Media and Press
Stories, sources and partnerships from the people who run educational facilities
The people behind every campus have stories worth telling.
APPA connects journalists, editors and media partners with the professionals who run the buildings, grounds and systems of colleges, universities and K-12 schools. Find our latest news, coverage, expert sources and partnership opportunities here.
Media contact: marketing@appa.org
About APPA
Boilerplate (copy and paste for media use)
APPA, Leadership in Educational Facilities, is the premier association for educational facilities professionals. Founded in 1914, APPA brings together more than 12,000 people who run the campuses of colleges, universities and K-12 schools, along with the business partners who serve them. APPA advances the profession through professional development, the Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) credential, the Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) benchmarking program, Facilities Manager magazine and a network of regional chapters. Learn more at appa.org.
Fast facts
1914
Founded
12,000+
Educational facilities professionals
11,000+
InsideAPPA newsletter readers
Higher ed and K-12
Institutions we serve
Press releases
APPA in the News
Reporters and editors across the education and facilities press turn to APPA and our members for insight.
- July 28, 2026Facilities DiveBad data shouldn't stop building system transformation, project leaders say
- July 21, 2026Facilities DiveDemand response can generate big sums, and penalties, energy specialist says
- July 20, 2026Facilities DiveThe 'slog' of lifecycle costing is worth the construction savings, facility manager says
- Mar 23, 2026University BusinessHow smart buildings improve safety and lift up staff (byline by Dave Ulmer, APPA COO)
- Mar 15, 2026Smart Buildings MagazineThe cost of culture (byline by Lindsay Wagner, PhD, APPA)
- Feb 12, 2026FacilitiesNetWhy Winter Storm Risk Doesn't End When the Snow Stops
- Jan 30, 2026Campus SafetyHow College Campuses Can Implement AI Into Their Facilities Management Strategies
- Jan 6, 2026Facilities Management AdvisorBridging the Facilities Management Talent Gap with AI (byline by Lalit Agarwal)
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- Dec 26, 2025Engineered Systems NewsSmall Moves, Big Impact: Strategic Facility Upgrades That Strengthen K-12 Learning Environments
- Nov 4, 2025Southern Maryland ChronicleSt. Mary's College of Maryland Finance Leader Wins Pacesetter Honor
- Sept 27, 2025School Construction News2025 Higher Education issue, including "Small Changes, Big Impact"
- Sept 18, 2025EdTech MagazineEnergy as a Service Offers Key Advantages for Higher Education (quotes Lalit Agarwal)
- Sept 17, 2025Campus SafetyAI in Campus Facilities Management: Benefits for Safety, Sustainability, and Operations
- Sept 4, 2025Engineered Systems NewsCreating a Community of Trust: Why Campus Safety Begins with Facility Upgrades
Podcasts and video
Announcements
The latest news from APPA. Read more on the APPA blog.
- Sept 30, 2026That's a Wrap on APPAU St. Louis
- Aug 12, 2026Women in Facilities Affinity Group Chartered, Jean Robinson to Chair
- Aug 12, 2026What's New at APPA: A 2026 Member Update
- Aug 12, 2026From the Mainstage to Your Campus: Custodial Guidelines Training Is Here
- July 8, 2026AI Is Already Sitting in Your Facilities. Here's How to Put It to Work.
- June 22, 2026The State of Facilities on Campus: FPI 2025 Findings Are Here
- June 4, 2026Celebrating Excellence: APPA's 2026 Award Recipients
- May 14, 2026Board Election Winners
- Apr 27, 2026Global Dialogue, Shared Pressures: Reflections from AUDE 2026
- Feb 11, 2026APPAU Phoenix Delivers an Impactful Week of Learning and Connection
Member spotlights
Meet the people who keep campuses running. Every one of these leaders has a story, and we're glad to connect reporters with members like them.
- Member Spotlight: Erik Cagle
- For Gabe Hampton, APPA Is Where Facilities Leaders Grow Together
- Member Spotlight: Mia Love
- What Do a Facilities Director, Safety Director, and Fire Chief Have in Common?
- Turning Adversity into Innovation
- Putting Down Roots
- From the Air Force to Higher Ed
Story ideas and expert sources
Working on a story about campuses or schools? Our leaders and members can help. Here are the topics we know best.
