​ David Trask, National Director, ARC Facilities, is a keynote speaker,  host of the Facility Voices podcast, author, and thought Leader in the facilities management industry. David focuses on helping hospitals, universities, K-12 districts, and other organizations leverage innovative technology to drive efficiency in the facilities management industry through thought leadership and advocacy. He has presented at numerous facilities, associations, and conferences, including IFMA, ASHE, APPA, and NFMT and regional events such as AAHE, HISHE, and regional IFMA chapter conferences. Most recently, David was selected to join the Education Program Committee for IFMA World Workplace and is an Advisory Board Member for Facilithon. David is outspoken about the urgent need to minimize the impacts of facility team retirements through seamless and comprehensive succession planning. 

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KEYNOTE

The Future of Facilities Management:
​Harnessing Technology for Data-Driven Decisions, AI, and Predictive Maintenance
Exploring Opportunities, Transformations, and Future Trends

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Main Session
FLAPPA Then and Now

Mike Steger
Director of Facilities Management
Berkeley Preparatory School
​Tampa, Florida

With over 35 years of experience in educational facilities management and construction, Mike has dedicated his career to creating and maintaining environments that support learning and growth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Resource Management, which has equipped him with the skills to lead teams, manage complex projects, and allocate resources effectively. Recently, he earned the prestigious Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) certification through APPA, a testament to his commitment to excellence and professional development in the field.
 
Having a passion for professional growth through networking and education, Mike is a founding member and longtime board member of FLAPPA. He also recently served on the SRAPPA board, including a term as President during the challenging COVID years, demonstrating strong leadership and resilience in unprecedented times. (Mike truly has a volunteering addiction.)
 
Beyond his career, Mike enjoys spending quality time with his three grandchildren, sharing in their adventures and milestones. Adding to the adventures with family, he can often be found on the water, boating and fishing, or exploring craft breweries wherever his travels take him. Passionate about balancing professional achievements with personal fulfillment, Mike exemplifies dedication and enthusiasm in all aspects of life.
 

Ken Kropp

Facilities Director 
Sherman College of Chiropractic
Boiling Springs, South Carolina

  Ken Kropp has been managing facilities for the past 20 years. He is presently the Facilities Director with National Management Resources at Sherman College of Chiropractic in Boiling Springs, South Carolina. He has had facilities management experience in the educational realm with National Management Resources for 11 years. He has had other facilities management experience with New England Development at the Palm Beach Outlets Mall along with managing private and commercial properties for private corporations.
Ken has worked with the FLAPPA organization for more than 8 years working with various committees, setting up multiple conferences, lunch and learns, and holding various positions on the board including President. The educational contributions and the principles of professionalism and integrity that FLAPPA seeks to personify have guided Ken over the years to be successful in his managing endeavors. 
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Julio Sanchez

Regional Vice President,
​National Management Resources Corp

EWith over 30 years of experience in facilities management, Julio Sanchez is a seasoned professional dedicated to optimizing operational efficiency and enhancing client satisfaction. Currently serving as the Regional Vice President for National Management Resources Corp, Julio leads a diverse team in delivering top-tier management solutions across various sectors.
 
Throughout his career, Julio has developed a reputation for his strategic approach to facilities operations, focusing on innovative solutions that drive performance and sustainability. His extensive expertise encompasses project management, budget oversight, and team leadership, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.
 
Beyond his professional endeavors, Julio is passionate about mentoring the next generation of facilities management professionals and actively participates in industry associations. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending quality time with his family.
 
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Allen Masters

Associate Vice President
Facilities Services
Daytona State College

Allen Masters serves at the Associate Vice President at Daytona State College.  He is responsible for both Maintenance Operations as well as Planning and Construction. He has over 30 years of facilities experience, with 15 years in higher education, including Eastern Florida College and the University of Florida.  He is a Certified Educational Facilities Professional through APPA and has held certifications in LEED and Green Globes.   He is as member of APPA, SRAPPA, FLAPPA and FEFPA.  He currently serves on the FLAPPA board as Vice President.  

