Historical Perspective

NSPMA was chartered in St Louis, Missouri during the spring of 1995. Southern School Plant Management Association (SSPMA) was having its annual conference under the direction of President Tony Sloan, Columbia Public Schools, Columbia, Missouri.

The Executive Board placed before the membership a motion to change from Southern to the National School Plant Management Association (NSPMA), which was adopted by the membership. Jim Vicar, Beaufort County Schools, Beaufort, South Carolina, President-elect of SSPMA became the first President of NSPMA. The first year was not without struggles and growing pains. During that first year, the Executive Director position was abolished and the Executive Board was revised to provide a more active Board of Directors. Funds were scarce, approximately $1,800.00 remained after allocating the Executive Secretary’s operating budget. Emotions and feelings were tested. The first NSPMA Conference was held April 1996 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The meeting facilities were at the Radisson Inn - Kingston Plantation, located in the center of a prestigious golf course and yet the conference did not include a golf outing. Jim Vicar’s recollection of the first conference, "I believe there were 58 vendors and over 175 members in attendance. Gary Griesser was the first keynote speaker. The parade of States was started in Myrtle Beach and traditions like State meetings and social events continued from the Southern to the National. Kentucky had more members present than any other State including South Carolina. The weather was cloudy and cold outside but the membership was warm and cordial inside." Lest we forget: Southern School Plant Management Association began out of the desire of a group of Maintenance and Operation individuals representing the State Department’s of Education in the south, who met annually, during the Interstate School Planning Conference at Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee. Their desire was to provide an organization to tie existing state maintenance and operational organizations together and encourage new state organizations where none existed. It was conceived in Atlanta, Georgia with its first annual conference in Little Rock, Arkansas under the able leadership of Conrad Wells, Arkansas State Department of Education, as its first President. He, along with many other fine leaders, refined and improved SSPMA through 1995. For any Organization to grow, you must look at your history. NSPMA has been richly served to have the historical background of the Southern School Plant Management Association from which to develop and grow. Jim Vicar’s comments on the future, "Our membership had expanded to States outside what was considered the South and we wanted to establish a single clearing house for facility-related information as well as other areas associated with our profession. The support was immediate and enthusiasm ran extremely high. We were on our way. The road was not, without bumps and turns, but we began our journey and it continues today.

The feared resentment towards the establishment of a National Association never materialized and growth and professionalism continue today. As with a growing tree, the roots are never seen but the beauty of the branches make it obvious that they exist. I hope the roots of the NSPMA will always be strong enough to support what I hope will become an ever broadening tree of knowledge and professionalism, one that will unite facility personnel throughout this great Country and beyond."