An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s President and CEO Member Connection – Transitioning for the Future: Your Association…Your Opportunity…Your Engagement! September 20, 2021 — Last Friday, we welcomed several panelists who shared their passion and stories about what why they got engaged in APPA, and the benefits they have derived for themselves and their institutions.  We […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Changing Fall 2021 Reopening Strategies June 14, 2021 — Preparing for Fall 2021 may prove more complicated than the past two academic semesters with two key unknowns: the extent of variant strains of SARS CoV-2 and, the level of vaccination of the campus community.  These two combine to create […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President The Practical Realities of COVID & Your HVAC Systems May 24, 2021 — The disruption to Higher Education and K-12 & Preparatory Schools by this pandemic has eclipsed all our prior experiences.  Now we have some added chaos and confusion with the latest “relaxed” masking and social distancing […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Member Connection – Initiatives & Opportunities for Engagement March 29, 2021 — Last Friday, we welcomed long-time and new APPA members, mentors, and inspirational leaders, all at differing stages in their career journey, to connect with the volunteer leadership.  We hoped you would hear the Presidents and Vice Presidents […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Considering the Remote/Hybrid Workplace February 22, 2021 — The disruption to Higher Education and the K-12/Preparatory Schools has been staggering.  Yet all this chaos could lead to opportunities we had not envisioned or, at the very least, exploring ways to do business differently.  Coming full circle from this […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President The Campus COVID Economy: A Focus on Institutional Revenues & Expenses February 08, 2021 — As much as we’d love to leave 2020 behind, the effects of the pandemic, the economic crisis, racial injustice, and our environmental disasters still very much affect all of us.  The […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Healthy, Smart Buildings:  Why You Should Care January 11, 2021 — Let me start by saying the virus is still winning!  This past month could be labeled “the great accelerator.”   The U.S. added well over 8M new cases, surpassing 22.4M total, with infections rising in every state.  […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President An Experience Exchange around Your Remaining Challenges for Spring Reopening December 7, 2020 — In just one month, the U.S. added well over 4M new COVID cases, surpassing 14.5M total, with infections rising in every state as the nation struggles to contain a “surge on top of a […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Planning for New Realities:  Shifting Your Mindset November 9, 2020 — Two weeks ago, I said the pandemic had gotten ugly.  Little did I know we would enter new terrain and do so this quickly.  The U.S. has surpassed 10M cases, with infections rising in 42 states, […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Looking Forward: Financial Ramifications & Impacts of COVID-19 October 26, 2020 — Halloween has arrived early … we’re living in scary times! It was just two weeks ago I said the next few months could get ugly. We’re already there as the third surge of infections […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Lessons Learning for Spring Semester: Pre-Planning, Plan Delivery & Post Assessment October 12, 2020 — Like nothing seen in more than a century, the coronavirus has infiltrated every populated patch of the globe, sowing terror and poverty, infecting millions of people in some nations and paralyzing […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President COVID Communications with Diverse Stakeholders & Interest Groups September 28, 2020 — As I open this week’s message, I want to mark with great sadness the news of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing on the evening of Friday, September 18. Justice Ginsburg, the second woman […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President How Goes Your Fall Reopening: An Experience Exchange on Lessons Learning September 14, 2020 — In the past two weeks, the United States has added 500,000 cases cresting 6.4M cases and approaching 192,000 deaths. Although total U.S. cases are showing slight signs of slowing down, health experts […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President September 8, 2020  — I would like to welcome everyone back from the ensuing chaos of the summer months and into this fall semester – whatever form it takes. It has been a tumultuous year and it’s not over yet. However, you have displayed diligence […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Caring for the Caregiver: Mental Health Resources for Front-Line Teams & Students August 31, 2020 — The United States surpassed 6.0M coronavirus cases this past week and remains at the top of the global chart accounting for almost a quarter of the 25 million cases. It took more […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President HVAC Considerations August 24, 2020 — Since last month, the United States has surpassed another grim milestone – topping 5.7M cases. In just one month alone, the U.S. added over 1.5M cases, and sadly, we’re approaching 177,000 deaths, a differential of 1.7M cases — leading the world […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Testing & Tracing, Aerosolized Particles & the Serology of the Virus July 27, 2020 — The resurgence of coronavirus cases now tops 4M.  On cue, and as predicted, we recorded another horrendous milestone:  over 1,100 American deaths for a fourth day in a row!  Let’s look […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Special Communities: Challenges & Strategies for K-12 School Districts, Community Colleges, and Preparatory Schools July 20, 2020 — The resurgence of the coronavirus has led to another milestone: 1 out of every 100 Americans has tested positive for COVID-19. It’s an alarming statistic that follows day-after-day […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Challenges for Auxiliaries:  Dorms, Dining & Unions July 13, 2020 — If you thought things were grim two weeks ago…it’s actually worse, much worse!  The U.S. is in free fall.  The resurgence of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed across 38 states totaling 3.3M in two weeks…that’s up […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Transportation & Traversing To, From & Within the Campus June 29, 2020 — What difference can one week make?  When it comes to the “exponential” transmission of the coronavirus, a huge difference!  The situation has turned grim.  Six months in, this crisis is broadening and widening.  […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Institutional Duos: The Road to Reopening with Your Senior Leadership June 22, 2020 — This past Friday we recognized and paid tribute to “Juneteenth.” The day the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas (June 19, 1865) and abolished slavery everywhere in the U.S. following the Civil War.  […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Dedensifying Your Spaces June 15, 2020 — It’s a sobering reality that the surge in mobility is driving up transmission of the coronavirus. Fourteen states reported an alarming 40% increase in cases and hospitalizations. The CDC is projecting 140,000 deaths by July 4th, and Harvard Medical […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Got Questions? Ask the Community! Sharing Facilities Needs and Challenges June 8, 2020 — America is in crisis. The world is watching. At the close of my message last Monday, I said, “Yet, this week we are not only plagued by our present circumstances of a […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President In the Trenches: Cleaning Protocols & HVAC/MEP Systems Requirements June 1, 2020 — Higher Education institutions, K-12, and Preparatory Schools have started to weigh in on a fall reopening amidst continued concerns of large gathering virus transmission. Since my last message two weeks ago, America is […]

