October 2026 Newsletter

For the past several years, newsletters from the chair have followed the yearly rhythm of chapter events: launching a new year and announcing the Annual General Meeting often held in February, checking in at the midpoint of our typical event season in May, and reflecting on a crescendo of chapter activities as summer fades into fall. This is my favorite season, not only for the great hiking weather, but also for the gatherings of preservation professionals at all stages of their careers: the start of a new academic year, the APT-DVC symposium in even-numbered years, and the annual APT International conference.

In the last week of October, several chapter members and I will travel to Indianapolis to see local preservation successes on field sessions, earn continuing education credits through attention to presentations, and learn about products and services in the exhibit hall. I plan to arrive early for the APT International board meeting, chair a presentation session, and stay through the closing celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. For many of us, the most important part will be renewing connections in a network of friends who help each other solve problems in the maintenance, repair, and adaptive use of the existing built environment.

Although the annual pattern of APT activities repeats, year-to-year comparisons reveal growth. APT International and APT-DVC continue to increase membership and organizational effectiveness. Research for the chapter's 40th anniversary publication in 2024 unearthed gems like the Nicholas L. Gianopulos Award, and we expect preparations for celebrating APT International's 60th anniversary in 2028 will do the same. Among twenty-one chapters worldwide, APT-DVC continues to fortify its position as one of the largest and most consistently active.

These long histories are the product of many contributions, of leadership from volunteers, and of financial support from members and sponsors. The road has not always been smooth: this year's inaugural Gianopulos Award winner, Richard I. Ortega, recently reminded me of previous tensions between the international organization and APT-DVC about conference planning and collection of membership dues. Our intention to do better in the future is reflected in strategic planning, with the chapter adopting a five-year plan to better understand and serve our members' needs, and APT International working on its own five-year plan that is expected to include greater support of, and clarify relationships with, the chapters.

I am honored to serve as chair of APT-DVC, as a steward of its traditions now entering their fifth decade, and as a bridge to APT International and its wider network of preservation professionals. We are more effective through collaboration than as individuals, and the relationships we nurture are at least as important as the built environment we help maintain.

Justin M. Spivey, PE, FAPT, APT RP
Chair, APT Delaware Valley Chapter