Education Track Presentations

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Jasmin Jones

Life Strategist and Mindset Coach

Mastering Leadership: The Power of Human Connection
Join the movement of redefining leadership by embracing the power of human connection. Discover how you can transform your leadership style in any role, inspire those around you, and take the first step towards becoming a more impactful leader through the Power of Human Connection.
Own Your Success: Become UnStuck! 
 Don’t let fear or doubt hold you back any longer. "Own Your Success" and become “UnStuck” as you take the first step toward breaking free from what’s keeping you stagnant. Move out of your own way by shifting your mindset, attitude, and the energy you bring to every challenge. Let’s empower you to move forward on your journey to achieving your goals with confidence!

Jasmin Jones With a diverse background across non-profit, public, private, and charter sectors, as well as experience in higher education as an Admissions Recruiter, Student Success Coach, and Academic Advocate at institutions like Rutgers University, Valencia College, Florida Polytechnic University, the University of South Florida, and the University of Central Florida, Jasmin A. Jones has dedicated her career to empowering others. 
 
As a life strategist and growth mindset coach, she trains individuals to embrace change and overcome challenges. Through her high-energy impact and practical strategies, Jasmin inspires people to activate their inner light by cultivating self-love and confidence, guiding them to become their best selves. Her mission is to help individuals own their power and unlock their potential, enabling authentic evolution at any stage of life. Passionate about developing leaders, strengthening community, and promoting connectivity, she employs tailored strategies that foster a growth mindset, paving the way for personal and professional success.

 

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Rhonda Gracie is a trailblazer in the world of horticulture and landscape architecture and Design. She earned her BA in Architectural Studies from Florida International University and further honed her expertise with a degree in Parks and Recreation Maintenance Management from NC State University.
With a rich background as the former Landscape Architect for the Park and Recreation Departments of Clearwater and Miami Beach, Rhonda has garnered numerous awards for her innovative projects and commitment to sustainability. Her groundbreaking work in horticulture is recognized with US Patent No. 7,784,217, showcasing her dedication to advancing the field.
 
 

Rhonda Gracie

 A Visionary in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Design

Beauty and the Bioswale: Designing Green Infrastructure for Wildlife at UNF
By the end of this lecture, participants will be able to: Understand the fundamentals of green infrastructure and its importance in urban stormwater management.             
Identify bioswales' key components and functions and how they differ from other green infrastructure elements like rain gardens.                                      Analyze the UNF Bioswale Garden case study to understand practical applications and design considerations for native plants, wildlife, birds, and pollinators.             
Design a basic bioswale tailored to specific environmental conditions and ecological goals.                                                         
Evaluate the ecological benefits of bioswales in promoting biodiversity and supporting urban wildlife.

Pest Control CEU's offered!!
FDACS Credits:
Private applicator, Demo & Research, Natural Areas Weed Mgmt., Right-of-Way, Limited Landscape Maintenance, Commercial Lawn & Ornamental
Approved (1) FNGLA Credit

​Zach has been with KI for nine years, having started his journey with them at their corporate office in Green Bay, WI. KI is an employee-owned, American-made furniture manufacturer with a prime focus in education. As a leader in the education market, KI consistently develops new furniture solutions that set a higher bar for innovative learning environments.

