After 25 years as an educator, Dr. Garfield Adams took on the challenge of running operations for one of Tennessee’s largest school districts. He explains how his classroom experience shapes decisions about facilities, why data-driven planning matters, and how reorganizing schools into regional hubs is helping deliver resources more equitably. Garfield’s journey is a testament to leading with both heart and strategy.

Architect Brian Hauff and retired Air Force officer Lucas Applewhite bring different skills to a shared mission: keeping Southern Miss’s campuses and research sites running smoothly. They discuss how design thinking, project management, and teamwork help them balance long-term planning with daily challenges—whether building new labs or maintaining old dorms. Their story highlights the power of combining expertise to create great learning environments.

Maxine Coleman’s career leap from landscape architecture to facilities leadership is a masterclass in adaptability. She recounts going back to school mid-career, balancing work and family, and applying her design and project management skills to steward Vassar’s historic campus. From preserving 19th-century architecture to advancing sustainability, Maxine shares how passion and problem-solving drive her work.