OPP’s Clark recognized for service to educational facilities industry

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Elizabeth (Beth) Clark, an analyst administrative and financial services in the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) at Penn State, was recently recognized by the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA), the professional association of educational facilities, with the 2021 Meritorious Service Award. The award was presented to Clark at the 2021 APPA annual conference, Virtual Facilities Summit. 

“Each year APPA members bestow the Meritorious Service Award upon no more than three members who have made significant, life-long contributions to the profession of education facilities management,” said Margaret Tennessen, vice president of member and community engagement for APPA. “Beth is recognized for her leadership and support for the facilities management profession on her campus and at every level of APPA.”  

Clark attended the Eastern Region of APPA (ERAPPA) 2004 annual meeting in Syracuse, just four months after starting her job at Penn State. Since then, she has whole-heartedly supported all things APPA, ERAPPA, and Keystone APPA (KAPPA). Clark has served in numerous leadership positions at all levels of APPA, including past president of the KAPPA chapter and the ERAPPA. This month she is completing her three-year term as APPA International’s vice president for professional development. She has delivered multiple conference presentations, often incorporating her love of sports with leadership topics. On campus, she helped to facilitate more than 100 Penn State employees through credentialing cohorts, a program that won APPA’s Effective and Innovative Practices Award in 2017. Thanks to this effort, Penn State currently has 77 credentialed certified educational facilities professionals in their ranks.  

“I am tremendously grateful for the support from OPP leadership to serve APPA in ways that were deemed worthy of this award. It has been an honor to represent Penn State and OPP in my various roles within the APPA international organization, the Eastern region, and the Keystone chapter,” said Clark. “I am humbled by the recognition and remain committed to the continued professional development of and networking among my educational facilities management colleagues across the country and around the world.” 

“Because of her long-standing and deep commitment to the field, it comes as no surprise to me that Beth was honored with this award. It is a well-deserved recognition,” said Bill Sitzabee, vice president of facilities management and planning and Penn State’s chief facilities officer. “Beth’s dedication to the educational facilities industry is an enormous asset to both the industry at large, and to Penn State. As a professional society geared towards facilities, APPA provides a great deal of professional development opportunities for OPP.” 

To be eligible for the Meritorious Service Award, individuals must have been an active member of APPA for a minimum of 10 years; attended and participated in meetings and other functions at the international level; and demonstrated continued and distinguished leadership service to the association.