APPA Awards Open
KAPPA Announces Upcoming APPA Individual Awards
APPA is preparing to open nominations for its 2026 Individual Awards—honoring excellence, leadership, and service across the educational facilities profession.
APPA Fellow
Recognizes individuals who have made significant, field-advancing contributions through research, innovation, and leadership. (Note: Submissions are temporarily suspended while APPA updates the nomination process.)
Meritorious Service Award
APPA’s highest honor for lifetime service. Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership at the international, regional, or chapter level. Nominations open December 1, 2025.
Pacesetter Award
Celebrates emerging leaders who have made strong contributions to their APPA region or chapter through service, professional development, and organizational advancement. Nominations open December 1, 2025.
These awards highlight the people who make a lasting impact on our profession and help move educational facilities management forward.
Award Winners
Celebrating Excellence in Our Community! 🌟
We are proud to recognize several outstanding members for their leadership, dedication, and service.
🏆 Chapter Champion & Certificate of Merit
Please join us in congratulating Brian Richards, who received the ERAPPA Chapter Champion Award—the highest honor for a KAPPA member—at the ERAPPA Conference in Atlantic City on September 30.
Brian’s commitment to KAPPA runs deep. From his early contributions at the Community College of Allegheny County, where he helped grow membership and co-founded the Business Partner Engagement Committee, to his current role as Director of Buildings and Grounds at Penn Trafford Area School District, Brian continues to make a lasting impact locally and regionally.
Congratulations, Brian, on your Chapter Champion Award and Certificate of Merit! Your leadership and service are truly inspiring.
👏 Certificate of Appreciation
A special thank you to Cristina Roth for years of tireless service filled with creativity, collaboration, and energy. While Cristina is taking a well-deserved break from the Board, she’ll continue to share her expertise on the Business Partner Engagement Committee.
Cristina, we appreciate you and celebrate your contributions!
ERAPPA Recognition
Mark Bodenschatz – Certificate of Appreciation for Service as ERAPPA Chapter President
Jim Lewis – Certificate of Appreciation for Service on the ERAPPA Technology and Communications Committee
Both awards were presented at ERAPPA 2025 in Atlantic City, NJ (9/30/25).
Congratulations to all honorees! Your dedication strengthens our community and inspires us all.
KAPPA Wraps Up a Successful 2025 Fall Conference at Bedford Springs
Bedford, PA — KAPPA concluded its 2025 Fall Conference at the historic Bedford Springs Resort after two energizing days filled with learning, networking, professional development, and meaningful engagement with our valued business partners. Facilities professionals from across Pennsylvania—representing K–12 schools, community colleges, and universities—came together to share best practices, explore new ideas, and strengthen the connections that support educational environments statewide.
Attendees participated in a variety of educational sessions and interactive discussions focused on operations, planning, leadership, and emerging trends in facilities management. Our vendor partners once again played an integral role, offering innovative solutions and hands-on demonstrations that added tremendous value to the conference experience.
KAPPA is also pleased to announce and welcome our newly elected Business Partner Liaison, Jennifer Ponce De Leon of JEM Group in Camp Hill, PA. Jennifer brings strong industry experience and a passion for collaboration, and we look forward to her leadership in strengthening KAPPA’s engagement with the business partner community.
Thank you to all who attended, presented, exhibited, and supported this year’s fall conference. We look forward to building on the energy and ideas shared at Bedford Springs as we continue advancing the mission of educational facilities professionals across the Commonwealth.
PA State System of Higher Education – RFP for SSHE-CM-2025, Centrally-Held Open-End Contracts for Construction Management Services
| Good afternoon, |
| The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has released a RFP looking for firms to provide CM services to the system universities. If you are interested in submitting for consideration here are some details: |
|
| Questions can be directed to Wes Light, PASSHE Construction Procurement Director. Contact information is wlight@passhe.edu (717) 517-6304 |
| Thank you, |
| Scott Albert KAPPA Board of Directors |
Board Elects New Officers at Spring 2025 Meeting in Lancaster
During the Annual Business Meeting at the KAPPA Spring 2025 conference held April 10 and 11, new officers were elected to the Board of Directors.
Randy Geering of The Pennsylvania State University, Behrend Campus, left the board after serving his term as Immediate Past President. Randy is a long-time member of KAPPA, and we wish him well and hope he enjoys retirement. Thank you, Randy, for the leadership you provided. Your dedication and commitment to KAPPA and our members is much appreciated.
Mark Bodenschatz of The Pennsylvania State University moved to the position of Immediate Past President after serving as KAPPA President in 2024/2025. Mark will serve on the KAPPA Board of Directors as Immediate Past President in 2025/2026. Mark worked very hard as KAPPA’S President to grow membership and in-person attendance at our two annual conferences. He also drove the daunting task of updating all our chapter bylaws. Congratulations, Mark, on a very successful Spring conference in Lancaster. Thank you for your commitment and service to KAPPA!
Erik Cagle of The Pennsylvania State University was promoted to President of the Board of Directors.
- Scott Albert of Slippery Rock University was promoted to First Vice President.
- Mike Hoffman of Penn State University was elected as Second Vice President.
- Jim Miller of Sewickley Academy was re-elected as Director of Professional Development.
- Todd Morgan of Penn State University was elected as Director of Technology and Communication.
- Brian Richards of Community College of Allegheny County was re-elected as a Director of Membership and Community.
- Rachel Sweetland from AE Works was reappointed as Business Partner Liaison to the Board of Directors
Contact information for all of the Board members can be found here.
KAPPA Spring Conference – Registration is Open
Dear KAPPA Members and Business Partners,
Keystone APPA is excited to announce that registration is now open for the Spring 2025 KAPPA Conference at Eden Resorts in Lancaster, PA on April 10-11. KAPPA is co-hosting this conference with Delaware Valley APPA.
Click on the button below for conference registration details:
Register Now
We pulled together an outstanding agenda which kicks-off with a lunch and business meetings for both chapters followed by a yet to be announced keynote speaker (we have discussions underway but not concluded), two rounds of round table discussions, business partner networking reception, and networking dinner with raffle drawings. Day two begins with a networking breakfast including a welcome to first time attendees followed by 12 different professional development programs broken up into four tracks: operations and maintenance; planning, design, project management; general management; and energy, utilities, sustainability.
During the KAPPA business meeting, we will be voting on proposed changes to the bylaws and holding elections for officers and board positions. I encourage you to consider running for one of the open positions, which include:
• Second Vice-President (expected to fulfill 4 years of presidential track including First Vice-President, President, and Past-President)
• Secretary (3-year term)
• Director of Professional Development (3-year term)
Information on the obligations of officers can be found in the Board of Director Responsibilities. If you are interested in joining the KAPPA Board, please reach out via email to KAPPA past president Randy Geering.
You can also participate in the Pete Buchheit Memorial Golf Outing on April 9 at Overlook Golf Course. The golf outing provides scholarships to cover the cost of conference registration for first time institutional attendees. There is also a golf alternative event planned on April 9 in the recreation area of Eden Resorts. Both events on April 9 culminate in a 19th hole event at Authur’s Terrace at Eden Resorts.
Looking forward, please save the dates for the Fall 2025 KAPPA Conference at the Omni Resort in Bedford Springs on November 12-13 and Spring 2026 KAPPA Conference in State College on April 22-23. In both cases, we plan to hold the Pete Buchheit Golf Outing the day prior to the start of the conference.
I hope to see you in mid-April!
Sincerely,
Mark A. Bodenschatz
KAPPA President