Description:

Hello Austin ASHRAE! Please join us for our first chapter meeting of the 2026-27 ASHRAE Season. We are changing things up a little and doing a dinner meeting at El Arroyo.

For this month, our main technical presentation will feature an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer (DL), Catherine Tinkler. Catherine will be presenting From Index to Initiative: Using Assessments to Create Actionable Facility Plans.

Attention members! Invite your non-member friends and colleagues to the August Chapter Meeting! This is a great opportunity to introduce people to ASHRAE!

Chapter Meeting Schedule:

5:00pm: Happy Hour! Arrive / Check-in / Mingle

5:45pm: ASRHAE Intros / Meeting Announcements

6:00pm: Main Technical Presentation: Info to follow

PARKING:

Street parking is limited but available. There is limited parking along the backside of El Arroyo and a parking garage directly across the street at Hartland Plaza. 

Main Presentation: 

From Index to Initiative: Using Assessments to Create Actionable Facility Plans

Facility owners and operators regularly face complex decisions about their existing building portfolios when considering annual operations and maintenance budgets, capital improvement plans, repair or replacement choices for renewal efforts, and even repurpose, adaptive reuse, or divestment decisions. With 85% of a building’s lifespan occurring while the facility is populated, reframing decision-making through a holistic lens is essential—not only to maintain the functionality of existing structures but also to transition facilities from being resource-intensive to creating a net-positive impact.

This session provides an overview of how comprehensive facility assessments, benchmarking performance data, and integrating regenerative design principles can enhance strategic planning. Understanding the full range of available assessments and the types of data that can be collected, benchmarked, and utilized is key to shaping proactive, data-driven, and comprehensive planning efforts. Participants will explore how these efforts align asset management strategies with broader sustainability goals, emphasizing the critical importance of creating initiatives that support occupant health, safety, and welfare while actively contributing to organizational sustainability targets.

To achieve these objectives, this session highlights practical tools, such as the Facility Quality Initiatives (FQI) framework, which integrates diverse data streams—facility condition, energy efficiency, resilience, decarbonization, and programmatic suitability—into a cohesive approach. By employing advanced scoring methodologies informed by industry standards, the FQI framework offers actionable recommendations, helping organizations prioritize renewal efforts while achieving measurable, long-term results. This approach ensures project outcomes that align with institutional goals and proactively address aging infrastructure, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability challenges.

Meet the Speaker:

Catherine Tinkler serves as the Capital Strategy Studio Practice Leader within the education planning sector at HKS, Inc., bringing over 25 years of experience in facility operations, maintenance, and project management. Catherine specializes in developing strategic master plans and facility improvement strategies that align with institutional goals. Her expertise in operations and maintenance management, coupled with certification as an Existing Building Commissioning Professional (EBCP), allows her to engage collaboratively with engineers, facility owners, and stakeholders to document deficiencies, benchmark performance, and implement proactive asset renewal programs. Catherine’s work encompasses campus master plans, central plant renewals, feasibility studies, sustainment strategies, and operational improvements across diverse market sectors. Her prior experience as the Director of Strategic Planning and Special Projects for a higher education institution refined her ability to lead facility-related projects with a clear focus on adaptability and long-term goals. Additionally, her background as a PK-12 administrator and certified teacher provides her with unique insights into the symbiotic relationship between facility quality, environmental conditions, and academic outcomes. Recognizing the growing demand for streamlined, data-driven capital planning systems, Catherine developed the Facility Quality Initiatives (FQI) framework. By integrating assessments of facility condition, energy efficiency, resilience, decarbonization, and programmatic suitability, this model allows for clear prioritization of renewal projects. Incorporating advanced scoring methodologies and aligning with industry standards, the FQI framework supports informed decision-making, bridging knowledge gaps to align planning processes with institutional and sustainability goals.

Catherine is an engaged member of ASHRAE, where she has taken on leadership roles, including Chair of Technical Committees 7.3 (Operations, Maintenance, and Cost Management) and Vice-Chair of TC 9.7 (Educational Facilities). She has also served as Chapter President of the ASHRAE Houston Chapter during the 2023-2024 term. Her client focused perspective, combined with tools like the FQI framework, equips organizations with actionable strategies tailored to infrastructure challenges and goals for sustainable, long-term success.

Tickets

$35.00 Member Registration
$40.00 after 05:00 pm August 19

$40.00 Non Member Registration
$45.00 after 05:00 pm August 19

$0.00 Student Ticket