Saturday, June 13, 2026

Feel free to join for all or part of the evening—this is a relaxed, social way to connect with fellow attendees.

4:00 PM – Three Notch’d Brewery & Distillery
4:45 PM – Bingo Brewery
5:30 PM – Harry’s @ Hofheimer
6:15 PM – Buskey Cidery
7:00 PM – Walk to CarMax Park

Transportation: Plan your Uber to depart the Hilton Hotel at 3:45PM and arrive at the first stop. From there, we’ll walk together to each location.

Wrap up the evening at a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game, starting at 7:05PM.

Important: These special game tickets are limited to 50 attendees and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. LIMIT two (2) tickets per attendee. Sign up for tickets via the link provided in the pre-conference events email. 

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Roundtable discussion topics include: Housing, Food Services/ Dining/ Catering, Bookstores, Transportation/Parking/Fleet,  Print/Post, and Finance

Join this roundtable conversation with Scott Seagren, NACAS President, and Rich Steele, NACAS CEO, for a deeper dive into the inner workings of your professional association. Your questions will drive the discussion, but certain topics will be ready for review - such as:

• AI in Auxiliary Services.
• New micro credentials and tracks focused on Business Partner development
  Partnerships with other higher education association
• Recent Board actions and discussions
• Details about C3X in Chicago this September
• New member benefit initiatives under consideration
• How NACAS is working to impact the auxiliary services industry

Every campus leader knows the student experience is shaped in the moments that often go unseen—like a long line at lunch, a maintenance issue left unresolved, or a retail experience that misses the mark. The challenge isn’t whether feedback exists, it’s whether it is being captured and acted on.

At the University of Richmond, Campus Business Services and Facilities faced a familiar reality: feedback was scattered, response times lagged, and visibility across operations was limited. Sound familiar?

In this session, we’ll pull back the curtain on how Richmond is shifting from reacting to problems after the fact to proactively managing the student experience in real time. By bringing together student feedback and service recovery into one connected system, their teams are transforming how issues are identified, routed, and resolved—resulting in greater accountability and improved responsiveness across campus.

You’ll hear how Richmond is:

● Capturing feedback in the moment

● Empowering teams to take action faster with clear ownership

● Leveraging centralized data and AI-driven insights to spot trends before they become problems

More importantly, we’ll explore what this means for the bigger picture—improving student satisfaction, strengthening operational performance, and building trust across campus communities.

Whether you're just beginning to think about how you collect and use data, or looking to scale your current approach, this session will provide practical ideas, real examples, and strategies you can immediately apply to drive meaningful impact.

Speakers: 

Jerry Clemmer, University of Richmond
Emily Sandow, Touchwork

Student move-in is one of the most complex and highly visible operational moments on any campus. At Penn State, thousands of students and families arrive within a short window, requiring careful coordination across multiple auxiliary service units. 

This session will highlight how Penn State redesigned its Arrival process to create a more efficient, student-centered move-in experience. Attendees will learn how Housing, Transportation, Information Technology, and Marketing partnered to streamline operations through improved planning, cross-unit coordination, and technology enhancements such as mobile ID credentials, conversion of 12,000 locks and self-check-in tools. 

Presenters will share operational strategies, lessons learned, and practical insights from implementing these changes at scale. Participants will leave with adaptable ideas and frameworks that can help institutions of any size improve the arrival experience while strengthening collaboration across campus services.

Speakers:

Matt Black, Penn State
Ryan Morgan, Penn State
Ryan Connaghan, Penn State

Auxiliary leaders are feeling the squeeze: delivering high-quality dining experiences while protecting margins, all amid staffing constraints and increasingly volatile commodity markets. Protein is where these pressures are showing up most clearly. Since 2021, beef prices rose by as much as 40%, with chicken prices up approximately 27%. Looking ahead, prices are likely to remain high or continue rising due to market concentration, price fixing, and profiteering by major processors.

At the same time, the broader nutrition conversation is evolving. Recent dietary guidelines and the scientific advisory report have emphasized a balanced protein intake, incorporating protein from both plant and animal sources, with specific attention to whole foods vegetable protein, such as legumes/beans as a core option. 

