Maintenance Management School

Maintenance Management School (MMS)

November 4 - 8, 2024
UCLA Lake Arrowhead, CA
Hosted by CPRS HQ and MMS Regents

Every year, 150+ park and recreation professionals, representing over 60 public agencies, arrive at stunning Lake Arrowhead to participate in this five-year program. The school teaches a systematic approach for determining the resources needed to maintain a public facility, with lifelong professionals providing knowledge and opportunities not available anywhere else. Whether it's your 1st Year attending, 2nd Year learning with us or you are ready for the Grad Forum, there is place for you at Maintenance Management School!

Click below to see highlights from the 2023 school! 

Learn more about what each year of programming has to offer participants immediately below!

MMS First Year

Maintenance Management School offers practical and innovative education for professional management and maintenance operations personnel.

What will you learn?
How a Maintenance Management Plan (MMP) can improve your agency, your team, and the work you do, all while leading to both professional and personal growth.   You'll walk away with actionable tools to create a customized MMP (maintenance management plan), as well as resources on how to best manage the resources you are responsible for while understanding the fiscal impact of the work you do.

Your first year in our program, you will learn:

  • How to develop a quantitative system to identify needed resources for maintenance
  • How to create a solid and complete maintenance budget for decision-makers
  • How to provide service-level options to meet budget constraints for decision-makers and the general public
  • Teamwork
  • Advancement skills

After completion of the first-year program, you’ll have a “toolbox” of skills and techniques to increase efficiency, productivity, and performance that will help you keep pace with changing societal and organizational trends.

Meet your First-Year Regents:

Dan Fonner, Lead Regent and Parks Superintendent, Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space
Levi Winebrenner, Parks and Facilities Manager, City of Hanford
Emiliano Barajas, Parks Crew Leader, City of Sunnyvale
Robert Sustaita, Park Maintenance Supervisor I, OC Parks

Limited to 75 students.

MMS Second Year

Once you've completed the first-year curriculum, join us for the second of our five year program. Just like first-year, most components are taught by your peers, our School Regents.

What will you learn?
MMS second-year focuses on the 'politics' of being a supervisor and the importance of succession planning.  You'll hone your skills in how to advocate for your program needs, using data gathered through your MMP (maintenance management plan).  Work on budget development helps round out your potential career advancement opportunities taught through this curriculum.

The second-year in our program, you will learn about implementing a Maintenance Management Plan through total resource management:

  • How to develop and manage a budget while keeping up with the politics and ethical issues of modern government
  • Principles of contracting and outsourcing services
  • Leadership
  • Motivation
  • Public Speaking
Innovative Elements - Student Presentations!  

Second -year builds on the curriculum of first-year with an emphasis on the popular “Innovative Elements” student presentations.  You will learn more about managing budgets, the politics of maintenance management, ethical and professional issues, the principals of contracting and outsourcing, public speaking, and leadership for the maintenance profession. Each student will also present to the class an idea that your agency has creatively implemented in the area of park operations, maintenance, programming or management.  The “Innovative Element” may involve personnel, safety, equipment, preventive maintenance, operations, design or any other area related to outdoor maintenance management.  The presentation will be verbal and will include the use of a PowerPoint slide presentation that must not exceed 5 minutes in length.

  • The presentation will be verbal and will include the use of a PowerPoint or Prezi slide presentation. Images on your slides help tell your story.
  • The presentation must not exceed 5 minutes in length.
  • Each student is asked to bring the PowerPoint or Prezi presentation on a thumb drive for use during your presentation.
  • Be creative!  Use of handouts, visual aids, and video in addition to the PowerPoint or Prezi slides are encouraged.
Meet your Second-Year Regents:

Derek Neumann, Lead Regent and Field Operations Manager, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Melanie Goss, Park Maintenance Supervisor, OC Parks
Jacob Lichtenberger, Parks Superintendent, City of Eastvale


Limited to 45 students.

MMS Grad Forum

Students must have completed both first- and second-year curriculums to be eligible to attend MMS Grad Forum.  

What will you learn?
Our Grad Forum focuses on leadership development and requires personal investment.  Think 'Executive Coaching'... if you are ready to take your career to a new level, this is the forum for you.  All Grad Forum participants can expect to produce a final project on-site.  

Note that our Grad Year is actually THREE years of learning which rotate annually:
Year 1:  Personal Career Development
Year 2:  Planning Forward
Year 3:  Leadership & Management 

The 2024 school will offer grad forum participants the Leadership & Management curriculum focusing on negotiations, delegation, communication, difficult conversations, time management and more. 

Examples of specific topics include: 

  • Leadership
  • Critical Thinking/ Decision Making
  • Delegation
  • Time Management
  • Are you a leader or manager?
  • Political Savvy. What is it?
Meet your Grad Forum Regents:

Tara Gee, Lead Regent and Park Planning and Development Superintendent, City of Roseville
Henry Perezalonso, Recreation, Arts & Community Services Director, Town of Danville

Limited to 25 students.

MMS 2024 registration is not currently open - check back in mid-May.

In mid-May you can also look forward to information about how to apply for a partial and/or full scholarship to participate in MMS 2024 - stay tuned!

Want to plan ahead for your budget process?  See the MMS 2024 pricing structure below.  If you would like to learn more about CPRS membership for the cost savings (among other benefits) please call CPRS HQ at (916) 665-2777.  

CPRS Member Rate Non-Member Rate
First / Second / Grad Year Early Registration $1,900 $2,300
First / Second / Grad Year Late Registration $2,100 $2,500
Transportation to/from Ontario Airport $120 $130


The registration fee provides an all-inclusive experience: 

  • Four days of education and professional development engagements & networking opportunities 
  • All learning materials and supplies 
  • Windbreaker jacket 
  • All meals while on-site (4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners)
  • Lodging at the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge

If you would like more information about MMS, please connect with CPRS HQ at (916) 665-2777.  

Sponsorship Opportunities (2024)

Sponsorship of the school brings direct exposure to 150 park and recreation professionals representing more than 50 public agencies in the Southwestern United States. As decision-makers and employees who influence the final decision-makers, these individuals are continually looking for new and better means and methods to maintain parks and facilities.

Let us know you're interested in 2024 today!

Sponsorship Opportunities (2023)

While the 2024 MMS Vendor and Sponsor package is updated, we welcome you to see the 2023 package details below for reference.

MMS School Sponsor: $2,000

  • Only 1 available
  • Logo placement on MMS webpage
  • Logo banner hung in a prominent location during MMS
  • Recognition during MMS Welcome on Monday, Nov. 6th
  • Opportunity to provide a logoed amenity for all attendees
  • Sponsor & Product Showcase AND Vendor Fair Included! 

MMS Event Sponsor: $1,500

  • Only 2 available
  • Choose between Softball Game on Wednesday or School Social on Thursday
  • Logo banner hung in a prominent location during sponsored event
  • Opportunity to participate in sponsored event 
  • Sponsor & Product Showcase AND Vendor Fair Included! 

      MMS Year Sponsor: $1,200

      • Only 3 available 
      • Choose between 1st Year, 2nd Year or Grad Forum for specialized recognitions 
      • Logo banner hung in sponsored Year classroom 
          • Sponsor & Product Showcase AND Vendor Fair Included!

            Product Showcase and Vendor Fair: $1,000

            • 3 minutes to give a solution-oriented overview of your products or services 
            • Display table at the Vendor Fair
            • Recognition on Sponsor/Vendor Fair banner(s)
            • One (1) ticket to enjoy lunch with our school attendees (additional tickets may be purchased)