November 2019 FM Spotlight

Amy Nugent
Facilities Manager
University of Arizona

IFMA Phoenix:  Thank you for allowing us the pleasure of interviewing you for our November FM Spotlight!

IFMA Phoenix: Where are you from?

Amy: I am from Louisville, Montana. I was born in Bozeman, Montana – I am a little bit of a country girl living in the City of Phoenix.

IFMA Phoenix: Why did you join the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Amy: I joined the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA to get involved, give back to our community, educational resources and the opportunity to learn from my fellow colleagues that have experience in the industry.

IFMA Phoenix: What are your hobbies?

Amy: I love the outdoors, I enjoy hiking. I have dogs, I have chickens, and I have children haha 😊

IFMA Phoenix: What is the most fulling part of being an FM?

Amy: To me it’s an opportunity everyday to learn something new. Always having a challenge and a solution. I love the teamwork and team players. Always an opportunity to share your knowledge and continue to grow.

IFMA Phoenix: What do you love about the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Amy: I love our community relations, our community involvement, giving back, our educational resources, our shared bond and sense of belonging, it’s a great organization! Full of warm, giving people – definitely a sense of community.

IFMA Phoenix: What is your favorite sport?  

Amy: My husband was a hockey player and I enjoy watching – even the older men haha. They get out there and stay active, throwing some punches, husting. It’s definitely a fun sport to watch.

IFMA Phoenix: What is one fact about you that many people don’t know?

Amy: Well if you walk into my office and pay close attention you are going to see a sign on my wall that says, Ted Nugent for President – he’s my uncle.

IFMA Phoenix: What is your favorite place in the world and why?

Amy: My favorite place in the world is the mountains. It’s peaceful, it’s relaxing, it’s rejuvenating.

IFMA Phoenix: What piece of advice would you give a new or aspiring FM?

Amy: To me the best advice to give anyone (new job, new FM, coming up in the ranks) is to get to know your colleagues. Get to know your stakeholders. Meet and greets, get out there and learn what their pains are, what they are looking for, what they want from you. Get to know their needs.

IFMA Phoenix: What is one interesting fact about Arizona?

Amy: An interesting fact about Arizona is the University of Arizona (who I work for) is the first University in the state of Arizona, we’ve been around for 125 years.

IFMA Phoenix: Why did you choose FM as a profession? 

Amy: FM chose me. My mentor, leader, and my old boss (Marshall MacFarlane) was the one that really encouraged me, grew with me, and helped me grow with this campus that I work for.

November 2019 New Member Spotlight

Paiton Strauss

Business Development

Sanders & Wohrman Corporation

IFMA Phoenix:  Thank you for allowing us the pleasure of interviewing you for our November New Member Spotlight!

Paiton: The pleasure is all mine.

IFMA Phoenix: Where are you from?

Paiton: I was born and raised in Orange Southern, CA

IFMA Phoenix: How do you support the FM profession?

Paiton: As a paint contractor our job is to ensure your building is painted correctly and we take all the right measures to make sure it was done 100% correct. The turn around starts at the bid process – it is our company policy that a bid should be turned around in 3 days. Our Foreman and Superintendent ensure the job is done ahead of schedule. We know that you are in a time crunch and we are finishing trade, when schedules are pushed back that puts us in a bind as well. No matter what the time schedule is we will get it done and ahead of schedule. Being a CA based company, what we have noticed here is we’ve seen a couple of times that not all the right measures were taken to ensure a job was done correctly. With paint there is more than just paint – there is priming as well. This will help your building with leaks and a variety of different potential problems. We have gone to job sites and thrown some water on the wall just to see if the right primer was used or a primer was used at all. If we are do the job, we are going to do it 100% correctly, even if that means redoing someone else’s job.

IFMA Phoenix: How long have you been in your industry?

Paiton: I’ve been in this industry since February of this year

IFMA Phoenix: What is your favorite food?