Zach Dagneau 
​KI

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De-Mystifying Robotics for Facilities

​- What works
- What does not
- How to use robots with change management
- Dealing with unions
- Long-term trends in the facility management industry and how it ties to         technology
- Where is the robotics & AI industry going
- How to get the best ROI and reliability from robotics overall

​ Dr Anand Lalwani is a PhD from Stanford University in robotics & is the founder and CEO of Cardinal Robotics - one of the largest solution provider for robotics in the cleaning space. He has worked as a janitor having swept floors of restaurants & hospitals, and has a passion for helping the front-line custodian in becoming a robot operator - bringing pride into their work. Cardinal's mission is to help large enterprises adopt, deploy & maintain robots at scale while driving ROI and meaningful enhancements in productivity. With recent hikes in wages, janitorial companies are being squeezed from all sides where IFM is looking to cut costs & workers are demanding more pay. Without robots, it becomes difficult. Cardinal helps companies like Kaiser, Stanford Hospital, Disney, MGM (this very building we are in is cleaned by Cardinal's bots), Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE etc. adopt and deploy en-masse robots. Cardinal's speciality is in servicing robots - with 2,600+ technicians nationwide & in financing the bots so it can live on opex budgets instead of capex. 

Shazard Ali ​joined the Marsden South team as the Director of Business Development in 2013.  During his tenure, Shazard has had many achievements at Marsden. In 2016 he won the Skip Marsden Outstanding Performance Award for his business development and client relations performance. In 2017 Shazard was named a Marsden Ambassador and a member of the President’s Club for outstanding performance. In the past decade, he has been in the top 5 in the country when it comes to achieving goals and quotas. Shazard comes to the Marsden team from World Emblem where he was a Regional Sales Manager.  Prior to World Emblem, Shazard worked in the janitorial and facility services industry with Crestwood Services and Coverall Cleaning Concepts.  At Crestwood Shazard was Director of Sales and Business Development with a focus on growth for the company and building a Sales team during 2009 to 2012. At Coverall, Shazard was Regional Director for the Pembroke Pines office during 2003 to 2008.  Shazard attended Broward College and resides in Hollywood, Florida with his soon-to-be fiancé. 

Darren Perry

Soprema

 Resilient Solutions for Extreme Risks  
Credit Type: HSW Justification:
The presentation focuses on the importance of resilient roofing solutions for critical & essential community facilities that meet the Health, Safety, and Welfare objectives. Course Description This presentation reviews the importance of low-slope roofing and the impact roofing has on critical/essential facilities and community resilience.   Learning Objectives: 
1. Review resilience as it relates to building roofs. 
2. Identify weather-related risks that affect building & community resilience. 3. Review requirements for storm shelters and critical/essential facilities.4. Discuss “secondary membranes” for roofing that provide redundancy for storm shelters and critical & essential facilities.
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​Darren Perry, PE, RRC is Director of Technical Support for the SOPREMA USA Group.  Darren manages the “inside” technical support team, providing support and services for sales representatives, design professionals, and contractor customers.  Darren manages the codes and approvals team to engage with “outside” laboratory testing and agency approvals to enhance SOPREMA and privately labeled products.  Darren also provides technical oversight for the SOPREMA warranty department.    

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Jamie Ambeau

Spirotherm
​Regional Manager- Southeast

Creating A New Normal In Your Hydronic Systems
This presentation focuses on proven opportunities to lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) involving chilled water and heating hot water systems.  The content features actual case history metrics developed over the course of several decades and state-of-the-art energy modeling techniques.  This data is used to estimate the significant financial and operational costs associated with air-caused heat transfer inefficiencies in chiller and boiler systems.  The impact on key system components such as pumps, chillers, boilers, control valves, mag meters, system piping, terminal units is discussed, and more.
 

Gerard Lee, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA

The Role of Facilities Staff in the Decarbonization of Our Built Environment

EdiAs regulations, building codes, and investment attitudes push our buildings toward decarbonization, significant hurdles remain for existing buildings to meet these goals as budgets are limited for desperately needed capital improvements. In many cases, achieving these energy reduction goals falls squarely on the shoulders of the facilities staff as a result. Based on our 40-year history working with building owners across the country, Marx|Okubo can share a framework to enhance the facilities staff’s ability to positively, and cost-effectively contribute to any decarbonization efforts. We will discuss the tools and resources that are available to assist with this, learn of the next generation of building performance standards (BPSs), identify ways to enhance maintenance protocols to optimize building operations at all phases of their life-cycle, and the critical voice that facilities staff have in capital planning projects around building electrification and energy efficiency.
 
