I. Purpose

This Association Award Policy establishes the framework for APPA's awards and recognition program. The purposes of this policy are to:

• Recognize excellence and innovation in educational facilities management
• Honor individuals who have made significant contributions to APPA and the profession
• Celebrate institutional achievements in facilities management
• Encourage active participation in APPA's professional development programs and community
• Advance the educational facilities profession through recognition of best practices
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth

This policy supports APPA's strategic mission by identifying and celebrating exemplary contributions that advance educational facilities excellence. Awards serve both to honor past achievements and to inspire future leadership and innovation.

The Awards & Recognition Committee shall develop and maintain detailed award criteria, nomination procedures, and selection processes in accordance with this policy and the committee's charter. The process shall ensure fairness, equity and consistency.

II. Awards Program Philosophy

APPA's awards program operates on the following core principles:

Merit-Based Recognition. Awards are granted on an "as merited" basis. APPA does not guarantee a minimum number of recipients for any award in a given year. This approach maintains the prestige and integrity of APPA awards by ensuring recognition standards remain high.

Sustained Engagement. APPA awards prioritize sustained engagement with the Association and the profession over isolated achievements. Many awards require multi-year membership and active participation in APPA programs, reflecting the Association's commitment to recognizing those who contribute consistently over time.

Comprehensive Excellence. The highest awards recognize multidimensional contributions across leadership, innovation, service, and professional development, rather than achievement in a single area.

Institutional Connection. Award recipients must maintain current APPA membership and good standing, ensuring awards recognize active participants in APPA's professional community.

III. Awards Program Structure

APPA recognizes excellence through two categories of awards: Individual Awards honoring personal contributions to the profession and the Association, and Institutional Awards celebrating organizational achievement in facilities management.

A. Individual Awards

B. Institutional Awards

IV. Eligibility Requirements

A. General Requirements

All award recipients must meet the following requirements:

Membership in Good Standing

• Nominees must be current APPA members at the time of nomination
• Nominees must remain members in good standing through the date of award presentation
• For institutional awards, the institution must maintain membership in good standing

Institutional Connection

• Individual award recipients must be employed by or affiliated with APPA member institutions
• Years-of-service requirements are calculated based on employment at member institutions

B. Individual Award Requirements

1. APPA Fellow

Eligibility

• Minimum of ten consecutive years of employment as an employee (including Emeritus) of an APPA member institution in good standing
• Two recommendation letters substantively supporting the candidate's qualifications
• Demonstrated significant contributions across all four dimensions below, with particular emphasis on innovation and advancement of the body of knowledge

Required Dimensions

Leadership: Progressive advancement in the field of educational facilities management

• Demonstrated career advancement in positions of leadership (supported by recommendation letter documenting leadership growth over period of years)
• Achievement of senior facilities officer position or similar institutional leadership position
• Position as academic faculty member of an accredited educational institution

Innovation: Advancement of the body of knowledge of educational facilities management practice

• Research into techniques and strategies (such as through Center for Facilities Research)
• Significant innovations advancing management practice through field publications and/or applications, presentations, or teaching
• Broad industry recognition of important advances in the profession
• APPA Body of Knowledge (BOK) chapter author
• Contribution to APPA publications (such as Operational Guidelines) or other related association journals

Service: Active or engaged participation in APPA

• Regional, chapter, and/or international association activities (officer, board member, committee/team member or chair, task force member, meeting host responsibilities)
• APPA Institute, Leadership Academy, or Supervisor's Toolkit instructor/facilitator
• Body of Knowledge (BOK) section coordinator or editor
• Recipient of APPA Meritorious Service Award, Rex Dillow Award, Pacesetter Award, or other relevant association awards
• Presentations at chapter, regional, or international APPA conferences, APPA webinars, or related associations
• Participation in peer evaluations/reviews (such as FMEP and APPA Advisors)
• Service in other associations whose principal purpose is betterment of educational facilities management at educational institutions (SCUP, NACUBO, etc.)
• Other relevant APPA or related association service

Lifelong Development: Record of continual personal and professional development in educational facilities management

• Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP)
• Graduation from APPA Institute and/or APPA Leadership Academy
• Attendance at regional and international APPA conferences, APPA webinars, and other educational facilities management professional development programs over span of APPA membership
• Other relevant educational facilities management professional development activities
• Service in other associations whose principal purpose is betterment of facilities management at educational institutions (SCUP, NACUBO, etc.)

Nature of Designation. APPA Fellow is a designation, not simply an award. While most APPA awards recognize past achievements, the APPA Fellow designation brings both recognition for specific accomplishments to date and expectations for continued involvement in APPA leadership through service, research, coaching, and mentoring.

Approval Process. The Awards & Recognition Committee shall establish and maintain the review and approval process for APPA Fellow designation.