Drawing on insights from SUNY Cobleskill (and we are reaching out to other C&U’s as well) institutional experience, this session explores how plant-rich and mixed-protein approaches can act as a practical risk-management strategy for campus dining operations. Panelists will examine what “balanced protein” looks like in practice and how these approaches can help stabilize and reduce costs while continuing to meet student expectations for taste, satisfaction, and nutrition. Presenters will share per-gram protein cost comparisons, real-world menu examples, and insights into marketing and communications strategies that support student acceptance. 

Auxiliary leader from SUNY Cobleskill and other insitutions will join the panel to offer an institutional perspective on rising protein costs and how campuses are responding in practice. The session will be moderated by the NACAS Plant-Rich Program team.

Speakers: 

Sylke Jaspers, NACAS Plant-Rich Program
Sid Mehta, NACAS NextGen Dining/ Greenworks Inc.

Take your career in campus auxiliary services to the next level with the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) program! This session will illuminate the unique benefits of CASP—the only benchmark certification for higher education professionals overseeing multiple auxiliaries. Discover how CASP can empower your institution with leadership succession, collaboration, and efficiency gains, while fast-tracking your personal growth and opening doors to new opportunities. Learn about the exam structure, eligibility, application process, and exclusive NACAS South scholarship. Our presenters will share firsthand experiences, insider tips, and pathways for professional engagement, from contributing knowledge to recertification. If you’re ambitious about advancing your expertise and standing out in the field, this session is your first step. Join us and start your CASP journey today!

Speakers: 

Jerry Clemmer, CASP, University of Richmond
Dr. LeVita Bassett, CASP, Howard University

For university auxiliary leaders, balancing institutional goals with tight budget constraints and high student expectations is a daily challenge. While culinary inspiration is essential, true long-term success is rooted in the "back-end" architecture of the dining program. This session moves beyond individual dish execution to explore the menu cycle as a strategic lever for cost management, institutional alignment, and crave-worthy, plant-rich dining at scale.

Moderated by Greener by Default, this panel features a comparative look at operational models at Boston University and Clark University. Our culinary and operational leaders will showcase real-world menu-cycle samples and break down the structural design required to drive plant-rich outcomes at scale.
Attendees will learn the mechanics of designing highly effective menu cycles, focusing on optimized defaults and ratios, seamless mixed-protein integration, recipe standardization, and aligning procurement with menu strategy. Panelists will share actionable case data, demonstrating how these structural shifts reduce exposure to volatile animal-protein commodities and drive dining margins.

This panel will explore how various behavioral nudges act as the lever for plant-forward dining to become the chosen default for students without restricting choice. This session concludes with an opportunity for attendees to share their own menu challenges with the panel to identify and workshop high-impact structural solutions.

Speakers:

Dr. Shabnam Islam, Greener By Default
Jay Vetter, Harvest Table
Chris Tucker, Greener By Default
Jon Webster, Boston University

Unfunded deferred maintenance is a well‑documented national challenge in higher education—yet its impact on auxiliary services is rarely addressed with the same urgency or visibility.

In this educational session, Bill Guerrero, a 26‑year higher education executive, former NACAS East President, long‑serving Chief Financial Officer, current Chief Information Officer at Sacred Heart University, and frequent national speaker (including the NACAS AVE webinar series), will examine practical strategies for addressing deferred maintenance and technical debt across auxiliary operations.
Drawing on deep operational experience, this session will explore how deferred maintenance affects critical auxiliary services such as housing, dining, campus stores, parking and transportation, laundry, mailroom operations, and One‑Card programs—and what institutions can do to respond strategically and sustainably.

Participants will gain actionable insights and best practices grounded in facilities management, information technology, finance, and service delivery. Attendees will also hear directly from a senior auxiliary and enterprise executive on how cross‑functional leadership and integrated decision‑making can reduce risk, improve service quality, and strengthen long‑term financial sustainability.

This session is designed to deliver practical takeaways and professional growth insights for auxiliary services leaders navigating aging infrastructure, constrained resources, and rising service expectations.

