”  

Pat Apel (Maryville University, St. Louis) was appointed in 1993 as the first CAPPA Education Committee chair. This became an elected role during the 1990’s. The name was changed to Professional Development at the 2011 conference.  

The Education/Professional Development Committee worked to nurture three parallel thoughts: deliver quality, timely presentations to annual conferences; showcase current technology for line staff; provide basic training for new supervisors. 

Each year the Education Committee coordinated with the annual conference host to assist with that fall’s agenda. This benefited the conference host by providing history and continuity across conferences, whether with topics or speakers. Since 2017, Professional Development provided the agenda and speakers for the fall conference.

CAPPA TECH

Above, Leroy Sondrol referenced the Technology ’93 Workshop, the third effort offered in San Antonio by Tom Atkins, John Green (Trinity University), and Pat Apel. With this model, Education began offering the CAPPA Technology Conference (later, Technology and Leadership Conference) as an additional mid-winter conference in San Antonio. The CAPPA Tech format of a smaller conference setting and no vendor booths offered, provided technical staff specialized presentations, similar in format to today’s “boutique” conferences. 

Pat offered this review of CAPPA Tech’95 in newsletter #69:

“Technology ’95 Another Success

Technology ’95 was a resounding success. One hundred and fifteen registered for the event and were quite enthusiastic about the seminars, campus, and Alamodome tours.

John Greene’s Trinity University was in full bloom for our visit, as evidenced by all the budding trees and plants. The view from the Skyline Room during our lunch periods was impressive and spectacular, as was John’s choice of lunch and breakfast. For those of you who missed it, we were treated to a barbecue dinner Thursday by Mike Ewald of Johnson Controls. Mike also delivered an excellent speech according to the surveys and conversations I had with attendees. The seminars were quite popular, by all accounts, and well attended by our members. Out of region attendees came from New Mexico, Delaware and other diverse areas.”

And in Pat’s newsletter #111 (2000):

“The ninth annual Technology Conference named Technology 2000 took place in San Antonio, February 11 through the 14th at the beautiful San Antonio Airport Hilton. Saturday featured a great “Computer in the Workplace” edition for those interested in facilities management computerization ideas. In fact, out of this workshop was borne the idea for next year’s edition to take place on Trinity University’s campus. It will feature how we can control a multitude of air handling and mechanical HVAC devices through the Internet by utilizing BACNET and other software. So next year we will setup a live lab on campus and invite our peers in a ground-breaking event. [emphasis added]

Monday started our classroom sessions and we had one hundred and ten registrants this year. This is down slightly from previous years and with two very good reasons. First was that the APPA Institute was held two weeks prior in San Antonio with over 600 registrants and we share some of the same registrant pool. Secondly, the ASHRAE conference was the week before in Dallas. Given these circumstances, the no registrants were in fact a very successful turnout for Technology 2000.”

Pat discussed CAPPA Tech, 2005 in newsletter #127:

“The 2005 Technology Conference was a huge success with an almost record attendance of 156 attendees… We had five University speakers this time, for another all-time high as well. For the first time all CAPPA committees were able to meet in one spot and there were 40 members present representing all the States and Canada.”

Doug Riat penned the following for newsletter #140 (2010) concerning CAPPA Tech:

“I want to say thank you to CAPPA members that were able to attend the 2010 CAPPA Technology Conference in San Antonio February 24-27, and a special thank you to the Professional Development committee members for their contributions to the conference success. I hope the information shared and the networking with peers was beneficial and contributes to your individual success as well as the success of your institution.

The one-of-a-kind CAPPA Technology Conference was started some 20 years ago by Pat Apel and has grown significantly over the years as a result of the successful educational programs offered. In 2009 the faltering economy put a bump in the road of the Tech Conference. Thus, 2010 was a year of “uncertainty”, but the conference was very well attended and the consensus opinion at the conclusion was that 2010 CAPPA Tech was a success. More importantly, the CAPPA Executive Committee voted to authorize the planning for CAPPA Tech in 2011, and as such, work for next year is already underway. [emphasis added]”

Sue-Anna Miller discussed CAPPA Tech 2015 in newsletter #154:

“The 2015 CAPPA Technology and Leadership Conference was held February 25-27 in San Antonio, Texas and was attended by 170 higher education and business partners… A new offering, Speed Networking, provided a forum for attendees to meet and greet each other and for higher education members to find business partners who are poised to help solve facilities issues back on their campuses. Seventeen completed APPA’s Academy on Campus: Track 3.

This conference is a mid-year offering unique to the CAPPA region. This year’s conference drew participants from three APPA regions and offered quality educational programming at an exceptional rate.”

This writer announced the end of CAPPA Tech in newsletter #159 (2017), with these words:

“First, I want to announce that CAPPA Technology and Leadership Conference (CAPPA Tech) will no longer be hosted by the Professional Development (PD) Committee…

The history of the CAPPA Tech Conference was about low-cost delivery of education to front line staff and supervisors at a time when options for high quality technical information were limited. This conference successfully served our region and our nearby neighbors for well over two decades. However as with all things, the business of facility management, the available educational options, and the financial pressures under which we operate have all changed. So, it was time to take a hard look at the value proposition of CAPPA Tech, and as a result of that introspection by CAPPA leadership, we are no longer going to do CAPPA Tech.

