Hello TAPPA,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is in a festive mood and not planning on being all “bah humbug” during the holidays. I know my house looks like something out of a Hallmark Christmas show but with a more rustic flair. Hopefully your halls are decked, and the trees are tinseled. Now if we only had a bit of cooler weather to go with it…

I have some great news to report about an upcoming event to be held in early February that I think many of you will find rewarding and well worth attending. But before I spill the beans, I’ll stop right there. Just know, it will be a great experience. Stay tuned and keep your eyes open for an upcoming email.

As many of you are aware, the Call for Presentations has gone out, and I’m told several of you have submitted your abstracts. I look forward to reading each one so that we, the Board, may continue to provide real value to our TAPPA members at our next annual conference in April 2023. It is being held in Denton and will be co-hosted by UNT and TWU. Event details can be found here: https://tappa.net/event/2023savethedate

If you haven’t submitted an abstract or your ideas of what worked, please consider doing so, so that all may benefit.

Again, I want to remind everyone of our awards program. We have three different areas where you can recognize someone within your organization or maybe that special business partner. The three categories are:

• Facility Management Distinguished Service Award
• Business Partner Distinguished Service Award
• Stars Across Texas Award

You can reach out to myself, wls1@txstate.edu or David Reynolds at dreynolds@f-w.com with any awards questions.

Sincerely,

Wm. “Shorty” Schwartz, President, TAPPA

This month we recognize one of TAPPA’s newest members, Doug Gilpin, PE, CEFP.  Doug is the Director of Campus Construction at the University of Texas at Austin, and he joined the UT-Austin team in September 2019 after a 26-year career in the U.S. Air Force where he rose to the rank of Colonel. Doug served in the USAF as a Civil Engineer and Mission Support Commander with assignments at numerous installations across the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  TAPPA 2022 was his first in-person TAPPA event and after attending, he stated, “It was great to catch-up with a few long-time colleagues and friends, as well as learn how others across the state are tackling challenges and delivering success every day.  I’m definitely looking forward to getting together again in Denton for 2023.”

This month we highlight one of TAPPA’s most dedicated members since 2019, Alan Stilts, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. Alan is a Partner and Regional Manager for Higher Education with PBK Architects. He has been managing the PBK Woodlands office since July 2017. Alan has extensive experience in the delicate intricacies of working on historic properties, whether it be restorations, renovations, or additions. Starting in 2021, Alan has sat on the TAPPA Board as a Business Partner for a 2-year term. He has attended the conference every year other than 2020 due to the pandemic. Alan is ready to bring on 2023 and the next conference stating, “attending TAPPA is a high priority to me and our team at PBK. The connections formed and lessons learned are extremely valuable as well as being able to offer informational content for all of the higher education institutions in attendance to help with their facilities. Looking forward to meeting with everyone again in Denton.”

Operational Guidelines for Educational Facilities: Custodial, Grounds & Maintenance
Jan.10-12
OMNI Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Program & Registration Information Now Available!

Space & All Its Entanglements
March 27-29
NC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
Program & Registration Information Now Available!

Institute for Facilities Management
Jan. 8-12

Leadership Academy
Jan. 10-12
OMNI Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Program & Registration Information Now Available!

Have you or a colleague recently been or are soon to be a presenter, a panelist or serving in an advisory role that may provide beneficial information to TAPPA members? If so, we would love to hear about it! Please share your experiences with us at info@tappa.net, and follow us today!
 
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