Story ideas
The facilities workforce gap
An aging workforce, retiring expertise and how campuses are building the next generation
AI in facilities, without the hype
What is actually working on campuses today
Deferred maintenance and capital renewal
The backlog in higher ed and K-12, and how leaders decide what to fix first
Data-driven operations
Benchmarking, building data and smarter decisions
Campus safety and emergency readiness
Facilities as the first line of defense
Energy and resilience
Demand response, lifecycle costing and weather risk
K-12 and community colleges
The facilities stories behind every school
Women in facilities
APPA's new affinity group and the leaders behind it
Facilities as a financial strategy lever
How smarter asset management, space utilization, predictive maintenance and energy strategy support institutional solvency amid enrollment shifts and cost pressures
Strategic infrastructure for the new trades economy
Skills-based and vocational education can't happen without the right physical and operational infrastructure, and facilities leaders belong at the table
Redesigning schools for AI
It doesn't just mean building "cool" classrooms. It has huge implications for energy, systems, maintenance and long-term operations
Facilities as the backbone of institutional resilience
Even as governance changes, the need for high-performing, efficient, resilient campuses doesn't go away
Expert sources
Photo
Expert
Can speak to
Lalit Agarwal, CEFP, President and CEO
AI and smart operations are not a luxury. They're essential for modern institutions.
Workforce and human skills, AI in facilities, Collective Success between campuses and business partners, the future of buildings
Dave Ulmer, Chief Operating Officer
Operational efficiency and cost optimization support enrollment stability, not just cut costs.
Smart buildings, campus safety, association operations
Gabe Hampton, APPA Board Chair
Executive Director, Facilities and Operations, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Facilities aren't just buildings. They are campuses' competitive edge.
Bobby Aldrich, APPA Board Chair-Elect
Director of Operations and Campus Planning, Hackley School
Facilities leadership is a gateway to student opportunity: careers, learning, innovation.
Lindsay Wagner, PhD, VP of Strategic Programs
APPA Advisors, the Facilities Management Evaluation Program (FMEP) and Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI).
Organizational culture and the cost of operating educational facilities
APPA members and Facilities Manager authors
Campus case studies on data, safety, renovation and AI. We match reporters with members by topic and region.
Featured leader: Lalit Agarwal
Lalit Agarwal, CEFP, is the President and CEO of APPA, the community where the people who run educational facilities come together to learn from one another. A self-described recovering developer, he spent more than two decades building, operating and maintaining the systems that keep a major university running, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, before leading a product team at EnergyCAP. He became APPA's President and CEO in August 2024. His mission is to magnify the story of the people who do this work, which mostly stays below the ground, behind the walls or above the ceiling. Full bio
Media contact
Audrey Sorensen, Marketing and Communications Manager
We respond to media inquiries within one business day. Happy to connect on a call or over email: book a time on my calendar, or just send an email.
Lindsay Wagner, PhD
VP of Strategic Programs, Publications
Data and research
APPA's Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) is a long-running benchmarking resource for educational facilities, covering costs, staffing, space and maintenance. Reporters can request data for a story. The 2025 to 2026 FPI survey opens in late fall 2026.
Events for press
Cover APPA events in person. Meet the speakers and members from campuses across North America.
APPA 2027 Annual Conference
July 12 to 15, 2027 (main conference days July 14 and 15)
The Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah
Media access: Planning to cover an APPA event? We'll work with you to get you media access.
Request Media AccessMedia partnerships
Let's grow our audiences together.
APPA partners with publications, podcasts and events that serve campus and school leaders. We offer visibility with 12,000+ educational facilities professionals. In return, we look for editorial collaboration and cross-promotion. Most partnerships are no-cost trades.
What APPA can offer
- A feature in the InsideAPPA newsletter (11,000+ readers)
- Posts on APPA social channels
- Visibility in Facilities Manager magazine
- Visibility at APPA events
What we look for
- Contributed articles and bylines from APPA leaders
- Coverage of APPA events, research and members
- Event listings and promotion with your audience
- Podcast and video guest spots
Example: In 2025, Campus Safety magazine published a contributed article from APPA's CEO and featured APPA on its social channels and in its newsletter. In return, APPA promoted Campus Safety's conference to our members.
Press kit and publications
Press kit
- APPA Brand Toolkit: logos, usage guidelines and presentation materials
- Lalit Agarwal bio and headshot
- APPA leadership and Board
- APPA fact sheet
- Questions about logo use: marketing@appa.org
Our publications
- Facilities Manager magazine: APPA's flagship magazine, published quarterly
- Fall 2026 issue
- APPA blog
- Pitch a story to Facilities Manager: publications@appa.org