March 23, 2023
The CASH 38th Annual Conference on School Facilities was outstanding! Held February 20-22, 2023, the positive energy from the more than 2,000 attendees was palpable throughout the Sacramento Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento. Once again, the Trade Show sold out, we had a long list of sponsors and overall attendance increased more than 12 percent!
Thank You Exhibitors and Sponsors!
CASH would also like to thank the 41 sponsors and nearly 200 exhibitors for supporting the 38th Annual Conference, as well as the following exhibitor weblink participants:
- Allana Buick & Bers, Inc. – http://abbae.com
- Alten Construction, Inc. – altenconstruction.com
- T. Mancini Co., Inc. – www.btmancini.com
- DMG North, Inc. – dmgn.com
- Envise – http://enviseco.com
- Eric Hall & Associates – erichallassociates.com
- Extron Electronics – extron.com
- Grand Slam Safety, LLC – grandslamsafety.com
- Harris Construction Co., Inc. – http://harrisconstruction.com
- Infinity Communications – infinitycomm.com
- MBS Engineering, Inc. – mb.services
- McGuire and Hester – mcguireandhester.com
- Mondo – mondoworldwide.com
- Sage Renewable Energy Consulting – sagerenew.com
- Terracon Consultants, Inc. – terracon.com
- Terraphase Engineering – http://terraphase.com
- US Airconditioning Distributors – us-ac.com
- W2W Sport – http://w2wsport.com
NextGen Experience
Attendees visited the NextGen Experience in the Trade Show to touch, feel, and experience the possibilities of flexible learning environments firsthand while conversing with vendors about integrating the flexible learning spaces into to their projects.
CASH would like to thank Jim Kisel, Lindsay Hayward and Kate Mraw with LPA, Inc. for their time and expertise designing this unique learning lab. We would also like to thank the following vendors for outfitting the space:
- AFE Sports/AstroTurf/Rekortan
- Balfour Beatty Construction
- Buzzi Space
- Campbell Keller
- Cisco
- LPA
- MeTEOR
- Mondo
- Office Depot
- Paragon
- Shaw Contract
- VS America
Highlights of the Conference included:
Workshops, Clinics and Roundtable Discussions
This year’s Conference included more than 40 workshops and clinics, and 30 roundtable discussions on hot topics and current issues, including finance, school construction, high performance and planning. The annual workshop for first-time attendees and new members was very well attended. At the very popular M&O Technology and Demonstration Fair and Reception, attendees received hands-on learning about the maintenance technology areas of solar, security, energy savings and more.
Monday, February 20
Golf Tournament
The Golf Tournament drew many golfers, despite the challenging weather. The sportsmanship and tenacity was evident, and a great time was had by all!
CASH Maintenance Management Certification Program
The more than 40 participants of the CASH Maintenance Management Certification Program presented their final maintenance plans on the morning of Monday, February 20. That afternoon, they received their Certificates of Completion during the graduation ceremony. Congratulations graduates!
Welcome Reception
During the Monday evening Welcome Reception, attendees had their first opportunity to visit the Exhibitors and NextGen Experience in the Trade Show, and network with their industry colleagues.
Tuesday, February 21
Tuesday morning, attendees were able to choose from workshops on current issues and hot topics, roundtable discussions, and the open Legislative Advisory Committee meeting. The Trade Show also reopened Tuesday morning and remained open throughout the day; attendees flocked to dessert service after lunch and concluded the evening during the reception.
Opening General Session and Lunch
CASH Chair Jenny Hannah welcomed the attendees to the Opening General Session and Lunch. Jenny thanked everyone for supporting Proposition 51 saying, “we could not have done this without the support of everyone in this room and others who could not be here today.” She also debuted the 2016 Summary of the Organization’s Work, which details the organization’s accomplishments over the past year, and announced the Regional Training Course Series, a new educational program by CASH.
CASH Vice Chair Don Ulrich then provided the Conference Overview.