APPA 2016-17 President Chuck Scott’s leadership theme was “Creating the New Normal” during his time in office. CAPPA Professional Development is working to create a new normal for professional education and technical training by leveraging technology, expanding the value of our Business Partner relationships and using other forward-leaning means to provide low cost, high quality education to the region. We will continue to strive to serve all, from the boots on the ground to senior management, across all four of the facility management core competencies of General Administration & Management, Maintenance & Operations, Energy & Utilities, Planning, Design & Construction…”

We all know that change is inevitable, even if only by the passage of time itself. CAPPA Tech was well ahead of its time and helped to make several generations of us better facilities professionals. We can also think back and remember the many (many) barbecues we had in MacArthur Park, and think kindly of the Tech Conference.

SUPERVISOR’S TOOLKIT

As seen above, H.C. Lott noted in 1986 how the role of physical plant director was changing.  One of these changes was a need to gain access to staff training programs. Larry Nokes (Pittsburg State University) wrote about such programs in newsletter #35 (1986):

“Job-related training carries many different meanings for Physical Plant administrators. From “here’s the tools; do the job” to sophisticated computer workshops, plant personnel across the country approach their duties armed with various backgrounds and experiences. Training, for the purpose of this article, is defined as any opportunity for permanent employees to increase their knowledge and skill as it directly relates to on-the-job responsibilities.”

It was true in Larry’s time, and remains common today, that dedicated line staff would be promoted into supervisory roles. And, it remains common today for these newly-promoted supervisors to struggle early in their new role. Technical training programs are more common in facilities departments, regardless if they were developed internally or purchased from training organizations. But few facilities departments have had the resources to build supervisor training programs from the ground up. Paraphrasing Larry, guidance for some new supervisors could be described as “here’s the job, do the job.”

Cooperation across APPA led to development of a multi-day course to fill this training gap for new supervisors. This training was originally available only at APPA Institute sites.  CAPPA’s early adoption of the program began with “train the trainer” planning in 2003, in order to provide Toolkit opportunities across the region.

As one of CAPPA’s early trainers, Vicki Younger wrote “Supervisor’s Toolkit Continues to Thrive” for newsletter #128 (2005):

“I thought you might find it interesting to know how well received the APPA Supervisor’s Toolkit has been. We conducted our first training in the region in April 2004. As of August 2005, within the CAPPA region we have conducted seven sessions. There have been 191 participants. And we have six folks currently conducting the training. Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota have been looking at bringing on trainers from their areas. We anticipate offering the course at this year’s regional meeting, the technology conference, again in Kansas City and yet again at next year’s regional meeting. We find that the participants enjoy the training and return to their campuses with a fresh outlook and many resources in their “toolkits.””

The Supervisor’s Toolkit program was designed to be delivered anywhere. Many schools have invited trainers to deliver Toolkit as a stand-alone program. It also has been offered at regional meetings. For instance, in newsletter #127, Pat Apel noted about CAPPA Tech 2005:

 “This year we added the Supervisor’s Toolkit bringing in an additional 37 attendees who received certificates. We also had Continuing Education Credits offered for the first time to our members who participated…”

Whether it is referenced as Tool Box, Tool Kit, or Toolkit, this successful and highly respected training program continues today as a major gateway into CAPPA for many. It continues to be offered as a stand-alone program, and is a regular feature at fall conferences. 

In newsletter #177 (fall 2023, most recent as of this writing), Toolkit is a prominent feature. That newsletter acknowledges our First Bilingual Supervisor’s Toolkit class, May 22-25, 2023.  It was hosted by CAPPA and Texas Tech Health Science Center, at The University of Texas at El Paso, TX.

Current CAPPA Secretary Virginia Smith (University of Texas at Dallas) noted in her “MY CAPPA Story” article that:

“In the Fall of 2016, I received a call asking if I would be interested in serving as Assistant Treasurer for CAPPA. I had previously attended an APPA Supervisor’s Toolkit, which was my first educational experience through APPA/CAPPA, and I knew that serving in this role would be an opportunity to grow professionally. [emphasis added]”

During the last 8 years, Supervisor’s Toolkit has trained 8 presenters, who have introduced close to 1,500 facilities staff to a) what it can mean to be a supervisor; b) how participating in programs developed by APPA can expand their professional development; and c) how CAPPA works to make these programs available across the region.

OTHER OFFERINGS

CAPPA and APPA continue to engage to deliver cost-effective training programs in convenient locations at affordable prices. CAPPA has worked with APPA to expand the delivery of the four-track Leadership Academy (aka Academy on Campus), making it available at regional conferences, at CAPPA Tech, and individual schools. APPA’s website describes their newest program this way: 

“Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) credential is an advanced level of certification that represents a mastery of professional expertise and is a mark of superior proficiency in the core competencies for education facilities professionals.”

CAPPA encourages participation by providing scholarships/coupons to make this available to the region at affordable prices. 

CAPPA works with schools across the region to assist with other program delivery formats.  This includes Drive‐In Workshops, half-day training that offer member institutions an opportunity to connect with educational facilities professionals within their local area. 

In newsletter #127 (2005), Pat Apel also noted:

“The Education committee has been working on a lot of projects like Drive-In Workshops and aligning the annual conference and Technology Conference to host Supervisor toolkits as well as other offerings beyond what has been the norm in the past. We are working on updating the website for the Technology Conference soon to be renamed the Technology and/Supervisors workshop as we are also working on having a Toolkit-type workshop for Director’s level or aspiring director level.”

In summary, CAPPA has worked across the decades to assist regional facilities professionals to recognize there is a signal in the noise, and to share ways to amplify the signal for the betterment of each local campus.

[1]  The Signal and The Noise, Nate Silver.  Penguin Random House LLC.  2012, with new preface in Penguin Books 2020.