Principal and Higher Education Design Leader Benjamin Strain, AIA, LEED AP, and Senior Associate and Senior Planner Woody Giles, AICP, will present a session titled “What to Do After You Win the Lottery: Statewide Funding for Technical Education.”

Many state university systems, along with community and technical colleges, are prioritizing the expansion of technical credential programs. In this session, we’ll dive into how the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, commonly referred to as TCAT, Memphis have successfully aligned planning, funding, and design to achieve these ambitious goals. With substantial state funding driving a comprehensive master plan for TCAT campuses, Tennessee is leading the charge in developing new facilities to boost technical education. Join us to discover the essential tools your institution needs to execute large-scale projects—from strategic planning and project management to designing facilities that equip students with the real-world skills employers are looking for.

Learning outcomes include:

• Explain how to align institutional education and facilities planning with statewide legislative or gubernatorial goals.
• Identify steps for translating master plans into concrete implementation projects on your campus.
• Align project budgets with available funding and resources in an equitable way.
• Find opportunities to modify designs during the planning process to meet evolving programmatic needs.

Benjamin and Woody will be accompanied by Jeffrey Holmes, Director of Planning at Tennessee Board of Regents and Gwen Sutton, President at TCAT Memphis.

The session will be held on the second day of the conference, Monday, October 14 from 11:50 AM to 12:50 PM.