2. Meritorious Service Award

Eligibility

• Open to any APPA Individual Institutional member in good standing
• Minimum of ten consecutive years of employment at an APPA member institution in good standing
• Active participation in meetings and other functions at the international level
• Service at the international APPA level (Board member, committee/group member, dean/trainer/facilitator within professional development)
• Note: Current APPA Board members are not eligible
• Service at the regional or chapter level (board, committee, meeting host) and/or service to an associated professional organization whose primary purpose is the betterment of facilities management operations at colleges and universities

Award Frequency

• Maximum of three individuals may receive this award annually
• Past recipients may be nominated again after ten years of service following their first Meritorious Service Award

3. Pacesetter Award

Eligibility

• Open to any APPA Individual Institutional member in good standing
• Minimum of three years of active APPA membership
• Minimum of three years of active membership in respective chapter/region
• Active participation/contributions/accomplishments in regional/chapter meetings and/or other functions of APPA, including but not limited to:
  • Leadership in the region (service on a board, hosting a meeting/conference)
  • Leadership in the chapter (service on a board, hosting a meeting/conference)
  • Leadership on a host committee (host committee chair position)
  • Leadership in professional development (organized or hosted local/regional/international APPA events, prepared chapter/regional/international APPA educational sessions)
  • Leadership in advancing the organization (assisted with promotion/marketing activities or coordinated membership drives)
  • Authored articles in regional/chapter/national newsletters, Body of Knowledge (BOK), authored a book
  • Served as regional liaison to APPA
  • Participated in code advocacy-related activities or served on APPA Standards & Codes Council
  • Liaison to APPA Board, Work Group, or Task Force
  • Other voluntary contributions of time, effort, resources, and leadership abilities to promote and enhance APPA and the educational facilities management profession

Award Frequency

• Up to seven individuals may receive this award annually
• Past recipients cannot be nominated again

4. Rex Dillow Award for Outstanding Article

Eligibility

• All articles published in Facilities Manager magazine during the calendar year are automatically eligible
• Articles must be written by full-time employees from any department of an APPA member institution
• APPA Members Emeritus who are not affiliated with a business partner firm are eligible
• When multiple authors collaborate, all must be full-time employees of an APPA member institution or Members Emeritus
• Member institutions must be Institutional members at the time of publication

Selection Process

• Articles are reviewed by designated representatives from each APPA region
• One award is presented annually for the outstanding article of the year

Selection Criteria. Articles are evaluated across five categories, with each category given equal weight:

• Content: The degree to which the article adds to the body of knowledge of the facilities profession through new information, a new perspective on existing information or techniques, or case studies
• Interest: The degree to which the article addresses current topics or stimulates interest through its methods of expression
• Readability: The degree to which the article conforms to the style and format of the magazine, uses easily understood words and phrases, and provides a logical structure
• Applicability: The appeal and value of the article's content to a broad range of educational facilities and other institutions
• Ease of Editing: The time and effort required by the magazine editor to prepare the submitted article for publication

C. Institutional Award Requirements

1. Award for Excellence in Facilities Management (AFE)

Eligibility

• Open to any APPA Institutional Member in good standing
• Institution must submit detailed self-evaluation addressing all seven excellence criteria
• Multi-campus systems may submit applications for system-wide operations or individual campuses

Excellence Criteria. Institutions are evaluated across seven criteria:

1. Leadership
2. Strategic and operational planning
3. Customer focus
4. Information and analysis
5. Human resources development and management
6. Process management
7. Performance results

Recognition Structure

• Institutions may apply for overall excellence recognition
• Institutions may apply for excellence in specific categories
• Institutions may apply for combinations of categories

Designation Period

• AFE designation remains valid for five years
• Institutions may display the recognition during the five-year period
• Institutions must reapply for continued recognition after five years

2. Effective and Innovative Practices Award

Eligibility

• Open to any APPA Institutional Member in good standing
• Multi-campus or state systems may submit applications for system-wide or individual operations
• Entries must describe either a new program or a significant restructuring of an existing program or process

Evaluation Criteria. Entries are judged on a point system based on the following criteria:

• Institutional Benefit: how the initiative directly benefits the institution and its constituents; extent of the benefit and documented results and outcomes; results must be factual and supported by data
• Innovativeness, Creativity, and Originality: level of innovation and creativity involved with the initiative; how the initiative is unique and original and what differentiates it from similar efforts; documentation of efforts to benchmark and determine originality of the concept
• Portability and Resiliency: initiative must be portable to other institutions without drastic alterations or costs; should be easy to implement without extensive customization
• Management Commitment and Employee Involvement: level of management commitment and alignment with institutional goals; involvement of stakeholder groups and participation of employees at all levels of the organization
• Documentation, Analysis, Customer Input, and Benchmarking: use of information analysis to evaluate performance and drive future improvements; types of tools used (peer comparative data such as benchmarking) and how tools enhance success; documentation should be factual, clear, logical, and well-developed; analysis must be clear and well-documented; customer and stakeholder involvement described for each step of development and implementation; benchmarks should establish experiences for others and help define originality of the practice