Speaker:

William Guerrero, Sacred Heart University

As campus auxiliary leaders face increasing pressure to reduce the cost of attendance, modernize services, and generate sustainable revenue, traditional campus bookstore and retail models are no longer sufficient.

This NACAS session presents a case study from Drexel University, which used a competitive RFP process and an innovative dual award partnership model to fundamentally rethink campus retail and course materials delivery. Drexel selected Rally House as its official campus store partner while awarding eCampus responsibility for course materials—intentionally breaking the traditional brick and mortar bookstore paradigm.

Presenters will explore how separating academic course materials from the physical store unlocked new revenue opportunities, improved the student and faculty experience, repurposed retail space for higher margin merchandise, and expanded alumni and community engagement. The session will also highlight how this model strengthened vendor collaboration, supported institutional affordability goals, and created a scalable framework for future auxiliary partnerships.

Attendees will gain practical insights into RFP strategy, vendor alignment, space optimization, and partnership governance they can apply within their own auxiliary operations.

Speaker: 

Amanda Noll, Drexel University

Monday, June 15, 2026

As leaders navigate increasing financial pressures, aging infrastructure, and evolving student expectations, the connection between facilities and finance has never been more critical. This session explores how institutions are leveraging data, analytics, and emerging technologies to make smarter, more strategic decisions across auxiliary operations, campus facilities, and infrastructure.

Panelists will share practical approaches to aligning capital planning with operational priorities, using data to inform investment decisions, and improving efficiency across complex service portfolios. From predictive maintenance and energy management to revenue forecasting and cost optimization, attendees will gain insights into how integrated strategies can strengthen campus operations and enhance the student experience.

Speakers:

Johnathan Kukta, Penn State
Tom Rodgers, Penn State
Kris Klinger, Boston University 
Scott Seagren, University of Iowa

After bringing Print and Post operations internal from an outsourced model in 2021, UR faced a new era in bringing them back into the fold. Our Director (and 39-year employee) retired, we re-organized the departments, and we started fresh. 

Important milestones in the last 5 years: changing management, flipping the MFD fleet, getting the shop licensed to print UR-licensed marks, and buying new production equipment. We'll discuss the thought processes, victories, and frustrations experienced throughout the process.

Speaker:

Josh Wroniewicz, CASP, University of Richmond 

This session will discuss how this semester-long project with a marketing professor's course was formed: How the students worked with the SpiderShop staff to develop art, choose garments, analyze the cost and follow the pieces through the production process. Students helped with marketing, price setting, and the selling of these items.

Speaker:

Gina Foster, University of Richmond

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Many institutions are embracing the opportunity to rethink their dining programs as student expectations evolve, and Virginia Tech is no exception. Prior to the pandemic, the university saw more than 10,000 voluntary meal plan holders due to its infamous declining balance meal plan models, and while participation shifted significantly in recent years, this change created a valuable moment to reimagine what students truly need and value. 

Speakers:

Ann Roebuck, Envision Strategies
Brian Grove, Virgina Tech
This session will highlight the positive, forward-looking approach Virginia Tech took in redesigning its meal plan structure, one that turns financial pressures, high overhead rates, and student feedback into a catalyst for innovation.
Participants will learn how the university conducted a comprehensive assessment of its dining locations, existing plans, gaining deeper insight into student behavior, spending patterns, and the financial dynamics of the program. The session will introduce a new model built around simplicity, transparency, flexibility, and food security, core principles that enhance both student experience and operational sustainability.
Attendees will gain an inside look at the decision-making process behind introducing refreshed plan options, as well as the operational, technological, and facility considerations needed to support long term success. From capacity planning to technology updates to improving plan clarity, this presentation will demonstrate how thoughtful restructuring can strengthen both student satisfaction and the financial health of a dining program.

