Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

In Memoriam: Peter Li

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 04/01/16

The School Planning & Management and College Planning & Management team is deeply saddened by the death of Peter Li this past month. With his passing, the education and publishing industries lost a champion, and many of us have lost a mentor and a friend.

In the early 1970s Peter founded the Peter Li Education Group, an educational publishing and media company serving the pK–12 through higher education markets. The company was the publisher of titles that included School Planning & Management and College Planning & Management (now a part of 1105 Media, Inc.); Pflaum Publishing Group, CATECHIST magazine and Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine (now a part of Bayard); and other titles, including Technology & Learning, Today’s School and Early Childhood News.

A visionary and leader in the education publishing industry, Peter was inducted into both the Hall of Fame of the Association of Educational Publishers and the Association of Catholic Publishers’ Hall of Fame. After 40 years in the industry Peter sold the company, but remained very much interested in educational innovation.

A forward-thinking man, his influence on the education industry was great. In 1984, the year when the Apple Macintosh was first introduced and the ratio of students to computers was 1:92, he decided to publish a magazine to assist teachers with technology as the computer revolution began. In 1992 he acquired School Planning & Management, a magazine that was established in 1962, to help those responsible for facilities, construction, security and the financial stability of our nation’s schools. Understanding the important role facilities play in education, he expanded the editorial coverage to include a special section for colleges. In 1995 he funded our first annual School and College Construction Reports, and in 1998 began publishing College Planning & Management as a standalone magazine.

Peter was dedicated to making schools a better place for students and staff, and through the years supported and nurtured our publications, allowing them to grow into the resources they are today. For that, we thank him. He will be greatly missed by all of us.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.