Paiton: Pizza all the way! I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and have done that before – just need to have ranch with it.

IFMA Phoenix: What is one thing about you that most people don’t know?

Paiton: Many people don’t know that I graduated last year from NAU with a degree in criminal justice and psychology. What you may now know is I did not follow through with it – even though I did graduate with criminal justice I decided to branch off and do something new and exciting and here I am – couldn’t be happier.

IFMA Phoenix: What is one interesting fact about Arizona?

Paiton: Most people don’t know that if you venture 10 miles down into the Grand Canyon you can see some awesome waterfalls. Fun fact, I’ve done it twice – if you want to join me on my third, let’s go! 😊

IFMA Phoenix: What did you join the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Paiton: I joined the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA – well first, I didn’t know what IFMA stood for or who was involved. I met a colleague, who is now a friend of mine, at another association event and she invited me to come to a luncheon. When I was there, I was welcomed with open arms. No one knew who I was, I didn’t know who they were, but everyone was really inclusive, and I just felt at home and welcomed. I made the next step of becoming a member and I actually just went to my first member luncheon and I couldn’t be more excited to meet more people, provide my services, and to become more involved – can’t wait!

IFMA Phoenix: Favorite place in the world and why?

Paiton:  My favorite place in the world would probably be Disneyland – Coming from California that was always our afternoon trip and it reminds me of being home with my family.

IFMA Phoenix: What are your hobbies?

Paiton: I am an outdoorsy and adventurous person so some of my hobbies include; hiking, going to the gym (stress relief), but I also like to spend my nights watching some Netflix.

IFMA Phoenix: What is your favorite sport?

Paiton: Football definitely! I was a Peyton Manning fan and yes it was because of my name haha! I am still a Broncos fan – sorry Cardinals.

August 2019 New Member Spotlight

Jodi Giljum 
Sales Executive
Varidesk

August 2, 2019-  Gilbert, AZ – Tempe Miller with Whelan Security had an opportunity to interview Jodi Giljum, Sales Executive for Varidesk, experts in sit-stand solutions, active office products, and accessories that help people reimagine their work environment and transform their office design. She is our Chapter’s New Member Spotlight for August.

Tempe:  Thank you for allowing us the pleasure of interviewing you for our August New Member Spotlight!

Jodi: The pleasure is all mine.

Tempe: Where are you from?

Jodi: I am originally from Milwaukee, WI and moved out to the valley 22 years ago – hard to believe! I’ve been in the furniture industry ever since.

Tempe: How do you support the FM profession?

Jodi: With the company I am with now, Varidesk, we are able to move quickly and I know in the FM profession this is something that is very important. Our product is in stock, it’s affordable, and it’s easy to move and assemble – I think it really helps the Facility Managers when they have to make game day decisions. Sometimes more isn’t better. I feel that I can help them in making those quick decisions and getting product to market quickly. 

Tempe: How long have you been in your industry?

Jodi: I’ve been in the commercial industry for 22 years. I’ve been in dealer sales, been a manufacturers rep, I’ve don’t design, project management. I have a really good idea what the FM community has to deal with on a daily basis.

Tempe: What IFMA event are you looking forward to most and why?

Jodi: I am looking forward to the World Workplace Expo being held here in Phoenix – It hasn’t been here for years. I think it’s nice that we are having and international event hosted Phoenix. We are going to be apart of the Central Camelback corridor and I am really looking forward to participating.

Tempe: What is your favorite food?

Jodi: Since I have been living in the west for so long, I have become addicted to southwestern cuisine. We make a mean street taco at our house and we are all about Mexican street corn and taco Tuesdays, you can pretty much say that we are addicted to anything with beans, cheese, and rice.

Tempe: What is one thing about you that most people don’t know?

