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Budget cuts keep coming. Enrollment is shifting. Leadership turnover makes long-term planning harder than ever.
That’s the reality for campus facilities right now—and exactly why senior campus facilities leaders from universities across the country came together in Bonita Springs this November. Not to hear about problems they’re already living. To work through them with people who get it.
Where the Work Actually Happens
The HEFF experience starts the moment people arrive—heading out on catamarans cutting across Naples Bay, teeing off at Saltleaf Golf Preserve, or hopping aboard a pirate ship with a crew that takes the theme a little too seriously.
By Sunday evening, people weren’t introducing themselves. They were already talking through campus challenges, capital priorities, and what was waiting back home.
The event is intentionally small and curated, creating space for relaxed, honest conversations among peers carrying similar responsibility.
Setting the Tone
Sunday night opened with Tyler Gillum, Head Coach of the Savannah Bananas, who brought an unexpected but timely perspective on leadership, belief, and culture.
Facilities leaders don’t lead from the sidelines. His message about ownership and showing up—especially when conditions aren’t perfect—resonated with leaders responsible for complex organizations and mission-critical systems.
Tyler Gillum, Head Coach of the Savannah Bananas
Content That Framed the Moment
The State of Higher Ed Facilities panel grounded the room in reality. Leaders spoke candidly about what pressure looks like on campus: prioritizing failures instead of wish lists, rebuilding culture on campuses slow to return post-pandemic, and making visible service cuts while knowing long-term costs will rise.
Higher ed futurist & author Bryan Alexander helped the room zoom out, offering context for the changes shaping higher ed and why they matter for campus facilities leaders.
Higher ed futurist & author Bryan Alexander
Other talks reinforced the theme. Dwyn Taylor, Chief Facilities Officer at Virginia Tech, shared how the university restructured their facilities organization into a matrix model. Mark Helms, Assistant Vice President of Facilities Services at the University of Florida, outlined how UF expanded campus square footage while cutting energy use by 17%. And Ron Galloway, author and futurist, challenged leaders to think ahead as robotics arrive faster than most campus infrastructure plans anticipate.
Where Peers Get Honest
The mastermind roundtables brought facilities leaders together to work through live challenges—how to prioritize capital projects when budgets are unpredictable, survive enrollment pressure without losing your team, and navigate major system changes. Just peers sharing what's worked, what hasn't, and what they're trying next.
Why the 1:1s Matter
At the core of HEFF are the curated one-on-one sourcing meetings.
These were focused conversations tied to real campus needs: deferred maintenance strategies, energy systems, building automation, capital planning tools, and construction services. Leaders weren’t browsing options—they were digging into projects already on their desks.
“I was a little apprehensive about meeting with vendors,” Bob Sheeran, VP of Facilities at Xavier, shared. “It turned out to be a highlight of the trip.”
David Gingerella, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Facilities at UMass Dartmouth, was more direct: “At other conferences, I feel like a fish walking around the vendor area waiting to get hooked. At HEFF, I know exactly who I’m meeting with and why.”
The structure works because the matching is intentional—campus leaders connected with solution providers who came prepared to understand their specific challenges and help move projects forward.
What They Left With
By the time HEFF wrapped, leaders were leaving with new partners they could call Monday morning, peers who’d already solved problems they’re facing, and clarity on projects that had stalled.
More importantly, they left knowing they weren’t alone in the work.
“This is by FAR the best conference I attend,” one facilities leader wrote. “Overall 5 stars, for sure.”
HEFF returns November 9–11, 2026, in San Antonio.
For campus facilities leaders navigating budget pressure, workforce challenges, and infrastructure decisions that can’t wait—this is where the work happens.
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