A Turning Point for APPA’s Professional Development Programs

Collaborative Strategy Sessions Fuel Professional Development Growth

Our recent strategy session was a pivotal moment in advancing APPA’s commitment to standardizing and scaling our signature professional development programs. With high engagement and shared purpose in the room, we took meaningful steps toward defining how we operate, deliver, and support leadership development across the profession of educational facilities.

The team began mapping out what it means to operationalize our core offerings. From standardizing program delivery expectations to defining clear roles for deans, faculty, and committee members, we’re building systems that foster clarity, transparency, and excellence. These decisions will streamline internal processes and shape the content we share externally—ensuring that members, clients, and prospective partners receive consistent and accessible information.

One major development was the decision to expand the Professional Development Committee to include deans and associate deans, alongside our regional representatives. This move reinforces a culture of collaboration, empowering mutual decision-making and aligning the committee more closely with the needs of our broader member base.

The session was grounded in a SWOT analysis led by Lindsay Wagner, which validated much of our direction. Themes emerging from the analysis—standardization, clarity of roles, honorarium consistency, and deeper engagement—directly reflected the priorities already in motion. It was energizing to see how much alignment exists across committees and leadership.

Among the tangible outcomes were:

• Drafting a framework for faculty onboarding, including application and expectations
• Consensus around standardized honoraria for faculty across all programs
• Agreement on expectations for program delivery and regional representation involvement

Several participants remarked on how productive, transparent, and engaging the meeting was. For many, it exceeded expectations and reinforced a sense of shared purpose. Hearing that regional representatives felt seen and supported in ways they hadn’t before was especially encouraging.

We’re excited to keep this momentum going. More than operational decisions, this meeting reaffirmed our commitment to building a thoughtful, inclusive, and future-focused leadership ecosystem.