Jodi: When I was in my Junior year of High School my school closed down and I didn’t have a place to go. The all boys Catholic High School went coed that year so I ended up attending Saint Thomas Moore. Since my last name was Braum at the time, I was the first girl to graduate from Saint Thomas High School – and I won’t even tell you what year that was hahaha 😊

Tempe: What is one interesting fact about Arizona?

Jodi: So I recently learned that there is a bridge in Lake Havasu and it’s called the London Bridge and it’s actually from London. The city of Lake Havasu bought it back in the late 60’s for $2M. The bridge was deconstructed brick by brick and each brick was numbered, brought over on a ship, and then reconstructed in Lake Havasu. The project to reconstruct the bridge cost around $7M and it’s still there today – I had no idea that the bridge was actually from London. Can you imagine being the Facilities Manager for that project??? Hahaha

Tempe: What drew you to the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Jodi: I’ve been in the furniture industry in Arizona for years, but I am fairly new with Varidesk. I have tried other associations to find which I would be most comfortable at and I went to IFMA (Invited by Tom Cruz) and I felt very at home and thought it was a great group of people. Everyone was very welcoming, and we are doing a lot of events this year that I really wanted to be involved with like the golf tournament and World Workplace. So, I am really excited to be a member, volunteer, and help with the FM community.

Scroll down to read the August 2019 FM Spotlight…..

August 2019 FM Spotlight

Christine Lang
Facilities Director
Royal Oaks

August 19, 2019-  Sun City, AZ – Tempe Miller with Whelan Security had an opportunity to interview Christine Lang, Facilities Director for Royal Oaks,  A retirement community that emphasizes state-of-the-art technology, beautiful residences and engaging programs and amenities. She is our Chapter’s New Member Spotlight for August.

Tempe:  Thank you for allowing us the pleasure of interviewing you for our August FM Spotlight!

Christine: Absolutely.

Tempe: Where are you from?

Christine: I was born and raised here in Arizona, left in 1989 to the state of Washington, and ended up returning in 2017.

Tempe: Why did you join the FM profession?

Christine: The FM profession actually found me. My college degree is in Advertising, I spent 10 years in this field. I then accepted a job as an office manager for a light manufacturing company in 1995. That position actually grew so much that I became their Facility Manager – a position that I created myself - I learned how to be a general contractor, I went to OSHA training, was involved with international certifications for quality standards, I moved people around constantly, and I opened and closed buildings. As the company grew, I grew with them. I didn’t realize when I started with this light manufacturing company that it was the start of a 20 year career with them in facility management.

Tempe: What is fulfilling about being an FM?

Christine: A lot of facility managers will tell you it’s the day to day, the unexpected. Although, that is really exciting and fun, the best part and most fulfilling for me is that every day and every project creates a new challenge. So every time I work on a new project or have a challenge that I’m faced with, I am continually learning.

Tempe: What are your hobbies?

Christine: One of my most favorite hobbies since 3^rd grade is playing softball. I continued to play softball throughout my adult life and now that I am in Arizona, I am looking for a new co-ed team.

Tempe: What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an FM?

Christine: One late evening the janitorial staff called me at home and said, “Christine, it’s raining in the building”. I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, so I drove over to work. We were in the middle of a 90MPH storm and a 4x8 section of skylight blew off the roof over our warehouse area with all of our parts. I called a technician who was certified on a boom lift – while he was on the boom lift lifting a larger piece of plywood up through the 30ft ceiling of this roof, I was on the roof tied off in 90MPH winds trying to help secure it to cover the hole. Meanwhile all of the transformers were blowing across the valley and I had quite the firework show. Scary but we had to react quickly to take care of it.

Tempe: What is a piece of advice you would give a new or aspiring FM?

Christine: Have fun, look for new challenges, make sure you get good resources so you have people to go to when you have questions, and learn all you can.

Tempe: What do you love about the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Christine: Although I am not new to IFMA, I am new to the Phoenix Chapter, so I look forward to the connections I’m going to make and also WWP.

Tempe: What is your favorite sport?  

