Welcome Message from Debra Yap

President, Virginia School Plant Management Association (VSPMA)

Welcome to the Virginia School Plant Management Association (VSPMA)! Our mission is to support public school facility professionals and K-12 educational environments in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We serve as the vehicle for promoting education facility improvements within our school divisions and with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Within the Commonwealth, there 133 School Divisions organized into 8 Regions comprised of 1,860 local schools, 155 local centers, and 91 regional centers. The VSPMA Board is comprised of elected representatives from each of the 8 regions as well as 2 members-at-large and headed by an Executive Committee.

Our network of facility professionals is an invaluable source of information for help with on-the-ground issues as well as staying current with the latest facility techniques and technologies. We also look to our vendor partnerships to help us solve our “issues of the day” such as COVID and indoor air quality requirements. We maintain a good working relationship with the VDOE and provide input on proposed VDOE guidance such as the legislated “Lead in Drinking Water” testing requirement.

The highlight of every year is the Annual Conference and Trade Show drawing attendees from across the Commonwealth as well as nation-wide vendors serving educational facility professionals. The Conference features guest speakers and learning sessions addressing relevant facility issues as well as issues-of-the-day. We look forward to holding our next Conference in October 2023 in the centrally located Hilton Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Midlothian, VA. Please join us – we welcome all School Plant Managers and Facility Vendors!

How to get started with the VSMPA? First, contact your Regional Representative, attend your Region’s meetings, join the VSPMA and get on our mailing list! Feel free to reach out to your fellow Facility Managers with success stories, questions, and requests for help. That’s the best part of being a part of the VSPMA – the people!

Thank you for visiting this page and I look forward to meeting you!

Debra Yap
President, VSPMA
Director of Operations and Maintenance (RETIRED)
Alexandria City Public Schools