3. Sustainability Innovation Award

Eligibility

• Open to any APPA Institutional Member in good standing
• Multi-campus or state systems may submit applications for system-wide or individual merit
• Entries must describe either one new program or a significant restructuring of an existing program or process
• Programs must demonstrate significant or transformative practices that support student success and environmental stewardship

Evaluation Criteria. Entries are judged on a point system based on the following criteria:

1. Innovativeness, Creativity, and Originality — level of innovation described in detail; level of creativity described in detail; initiative is unique and original; benchmarking against other initiatives is well documented
2. Sustainability — Economic Benefit: benefit is clearly defined/described; economic analysis/documentation is provided/described. Environmental Benefit: environmental benefits are clearly described/defined; importance of attaining the benefits to the institution is detailed. Societal Benefit: effort/program's ability to serve as an educational platform actively or passively; influence on culture change; benefit to economies; opportunity provided; enhancement of social equity; improvement of conditions for underserved populations
3. Adaptability and Transferability — initiative is adaptable/transferable to other institutions; alterations and costs to apply at another institution are low; ease of implementation without customization; institution has made the initiative available to other institutions
4. Institutional and Community Benefit — initiative provides direct benefit to the institution; initiative provides direct benefit to the institution's constituents; extent of the benefit to the institution is clear; results and outcomes are clearly described and documented; results are factual and supported by data; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion illustrated and demonstrated
5. Management Commitment and Employee/Student Involvement — institutional management commitment to the initiative is evident and documented; initiative is aligned with institutional goals; stakeholder involvement is described and documented; employee involvement and participation is evident at all levels of the organization; post-initiative feedback is provided and documented
6. Documentation and Analysis — information analysis is used to evaluate performance; information analysis is used to drive future performance improvements; types of analysis tools used are described and demonstrated; narrative describes how tools are used to enhance the success of the initiative; documentation is factual, clear, logical, and well developed

V. Nomination and Selection Process

A. General Nomination Procedures

Nomination Submission. Nominations for APPA awards shall be submitted through the Association's online nomination system. The Awards & Recognition Committee shall establish and publish:

• Annual nomination deadlines
• Required nomination materials and documentation
• Submission procedures and technical requirements
• Timeline for the complete awards cycle

Late Submissions. Nominations received after the published deadline will be held for consideration in the following year's award cycle rather than rejected. The Awards & Recognition Committee may establish exceptions for extenuating circumstances.

Self-Nomination and Colleague Nomination. Most awards accept both self-nominations and nominations by colleagues, supervisors, or peers. The Awards & Recognition Committee shall specify which awards permit self-nomination and any restrictions on nominator eligibility.

B. Award-Specific Processes

Standard Nomination Awards. For awards operating through standard nomination processes (APPA Fellow, Meritorious Service Award, Pacesetter Award), the Awards & Recognition Committee shall:

• Solicit nominations according to the published timeline
• Review nominations against established criteria
• Conduct interviews, reference checks, or additional verification as appropriate
• Select award recipients based on established criteria

Rex Dillow Award for Outstanding Article. The Rex Dillow Award operates through automatic consideration of eligible articles rather than formal nominations. All articles published in Facilities Manager during the calendar year are automatically considered. The Awards & Recognition Committee or designated review panel shall:

• Evaluate all eligible articles published during the award year
• Apply established evaluation criteria consistently across all articles
• Select the outstanding article for recognition

Award for Excellence in Facilities Management. AFE operates through a comprehensive application and evaluation process rather than simple nomination:

• Institutions submit detailed self-evaluations addressing all seven excellence criteria
• The Awards & Recognition Committee reviews applications and assigns evaluation teams
• Site visits or video conference sessions may be held to verify information and assess operations
• Evaluation teams examine supporting documentation and interview key personnel
• Committee selects AFE recipients based on established criteria

C. Selection Criteria and Standards

Authoritative Criteria. This policy establishes the authoritative criteria and standards for all APPA awards. Award criteria documented in Section IV of this policy constitute the official requirements for each award and serve as the publicly available documentation of award criteria and processes as required by the APPA Bylaws.

Any addition of new awards or changes to award criteria and standards require amendment of this policy through Board approval.

The Association's website shall reference and display award criteria as documented in this policy, but this policy remains the single source of truth for all eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and selection standards.