Christine: The sport I like to watch on TV is NFL football, specifically the Seattle Seahawks. I’m a 12 (fan) for the Seattle Seahawks! GO HAWKS!

Tempe: What is your favorite food?

Christine: I love seafood and being from the Seattle area for the last 30 years, I like a lot of salmon but I also love clams, mussels, and especially scallops.

Tempe: What is one fact about you that many people don’t know?

Christine: I have been a certified scuba diver since 1991 and have dove all over the world.

Tempe: What is your favorite place in the world and why?

Christine: I’m going to give you two; the first is the Seattle, WA area. The state of Washington is a beautiful state, the trees, lakes, mountains, and my daughter is there. My second choice would be the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. All of the rock formations that come out of the water are just beautiful for boating and excellent for diving.

July 2019 FM Spotlight

Marshall MacFarlane
Parks and Facilities Manager
Town of Gilbert

July 15, 2019-  Gilbert, AZ – Tempe Miller with Whelan Security had an opportunity to interview Marshall MacFarlane the Parks and Facilities Manager for the Town of Gilbert at one of the best baseball parks in the state, Cactus Yards. He is the Chapter’s FM Spotlight for June.

Tempe: Thank you for allowing us the pleasure of interviewing you for our July FM Spotlight!

Marshall: The pleasure is all mine.

Tempe: What is the most fulfilling part about being a Facility Manager?

Marshall: I like that every day is different. I get to work on a lot of cool and interesting projects and I get to help people. When I get a day where I can do something more hands on, I am able to.

Tempe: What are your hobbies?

Marshall: I like to hunt and fish, although I am better at fishing than I am hunting. I am a freelance outdoor writer. I also like to read and watch movies.

Tempe: What is the craziest thing that has happened to you as an FM?

Marshall: When I was working for the University of Arizona, we took possession of a building and the time between purchasing it and taking possession of it, it became full of transients living inside. I had to go up with the police department and help evict all the transients – they went inside with guns drawn. At one point as they were clearing the building, I was out of the patio with 7 or 8 people that were previously living there. 

Tempe: What is a new piece of advice that you would give a new or aspiring FM?

Marshall: My best advice is to not take anything personally. In our line of business, it’s kind of thankless and usually the only time you hear from people is when something is wrong. Often, they are frustrated at the situation and not you. But as person that is proud of their job, it is sometimes hard to not take them personally. Especially if they are upset or mad or something. My advice is to take a step back, take a breath, and understand that they are likely not mad at you, but the situation.

Tempe: What do you love about the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Marshall: What I love about the Phoenix Chapter of IFMA is the access it gives me to new people and new relationships. Over the years I have developed two tracks of relationships. Really cool relationships with vendors, I’ve gotten to know folks and trust them. When I’ve changed jobs and needed something I have a pool of vendors, that I consider friends, I can call and trust and know what their services are. On the other side is the relationships I’ve made with professional Facilities managers and similarly, if I get into a bind or have a question I have a whole pool of folks that understand what I do for a living and if I don’t have the technical knowledge to deal with a problem, one of those folks will.

Tempe: What is your favorite sport?

Marshall: My favorite sport to watch is the NFL, I am a Cardinals fan – GO CARDS! My favorite sport to play is rugby, it was the only sport I was good at (laughing). If you consider fishing a sport, that is my ultimate favorite sport – some people don’t consider it  a sport so we will go with Rugby

Tempe: What is your favorite food?

Marshall: If you know me you’ll know that I like a lot of different kind of foods. I love a lot of seafood but if it were my last meal at the penitentiary before I get fried, it’s probably going to be steak. I really like a good steak

Tempe: What is your favorite place in the world and why?

