APPA's highest institutional honor, the Award for Excellence in Facilities Management (AFE), recognizes those educational institutions whose facilities management organizations demonstrate quality in overall operations and effectiveness. This article presents the three most recent recipients--Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, Pima Community College in Arizona, and the University of Colorado-Boulder--honored at the awards banquet during the APPA 2012 conference held in July in Denver, Colorado. The Award for Excellence is based on a set of criteria that include: (1) Leadership; (2) Strategic and Operational Planning; (3) Customer Focus; (4) Information and Analysis; (5) Development and Management of Human Resources; (6) Process Management; and (7) Performance Results. Evaluation of the award applications consists of two parts: (1) a self-evaluation addressing specific, stringent criteria; and (2) a site visit by representatives from APPA's Professional Affairs Committee to confirm the accuracy of the self-assessment. Applying for and receiving the AFE is no small task for an institution. It takes teamwork from everyone within the facilities organization and requires coordination, motivation, and support from the top levels of leadership to be a successful facilities operation and to win the APPA Award for Excellence.