See You at CASH in Palm Springs!

See You at CASH in Palm Springs!

It’s February, which means it’s time for the annual conference of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). This year, our industry will come together February 23-26 at the convention center in beautiful Palm Springs, collectively honoring CASH at its 46th yearly gathering. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues, clients, partners and friends to exchange ideas, learn new strategies and have some fun – all in service to our shared commitment to improving California’s school facilities. And in the wake of the 2024 election, when important state and local school bond measures passed at the polls, we have a lot to celebrate as well as a lot of work to do!

VPCS is always extremely supportive of the CASH conference and its impact. This year will be no exception. Here are some of the ways we’ll be backing the 2025 event:

Kicking Things Off. VPCS is the proud co-sponsor (with Climatec) of the first-ever “Pre-CASH Bash.” Anyone who’s in town on Sunday, 2/23 is welcome to join us for food, beverages and fun from 5:00 to 7:00 at the Thompson Palm Springs, 414 North Palm Canyon Drive.

Supporting the Golf Tournament. Once again, VPCS will be on hand as a proud sponsor of the 2025 CASH Conference Golf Tournament on Sunday, 2/23. Look for us at the first hole, where we’ll be offering adult refreshments, handing out lots of fun swag and having a blast.

Sending a Strong Contingent. No fewer than 15 members of Team Van Pelt will be on hand in Palm Springs. Keep an eye out for Mark Van Pelt, Michael Van Pelt, Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson, Eric Van Pelt, Jennifer Gibb, Brian Cameron, Carl Yeremian, Charles Harbour, Jennifer Kerr, Eric Onick, Felicia Silveira, Jenny Choi, Patti Llamas, Prachi Amin and Scott Marshall.

Participating in Educational Sessions. Members of our team will be on the stage at several different sessions.

  • Vice President of Business Development Jennifer Gibb will sit on the panel at the “New Member, First Time Attendee” session, a fun and interactive discussion designed to orient newcomers to CASH and/or to their school facilities careers. Monday, 2/24 at 10:45.
  • Executive Vice President Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson will be one of three panelists at “New(ish) to Facilities Leadership? Here’s a Guide.” Kelli and her fellow presenters will introduce facilities leadership basics, offering insider tips for those who have come to the role without formal training. This is the third year this extremely popular session will be on the conference agenda. Monday, 2/24 at 3:45.
  • Jennifer Gibb will moderate an important and topical session titled, “Innovating Early Childhood Education (ECE): How Districts Can Create Transformative Pre-K-to-K Facilities.” Joining her on stage will be three panelists, including a representative of Lemon Grove Unified School District, where VPCS has been hard at work bringing the new Early Childhood Education Center to life. Tuesday, 2/25 at 8:30.
  • Jennifer Gibb will also share the stage as a panelist at “A Whole New World: Maintaining Building Program Support Post-Election.” The session will explore how to maintain momentum in the wake of election season, when many bonds have passed and new board and facilities team leaders are stepping into place in school districts. Wednesday, 2/26 at 10:30.

Co-hosting Mixers. Join us at one or both of the evening get-togethers we’re helping throw early in the week. On Monday, 2/24 from 7:00-11:00 p.m., we’ll be at High Bar at the Rowan (100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way). RSVP for our Monday mixer here. On Tuesday, 2/25, we’ll be back at it, this time at Lulu’s Bistro (200 S. Palm Canyon Drive) starting at 5:30. RSVP for our Tuesday mixer here.

Sponsoring the CASH Professional Headshot Photo Booth. On Tuesday, 2/25, CASH attendees are invited to sit for free high-end professional portraits that can be used for career advancement or simply to update online profiles. VPCS is proud to make this first-time CASH conference service available to all registrants at no charge. Digital files will be available on the spot and no appointment is necessary.

Cheering On Our Newest SFLA Graduate. On Monday afternoon, we’ll be in the audience at the CASH School Facilities Leadership Academy (SFLA) graduation ceremony, whooping it up for Jenny Choi, VPCS’s most recent graduate of the program. Jenny will be the sixth of our employees to complete this rigorous year-long training. Jennifer Kerr will join the SFLA cohort that begins the program this year.

Having a Blast at the VPCS Exhibit Booth. CASH conference attendees always love hanging out at the VPCS booth, where there’s never a shortage of fun, conversation and goodies. This year, we’ll have Skee-Ball, device charging stations, lots of our famous swag and more. Find us at spot #1215.

Hope to see you there!

February 18, 2025