Marshall: I have three favorite places; my favorite place to visit is my home in Eastern Canada, in New Brunswick.  It’s beautiful there. It’s green. There’s brooks. Animals. Family. But there is also winter from October to May. My favorite place to live is Arizona, I love it here. I love the topography and the different geography. I love that you can drive 2 hours in any direction and be in completely different county. My favorite once in a lifetime place would be Panama, I was blessed to go on a fishing trip 2 years ago and it was literally a trip of a lifetime. Beautiful and fun. I enjoyed the beaches and ocean, I loved it.

Tempe: Why did you choose FM as a profession?

Marshall: Well I kind of fell into it. I didn’t start out thinking I was going to be a facilities management professional. I am a millwright by trade, so that evolved into being a maintenance supervisor and then assigned security and environmental stuff. From there I took on more responsibilities and then grew into a Facility Manager

Tempe: Can you provide a fun fact about Arizona?

Marshall: Yeah, I moved here from the Northeast and I hunted and fished a lot. I was worried about moving to Arizona and not having things to fish and hunt. When people think of the desert they think of the Sahara, but I will tell you there is more species here to fish and hunt then the Northeast. I love it here.

Tempe: What is one fact about you that people don’t know?

Marshall: I’m terribly shy and introverted. In my positions with many organizations I have to be in front of people and do public speaking. In my natural condition, I am very shy and very introverted. Having an idle conversation with someone is almost painful for me. I really have to put myself out there sometimes to do my job.

June 2019 FM Spotlight

Lisa De Rosa
Corporate Director of Facilities & Office Services
Sundt Construction

June 21, 2019-  Phoenix, AZ – Tempe Miller with Whelan Security and Jim Stevens with M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics recently had an opportunity to interview Lisa De Rosa, the Corporate Director of Facilities & Office Services at Sundt Construction and current President of the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA.  She is the Chapter’s FM Spotlight for June.

Tempe: Thank you for joining us today Lisa, it’s a pleasure having our President to interview today.

Lisa: The pleasure is all mine, I’m honored to be the FM Spotlight for June!

Tempe: Where are you from?

Lisa: I am originally from Long Beach, California and moved to Tucson, AZ when I was 4, then moved to Chandler when I was 8.  I consider myself a native of AZ!

Tempe: How do you support the FM Profession?

Lisa: In any way I can.  I have been an FM for 11 years and whatever I can do to increase an FM’s knowledge in the area of expertise that they are working in I’m all for.  Even Associate Members – educating them on what FM’s do and what challenges they take on every day.  I’m 100% behind teaching and educating everyone on either how to be an FM or what FM really means. 

Tempe: What drew you to the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Lisa: When I first became an FM I needed somewhere to go and get involved.  I tried one of the other associations and really didn’t like it very much so I decided IFMA would be my place.  Everyone within the Chapter was friendly, open and very accepting.  I learned so much!  It’s always felt like the right place to be for me.

Tempe: What are your hobbies?

Lisa: My hobbies largely involve being with my kids.  I love dancing!  Even though I don’t dance much anymore, I still love it. 

Tempe: What has been the most challenging project you’ve taken on as an FM?

Lisa: There are so many challenging projects that have come up in my career, I don’t know that I have just one.  New things come up all the time that challenge you!  It’s a real reason why the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA has been so great – because you can leverage like-minded professionals that have your best interest at heart.  When you’re an FM every single day is different. It’s another reason to love the profession.

Tempe: Why did you choose Facility Management as a profession?

Lisa: Honestly, I didn’t choose FM as a profession, it chose me!  I started at Sundt Construction in an Office Services Supervisor role.  My boss, who was an FM of 40 years, retired 3 months later and basically turned to me and told me that I could do Facilities Management!  After the initial surprise about it I couldn’t be more thankful that I am an FM.

Tempe: What possessed you to become the President of the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA?

Lisa: Giving back!  I’ve gotten so much out of the Phoenix Chapter of IFMA for my professional career that I decided it was time to give back.  The best way to make the largest impact was to dedicate my time, blood, sweat, and tears to IFMA!  (Laughing) No, there was no blood. 

Tempe: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you as an FM?

