A network of college and university professionals in the State of Florida has established a Florida Chapter of APPA, known as FLAPPA. What is APPA?
Founded in 1914, APPA: The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers is the oldest not-for-profit organization dedicated to the maintenance, production, and promotion of quality educational facilities to enhance the education of today’s students. The more than 4,500 APPA members represent learning institutions from across the United States Canada and worldwide. Universities and colleges comprise the largest segment of the membership. APPA members are vice presidents for facilities, directors of physical plants, associate directors, facilities managers, and managers for various specific facilities operations. Members manage the properties of colleges and universities, school districts, secondary schools, law and medical schools, seminaries, military installations, museums, churches, and government organizations.
In April 2004, fourteen colleges and universities from across the state came together and discussed the idea of forming a Florida Chapter of APPA, which is now known as FLAPPA.
We’ve worked very hard to define our purpose and establish a constitution and by-laws to ensure success. In July 2004 the national APPA organization in Washington, D.C. formally recognized our Florida chapter.
Our Purpose
To foster mutually supportive objectives among Florida higher educational facilities organizations as well as K-12 organizations;
To promote relationships that provide personal and professional development through leadership, educational, and networking opportunities for all facilities personnel;
To foster the professional spirit among persons engaged in this work; and
To aid and supplement the work of the international organization, APPA, “The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers.”
What does this all mean? It means that a large contingent of professional facilities, construction and maintenance personnel are networking across the State of Florida to share experiences with various products and services used in our day-to-day operations. We are discussing things like LEED requirements, green products, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC equipment, paint products, custodial operations, grounds equipment, just to name a few. The vast knowledge of the facilities personnel combined with those in the business arena (that are relied upon every day) are valuable assets when teamed together in a professional organization like FLAPPA. FLAPPA is going on eighteen years old now. We’ve held fourteen progressively successful Annual Educational Conferences (UCF, UF, PBA, UNF, SPC, FSU, Barry University, FIT, Ringling College, Embry Riddle, Berkeley Prep, Valencia College, back to PBA, Lynn University, and back to UCF in 2019, University of South Florida in 2020, University of North Florida in 2022 and 2023 at Florida State University and 2024 at the Hilton Orlando in Orlando. We are looking forward to hosting our 20th Annual FLAPPA Educational Conference once again at the beautiful Hilton Orlando on April 23-25, 2025. We continue to grow as an organization, and we are working hard to have a strong support base of institutional members as well as a large contingent of loyal business partners. We look forward to the future!