Food insecurity remains a pressing challenge at urban universities where students face high living costs.  Campus planning decisions, operational models, and meal plan structure all play a role in balancing food equity with individual choice. This session explores the design, operational, and social implications of that balance through case studies and discussion. Attendees will examine strategies for balancing autonomy and access, assess dining models within their institutions, and identify ways to adapt facilities and policies for inclusivity. Interactive dialogue will encourage participants to share insights and develop actionable approaches to equitable, student-centered dining.

Speakers:

Cooper Melton, Ayers Saint Gross
Stephen Barr, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ann Roebuck, Envision Strategies
Jason Wilcoxon, Ayers Saint Gross

Campus dining is a strategic platform for leadership, learning, and institutional impact.  This session explores a three-way partnership model where auxiliary & business leadership, dining service partners, and academics collaborate to transform retail cafes into experiential learning laboratories.

Hear from business and academic leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University, Boston University, and Aramark on how they built campus retail operations that double as student leadership labs.  The panel will explore how students run high-performing campus businesses with real P&L responsibility while simultaneously earning academic credit and career-ready skills that align with each institution’s strategic goals.

Panelists will discuss practical strategies for building cross functional coalitions, aligning incentives across multiple stakeholders, integrating learning objectives into operational workflows, and overcoming common implementation challenges.  Real-world results from Boston University will illustrate measurable impacts on operational performance, guest satisfaction, financial sustainability, and student leadership development.

Through a combination of case study insights and interactive Q&A, participants will leave equipped to take steps in their own campus settings—whether initiating partnerships, embedding experiential learning, or creating operational and student success metrics to demonstrate impact.  This session provides actionable frameworks to show how campus dining can not only serve an operational necessity but also be seen as a transformational asset, making every shift a lesson in leadership, accountability, and mission-driven performance.

Speakers:

Narissa Taylor, Virginia Commonwealth University
Lauren Hay, Virginia Commonwealth University
Bryan Kelly, Aramark
Katybeth Lee, Virginia Commonwealth University
Kris Klinger, Boston University
Emily Foote, Saxbys

Leadership in Action: Building a Culture of Trust and Innovation

This session challenges the notion that leadership is defined by title or position, instead focusing on how everyday leadership behaviors within each of us shape organizational culture, trust, and long‑term effectiveness. It emphasizes that leadership is most visible in daily choices, how leaders respond under pressure, handle uncertainty, invite input, and consistently model expectations for others.

Participants examine trust as the foundation for strong culture and sustainable innovation. The session highlights that trust is built through consistency, accountability, respect, openness, and alignment between words and actions. When trust is present, people feel safe to speak up, challenge assumptions, and contribute ideas; creating the conditions that enable growth, adaptability, and innovation.

The session concludes by reinforcing a clear charge to leaders: culture is not a concept to endorse, but a responsibility to practice. Attendees leave with a practical understanding of how their behaviors, especially in moments of challenge; either strengthen or erode trust, and how intentional leadership actions can create environments where people perform at their best, decisions improve, and innovation can thrive.

Speaker: 

Wesley Sheets, Penn State

Auxiliary services leaders are increasingly asked to justify major decisions — on dining contracts, residence investments, parking systems, bookstores, card systems, and more — with evidence that holds up against peer comparison. Yet most institutions still rely on local surveys, vendor reports, or anecdote, with no standardized way to see how their students' experience compares to peers.
This session shares early findings from the inaugural NACAS APEX benchmarking cohort — the first standardized, cross-service, cross-institution student experience benchmark built specifically for auxiliary services.

Speakers: 

William Hurley, NACAS
Dean Langan, Sheridan College

Urban and land-constrained campuses face mounting pressure to provide affordable on-campus housing that supports student success and equity goals. With over 40% of students at four-year colleges experiencing housing insecurity, this session examines how strategic planning decisions, alternate delivery methods, and creative design approaches enable institutions to build affordability into their housing while competing with expensive off-campus markets. Featured case studies from Virginia Commonwealth University demonstrate practical approaches for maximizing the use of constrained urban sites while expanding options for accessible campus housing.

Speakers:

Cooper Melton, Ayers Saint Gross
Megan Becker, Virginia Commonwealth University
Andrea Becker, Brailsford & Dunlavey

*Schedule subject to change*