Lisa: This might not seem crazy to everyone else but, one Saturday, the office electricity abruptly turned off.  I was so concerned I went into the office in my pajamas!  I actually called Chad Ridenour with Turn It On Electric and he helped tremendously.  That has to be the craziest and most embarrassing moment I’ve had in my career (the PJ’s part).

Tempe: What new piece of advice would you give an aspiring or new FM?

Lisa: Keep learning!  Number one, keep learning.  Your job is never going to be the same.  It’s ever changing, so embrace the change and just keep learning your profession.  Embrace fellow FM’s and Associate Members as they can help you and provide great advice.

Tempe:  Can you provide us a fun fact about Arizona?

Lisa: Haboobs!  They are giant balls of dirt that roll through the Valley and make everything dirty.  They look terrifying but they are kind of funny.

Tempe: What is your favorite sport?

Lisa: I don’t really participate in sports but I do like watching Basketball.  I think it’s fun to watch, as its constant action.  I also like watching Brazilian Jujitsu – my husband and kids actually do Jujitsu, So that has become the relatively new sport I enjoy watching.

Tempe: What is your favorite food?

Lisa: All of it!  I love food.  If I had to pick one, I would have to choose pasta and Italian food.  My husband is Italian and makes the best Italian food – namely rice balls.  But seriously, I love all food! (Laughing)

Tempe: What is one fact about you that many people don’t know?

Lisa: There’s a million facts that many people don’t know but I’ll share one.  Last year I did Jujitsu with my family and I broke my collar bone!  I’m perfectly healthy now but that is definitely the most dangerous, daring, and fun fact that I can think of.

Tempe: What is your favorite place in the world and why?

Lisa: It would have to be San Diego, California.  I know that sounds a little boring, but my husband and I got married there on a cruise and then honeymooned on Catalina Island.  Every time we go back to San Diego it’s like our honeymoon all over again. So that has to be my favorite place.

For additional information on the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA please go to www.ifmaphoenix.org

To contact the PR/Marketing Committee please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected] 

June 11, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diane Levine
+1-562-449-8998
[email protected]

IFMA Foundation Announces New Academic Recognition – The Registered Facility Management Program (RFMP)

HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA – (June 11, 2019) – For over twenty years the IFMA Foundation has served as the global accrediting body for the Facility Management Accredited Degree Programs (ADP), setting the academic standards and criteria for college and university programs which offer associate, bachelor, master and post-graduate degrees. The IFMA Foundation announces the creation of the new Registered Facility Management Program (RFMP) to allow educational institutions to give college certificates that equip graduates with the core competencies of facility management. This coursework will provide the education needed for students to move right into the workplace. The RFMP will create a continuum that will lead to the creation of new facility management Accredited Degree Programs. “This new category of education qualification will accelerate new programs for facility management and result in a workforce with more consistent and robust training for both the public and private sectors,” said Nancy J. Sanquist, IFMA Foundation Chair and IFMA Fellow.

With 49 being the average age of current facility managers and 50 percent of them retiring in the next five to 10 years, the field of facility management is in critical need for highly trained workers and managers. To add to this crisis, there will be at least 500,000 job openings during this same time period and currently, there are less than 1,000 professionally trained facility management students graduating each year. The new RFMP program will result in more qualified students, who either are just beginning career preparation or changing their jobs, can begin their education in more locations around the world, be eligible for scholarships to pay for their education and/or start work faster with premier IFMA Foundation Global Workforce Initiative organizations like Sodexo and ABM.

“The RFMP equips academic institutions with the ability to offer top notch facility management education and prepare students for the facility management jobs of today and the future. Most importantly, the RFMP requires foundational content to include the core competencies carefully vetted by global facility management professionals with proven value in today’s work environment.” Said Regina Ford Cahill, IFMA Foundation Trustee and Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and Facility Management Accreditation Commission (FMAC).

