UNC Charlotte Earns IPMI Reaccreditation as an Accredited Parking Organization (APO) with Distinction
The international designation recognizes national and international standards for parking management and operations, customer service, professional development, security, sustainability and more.
(Charlotte, NC – July 11, 2024) UNC Charlotte Parking and Transportation Services recently earned status as an Accredited Parking Organization (APO) with Distinction, joining an elite class of the top organizations in the parking, transportation and mobility industry. APO is a designation for organizations that recognizes best practices in responsible parking management and operations, customer service, professional development, sustainability and access management, safety, data security and risk management and more.
“This achievement is the top benchmark of success in our industry, and it follows a comprehensive documentation and review process,” explained Shawn Conrad, CAE, CEO of the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI), the organization that sets the standards for APO Accreditation and Accreditation with Distinction. The APO program recognizes industry standards that develop, ensure and support a high level of professionalism and competency in parking, transportation and mobility management. “Only best-of-class organizations can meet the demanding level of excellence required to gain accreditation,” Conrad continued.
To earn the APO Accreditation, an organization demonstrates its commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement by implementing industry best practices. Applicant organizations work with third-party reviewers to organize and present evidence of accomplishment of more than 100 criteria in 14 categories, in addition to 25 required criteria. To earn the next level of accreditation, APO with Distinction, these organizations must meet more than 60 additional exceptional and progressive best practices across those same categories. Both require that at least one facility is evaluated and meets the criteria as established by the APO Board of Directors.
“Parking at an accredited facility or operation assures the public that the parking organization adheres to a strict code of ethics and meets national and internationally endorsed standards for professionalism, accountability, responsibility, and performance,” Conrad said. “These organizations represent the top tier of service and performance in the parking and mobility sector and set the bar for all others to follow.”
“Our Parking and Transportation Services team has held the APO Accreditation for the past six years, but for them to reach the APO with Distinction level this year is a true testament to how hard the team works to constantly strive to be the best operation they can possibly be,” said Doug Lape, Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Services at UNC Charlotte. I’m so proud of the efforts of the team and look forward to them continuing to raise their level of excellence within the industry and provide the best experience possible for our customers”.
UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university. Located in the state’s largest metropolitan area, UNC Charlotte is among the fastest-growing universities in the UNC System, with current enrollment exceeding 30,000 students. Parking and Transportation Services represents a key component of Business Services, managing over 14,000 parking spaces in 11 parking decks and over 50 parking lots and a campus transportation system that includes a transit operation consisting of five fixed routes and an on-demand service for riders with mobility impairments.