Committee Evaluation. The Awards & Recognition Committee shall evaluate nominations and applications objectively and consistently, using:

• Published criteria and evaluation rubrics (where applicable)
• Documented scoring or assessment methods (where applicable)
• Reference checks and verification of claims
• Consideration of award history to ensure consistency over time

D. Conflicts of Interest

Committee Member Recusal. Awards & Recognition Committee members must recuse themselves from evaluation and voting when:

• They have nominated or been nominated for an award under consideration
• They have a close personal or professional relationship with a nominee that could affect objectivity
• They are employed by an institution applying for AFE or other institutional awards
• Any other conflict exists that could compromise impartial evaluation

Documentation. All recusals and the reasons for recusal shall be documented in committee records. Recused members may provide factual information if requested but may not participate in deliberations or voting.

Disinterested Review. If conflicts affect a substantial portion of the committee such that objective review cannot be conducted, the Board Chair may appoint additional disinterested reviewers or establish an ad hoc review panel.

E. Notification and Announcement

Recipient Notification. Award recipients shall be notified privately before public announcement. Notification shall include:

• Confirmation of the award
• Presentation date and location (typically APPA Annual Conference)
• Any requirements for acceptance or participation
• Recognition opportunities and publicity plans

Unsuccessful Nominees. Individuals or institutions not selected for awards shall be notified and thanked for their participation. Upon request, feedback may be provided if the committee deems appropriate.

Public Announcement. Award recipients shall be announced publicly in advance of the APPA Annual Conference to allow recipients to make appropriate travel arrangements to attend and participate in the awards ceremony.

Public announcement channels include:

• APPA website and member communications
• Facilities Manager magazine
• Social media channels
• Regional and chapter communications (where applicable)

Regional awards (particularly Pacesetter and other awards recognizing regional contributions) may receive additional recognition at regional conferences following the APPA annual announcement.

VI. Award Presentation and Recognition

Annual Conference Presentation. All APPA awards are presented at the APPA Annual Conference & Exposition. Award recipients or institutional representatives are expected to attend the awards ceremony to receive recognition.

Awards Ceremony. The Association shall conduct a formal awards ceremony or reception during the Annual Conference to honor recipients. The ceremony provides opportunity for:

• Formal presentation of awards
• Recognition of recipient contributions and achievements
• Celebration with the APPA community
• Photography and media coverage

Extended Recognition. Beyond the awards ceremony, APPA provides ongoing recognition through:

• Featured profiles on the Association's website
• Articles in Facilities Manager magazine highlighting recipient achievements
• Social media promotion and celebration
• Recognition in the Annual Report
• Inclusion in APPA's awards archive and historical records

Institutional Award Display. Institutions receiving AFE or other institutional awards may display the recognition publicly for the duration specified in award criteria (five years for AFE). Institutions are encouraged to leverage award recognition in recruitment, fundraising, and institutional communications, provided such use accurately represents the scope and timeframe of the award.

Regional Recognition. Regional and chapter organizations are encouraged to recognize award recipients at their own conferences and events, particularly for awards emphasizing regional contributions.

VII. Policy Administration

Authority. The Awards & Recognition Committee develops and maintains this Association Award Policy in accordance with the committee's charter as established in the APPA Bylaws. The Board of Directors approves this policy and any substantive amendments.

The Awards & Recognition Committee has authority to:

• Evaluate nominations and select award recipients in accordance with this policy
• Recommend policy updates to the Board of Directors
• Provide guidance on policy interpretation

Operational procedures and timelines shall be determined by the CEO and APPA staff with guidance from the Awards & Recognition Committee.

The CEO may provide guidance on policy interpretation when needed and may consult with the Awards & Recognition Committee or Board when clarification is required.

Amendments.

• Minor and Administrative Changes: The CEO may make minor or administrative changes to this policy (such as updating titles, clarifying language, or correcting technical errors) without Board approval, provided such changes do not materially alter award criteria, eligibility requirements, or selection processes.
• Substantive Changes: Substantive changes to award criteria, eligibility requirements, selection processes, or the addition or removal of awards require approval by the Board of Directors following recommendation by the Awards & Recognition Committee.

All amendments shall be communicated to the membership in a timely manner.

Policy Review. This policy shall be reviewed as needed, with a comprehensive review conducted at least every three years to ensure alignment with: APPA's strategic priorities; current best practices in awards and recognition; feedback from members and award recipients; evolving needs of the profession. The Awards & Recognition Committee shall conduct the review and recommend updates to the Board as needed.

Effective Date. This Association Award Policy was adopted by the APPA Board of Directors on March 17, 2026 and supersedes all previous award policies and criteria.

Last reviewed: March 17, 2026. Next review due: March 2029.

Questions. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Awards & Recognition Committee Chair (for award criteria and selection matters) · membership@appa.org · (703) 684-1446.