Three Learning Outcomes

• Understand the tools and resources available to help reduce operational carbon emissions.
• Identify areas of critical knowledge related to energy efficiency and electrification.
• Become empowered to take a more proactive role in CAPex planning.

 
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​Gerard Lee is a Vice President and architect with Marx|Okubo. Along with his management responsibilities he provides owner’s representation, project management, design and constructability reviews. He also conducts facility condition assessments, building forensics, building envelope and sustainability consulting. Gerard brings over 30 years of experience with higher education, life science, multifamily/mixed-use, hospitality, civic/public, and corporate commercial projects.
 
Known for his real-world zero net energy (ZNE) expertise, Gerard was the project architect/ project manager of the first Living Building Challenge Net Zero Energy certified public library- The West Berkeley public library. Additionally, he was a technical advisor for the City of San Diego Public Library Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Project, A.K.A. “SDZN3,” and served as the project architect at the principal level on the LEED certified net zero energy Diablo Valley College Fine Arts building. Gerard holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, where he graduated magna cum laude. 

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Art Beamish
​Legend Brands

Water Woes:
A Proven System for Managing Flood Events

Water intrusions from weather, equipment malfunctions, and human error are frequent causes of property loss and campus disruptions. Through a real-world case study of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, this workshop will cover critical areas where water damage response plans often fall short and provide proven, actionable steps to build a better response plan and empower teams for faster recovery.
Art Beamish, with the Ready 2 Respond Program, is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in client consultation and emergency response planning. He worked closely with the Interim Director of Operations for the University of Tennessee Knoxville to develop their water damage response plan, and he regularly works with institutions to boost preparedness for water intrusions, air quality issues, and other environmental and safety hazards.

John Bacho
Walkway Restoration, Inc.

​The Importance of Concrete Safety and How to Properly Maintain Sidewalks 

Don't Replace! Repair and Restore to Save More 
-Vertical Displacement                                                 
-Horizontal Displacement                                           
-Holes                                                                             
-Cracks                                                                           
-Spalling                                                                         
-Slippery Sidewalks                                                   
-Restoration                

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™: Sustainable Landscaping in Educational & Institutional Settings

Claire Lewis 

UF/IFAS

Claire Lewis has been with the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Program since 2011. She serves as the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ State Specialized Extension Agent and the Director of the FFL program. Before joining the FFL team, Claire earned a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Florida and spent 12 years working for private landscape architecture firms in Gainesville. Her design projects included large-scale commercial, institutional, and residential home sites.
 
In her current role, Claire is responsible for educational outreach to local governments, building professionals, homeowners, landscape professionals, and community decision-makers across Florida. She provides programming that promotes sustainable landscape practices and encourages the adoption of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles to preserve and protect the state’s water and natural resources.
A native Floridian, Claire enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two children.
 
The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program, a collaborative effort between UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, teaches science-based practices that help homeowners and landscaping professionals save water, reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, and protect surface and groundwater from contamination—all while saving money.

Marcus Edwards
FMX

Prior to joining FMX, Marcus was a Maintenance Technology Supervisor at Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, NC. He brings extensive experience in areas like implementation, change management, and training for maintenance, technology, and central office teams. Marcus received a degree in Environmental Science from UNC-Wilmington. He loves to make people laugh, and enjoys sports, concerts, craft beer, being outdoors, and spending time with his family and friends.

Managing Change in Facility Teams

In the presentation Managing Change in Facility Teams, Marcus Edwards explores the critical elements of change management for facilities teams. He outlines six key steps of change management, such as effective communication, leadership alignment, and organizational culture assessment. Marcus emphasizes the importance of defining key roles within the organization to ensure successful transitions and highlights strategies to drive user adoption. He concludes with a real-world example of implementing a software change in an educational institution, offering actionable takeaways for facility leaders.

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