Leading Through Change: Building Stronger Teams to Advance Healthy Green Schools
Session Dates
- Tuesday, July 14: 11:00AM-12:15PM CT
- Thursday, July 16: 11:00AM-12:15PM CT
- Tuesday, July 21: 11:00AM-12:15PM CT
- Thursday, July 23: 11:00AM-12:15PM CT
Description
Creating healthier, more sustainable schools and colleges requires strong leadership at every level of facilities management. Whether stepping into a new leadership role, strengthening one’s own leadership approach, or cultivating leadership qualities in others, facilities professionals play a critical role in shaping the teams, systems, and cultures that make lasting change possible.
Effective leadership is not limited to a title or position. It involves building trust, communicating clearly, navigating complexity, supporting staff development, and creating conditions where others can take ownership and contribute to shared goals. In school and college facilities environments, where teams are often balancing urgent needs, limited resources, changing expectations, and long-term institutional priorities, leadership development is essential to sustaining progress.
The Summer Summit will offer opportunities for attendees to:
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with stepping into and growing within leadership roles,
- Explore the qualities, practices, and mindsets that support effective leadership in facilities management, and
- Identify strategies to cultivate leadership capacity in staff, teams, and future leaders across the organization.
Audience
The virtual summer summit is designed for K-12 and higher education facilities professionals dedicated to promoting health and sustainability in their schools. Current program sponsors may also attend.
Agenda
| Date | Title & Description | Presenter(s) |
| Tuesday, July 14 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT |
Session 1: Challenges, Opportunities and Insights for the 2026-2027 School Year This session highlights the specific challenges and opportunities that facilities management professionals are encountering in the 2026-2027 school year when it comes to stepping into and growing in leadership roles. Attendees will engage in a collaborative discussion and share insights on how they are creatively addressing these pressing challenges. |
Facilitator: Sara Porter, Director, Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC) Program |
| Thursday, July 16 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT |
Session 2: Cared For, Valued, & Respected – How Compassion Transforms Custodial Teams This presentation will share how people-first leadership can strengthen custodial operations and create healthier, more effective teams, discuss the importance of listening to frontline staff, building trust, communicating with compassion, and creating a workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported. Attendees will learn how leaders can advocate for their teams, develop future leaders, and create opportunities for growth in custodial services. |
Opening Remarks: Sara Porter, Director, HGSC Program Presenter: Melissa Salinas, Custodial Director at Rice University Guided Activity: Chrissy Macken, Program Strategist, HGSC Program |
| Tuesday, July 21 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT |
Session 3: C D E F – Management Tools for Success This presentation will share tools to engage employees while building stronger teams. Communication, Documentation, and Empowerment are key Factors in managing staff toward success. The presentation will assist attendees who are in the early stages of their career, while also refreshing other management professionals in meeting the challenges of employee engagement and team building. |
Opening Remarks: Sara Porter, Director, HGSC Program Presenter: Ada Baldwin, Director of Environmental Services at North Carolina State University Guided Activity: Chrissy Macken, Program Strategist, HGSC Program |
| Thursday, July 23 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT |
Session 4: Women Leading Custodial Services – Pathways, Lessons, and Leadership in Action This facilitated panel will feature women leaders who have built successful careers in custodial services across K-12 and higher education. Drawing from their personal leadership journeys, panelists will discuss how they entered the field, navigated challenges, stepped into positions of greater responsibility, and developed the confidence, skills, and relationships needed to lead large teams and complex operations. The conversation will explore how leaders can create pathways for others and support the next generation of leaders in custodial services. |
Panelists: – Ada Baldwin, Director of Environmental Services at North Carolina State University – Aneta Mistak, Director of Operations at Township District No. 214 – Melissa Salinas, Custodial Director at Rice University Facilitator: Sara Porter, Director, HGSC Program |