More Messages to Members

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Preparing NOW for the Student of 2024 May 18, 2020 — Higher Education institutions, K-12, and Preparatory Schools are indeed staring down the barrel of a fall reopening—amidst the continued uncertainty of testing and tracing capabilities, and the relentless nature of this virus’ transmission capability. Yet, […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President If/Then…What Scenarios for Facilities’ Future May 11, 2020 — These days it’s anything but business as usual.  Make no mistake about it.  The world has been besieged by this deadly pandemic – COVID-19.  These are dark times with increasing stress on our healthcare system, the economy […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Space Focus for Facilities’ Future May 4, 2020 — The turbulence stemming from the initial outbreak and exponential spread of the coronavirus surmounts any we have experienced in our lifetimes. The stress on the healthcare system, the economic freefall, and all of the downstream effects have […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Finance Focus for Facilities’ Future April 27, 2020  —  The level of uncertainty continues to rise in all aspects of our society.  The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. alone is approaching the 1M mark and deaths close to 55,000.  We are #1 in the […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Impact of COVID-19 on O&M Requirements, Residential Facilities, and Beyond April 20, 2020  —  This global pandemic is ravaging our communities, healthcare systems, and yes, the economy, in unimaginable ways.  This past week marked over 750,000 coronavirus cases and, unfortunately worse yet, over 40,000 deaths in […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Impact of COVID-19 on Human Resources in Educational Facilities April 13, 2020  —  This week marks another grim juncture with the uptake of coronavirus cases and deaths in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.  The exponential rate and pace of the virus is mind-numbing, exceeding half a […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President COVID-19: Interpreting “Essential Services” for Construction & Renovation Projects April 6, 2020  —  It was another grim week of milestones for the U.S. and elsewhere as the global pandemic continues to ravage our respective citizenry with unprecedented coronavirus cases and deaths continuing to rise exponentially.  […]

An occasional blogpost from Lander Medlin, APPA’s Executive Vice President Regarding COVID-19 March 16, 2020 — Suffice it to say that the recent weeks have been surreal.  Calling the onslaught of COVID-19 the “new normal” doesn’t seem adequate.  Yet, we find ourselves amidst mass college and university campus, preparatory, and K-12 school closures; major sports […]