Student Design Awards
Past Chair and Outreach Committee Chair, Mike Vail, and CASH Board Member David Miranda, presented the Student Design Awards to:
- First Place: Michael Kramer, NewSchool of Architecture and Design
- Second Place: Kyle Stevens, NewSchool of Architecture and Design
- Third Place: Jamie Nguyen, Cal Poly Pomona
CASH/AIACC Leroy F. Greene Design and Planning Awards
Don Ulrich and Jana Itzen presented the CASH/AIACC Leroy F. Greene Design and Planning Awards, click here for a video of the 2016 winning projects.
James L. Murdoch Lifetime Achievement Award
Past Chair Dave Doomey, Founding Chair Gene Hartline and current Chair Jenny Hannah presented the prestigious James L. Murdoch Lifetime Achievement Award to Nina Boyd, Orange County Department of Education, for her many years of service to CASH.
Networking Dinner
The Networking Dinner on Tuesday, immediately following the reception in the Trade Show, was the place to be, where attendees continued conversations while enjoying food and beverages on the third floor of the Convention Center. Live entertainment was provided by the Rio Americano High School Band!
Wednesday, February 22
General Session and Networking Breakfast
The morning convened with the General Session and Networking Breakfast. Treasurer and Board Member Lyn Gruber presented the annual report on the fiscal health of the organization. She informed the attendees that this would be her last Treasurer’s Report, as she had finished her tenure on the Board of Directors, and made the announcement that Board Member Dwayne Mears had been appointed Treasurer. Lyn Gruber introduced State Senator Janet Nguyen. Senator Nguyen began her remarks by stating “I want to ensure the Government is working for the people, bringing together different perspectives and always working toward compromises that will benefit all sides.” Click here for a summary of the Senator’s remarks.
Closing General Session and Lunch
After welcoming attendees, Jenny Hannah eloquently delivered her parting message as Chair, noting “CASH has done great work, but there is much to do.” She introduced the incoming Chair, Don Ulrich, Clovis USD, and passed the gavel.
Don addressed the audience with his vision for the future of CASH: to continue working with the State Legislature and agencies to provide resources for school facilities that serve every child in California. He also shared the need for Proposition 51 implementation, to get the funds to local school districts as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Don announced the formation of a nonprofit foundation, the California School Facilities Research Institute, with goals of studying: the connection between quality facilities and their impact on student learning and success; next generation learning facilities; and the link between school facilities and community prosperity and success.
He ended with a quote from Donald Leu “a school building is more than a physical structure providing housing, light, heat, and shelter from the elements; it is the one expression of the community’s commitment to education.”
Next, Joe Dixon, Past Chair and Chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the Nominating Committee report. He asked the membership for approval of Julie Arthur, Palm Springs Unified School District as the incoming Vice Chair and the slate of new Board Members:
- John Baracy, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.
- Alan Reising, Long Beach USD
- Randy Rowles, Bakersfield City SD
He also thanked the Board Members whose terms have come to an end and presented Service Awards to:
- Lyn Gruber, Koppel and Gruber Public Finance
- John Peukert, San Bernardino City USD
Board Member Rob Pierce then presented Member Service Awards to the following, for their dedication and contributions to the organization:
- Bob Chase, Division of the State Architect (retired)
- Larry Ferchaw, Cooperative Strategies
- Pat Gunn, Lozano Smith
- Nathaniel Holt, Pomona USD
- Andrea Roess, David Taussig & Associates
- Julie Zimmerman, BakerNowicki Design Studio
Dave Walrath then recognized the following for their dedication to the passage of Proposition 51: the California Building Industry Association, Stutzman Public Affairs, Meridian Pacific and Mike Vail.
Post-Conference Debriefing
The Post-Conference debriefing was held immediately following the General Session. More than 30 attendees provided feedback and suggestions on this year’s Conference and ways to improve for next year. If you are interested in serving on the Annual Conference Planning Committee, please contact CASH staff member Lisa Church at (916) 448-8577 or .
Save the Date
Mark your calendar for the 39th Annual Conference on School Facilities, February 26-28, 2018, at the Sacramento Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Sacramento.
~ CASH Staff
Photo credit: ©Steve Pate-Newberry/SPN Photography, All Rights Reserved.