For academic institutions seeking to become a Registered Facility Management Program, the criteria and standards can be found here http://foundation.ifma.org/academics.

About the IFMA Foundation
Established in 1990 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and separate entity from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the facility management and built environment community including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who share the belief that education and research improve the facility management profession. To learn more about the IFMA Foundation, visit foundation.ifma.org.

About IFMA
IFMA is the world's largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, supporting 24,000 members in more than 100 countries. This diverse membership participates in focused component groups equipped to address their unique situations by region (136 chapters), industry (16 councils) and areas of interest (six communities). Together they manage more than 78 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$526 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facility management; conducts research; provides educational programs, content and resources; and produces World Workplace, the world's largest series of facility management conferences and expositions. To join and follow IFMA's social media outlets online, visit the association's LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

April 30, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diane Levine +1-562-449-8998 [email protected]

IFMA Foundation Announces the IFMA Facility Management Graduate (FMG) Designation and Digital Badge
HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA – (April 30, 2019) - The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation is announcing the IFMA Facility Management Graduate (FMG) Designation and Digital Badge. “The new IFMA Foundation FMG designation gives graduates of FM Accredited Degree Programs in good standing a special recognition for their completion of a post-secondary program in facility management” said Graham Tier, IFMA Global Chair. “Most importantly, IFMA and the IFMA Foundation recognize the specific qualifications and skills that graduates of the FM Accredited Degree Programs possess.”

As the global FM accrediting organization, the IFMA Foundation has increased its focus on filling the gap in the professional FM workforce through its Global Workforce Initiative, which includes increasing the number of FM Accredited Degree Programs throughout the world, providing scholarships to students, as well as expanding the awareness of the FM profession. “This designation is important to facility management professionals to be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to employers. Earning the FMG designation and digital badge are a significant way to present that value” said Nancy Sanquist, IFMA Foundation Chair.

Digital FMG badges are currently available to graduates of the Facility Management Accredited Degree Program free of charge. Degree holders can apply for their badge with IFMA by filling out a form online at www.ifma.org/my-account/camp

IFMA and the IFMA Foundation are partnering with Credly, a top digital badging company, to provide this service through their platform, Acclaim.

About the IFMA Foundation Established in 1990 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and separate entity from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the FM community including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who share the belief that education and research improve the FM profession. To learn more about the IFMA Foundation, visit foundation.ifma.org.

About IFMA IFMA is the world's largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, supporting 24,000 members in more than 100 countries. This diverse membership participates in focused component groups equipped to address their unique situations by region (136 chapters), industry (16 councils) and areas of interest (six communities). Together they manage more than 78 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$526 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facility management; conducts research; provides educational programs, content and resources; and produces World Workplace, the world's largest series of facility management conferences and expositions. To join and follow IFMA's social media outlets online, visit the association's LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

CoreNet Global Arizona Chapter and IFMA Phoenix Chapter co-host “Thought Leadership in Real Estate and Facility Management Technology” Symposium

“Facility Managers ought to start now and embrace IoT Technology. Five years from now, no one will be able to say they did not see it coming”, said Vik Bangia, Founder and CEO of Verum Consulting, in a powerful opening salvo at the Inaugural “Thought Leadership in Real Estate and FM Technology” Symposium on November 16th, at Wells Fargo Financial in Chandler.

Vik Bangia, Verum Consulting

In a week in which Bill Gates announced his intention to build a Smart City in Belmont, AZ, there could not be a better time to discuss the convergence of Corporate Real Estate, Facility Management and Technology.

Opening the half daylong event, Simon Davis, President of CoreNet Global Arizona Chapter and Lisa DeRosa, President of the IFMA Phoenix Chapter welcomed the 100 plus attendees and outlined the comprehensive agenda that was planned - three panel discussions - “Occupier Perspectives on Technology”, “IoT Trends” and “Implementing Solutions”, and three fast paced “Innovation Sessions” on Virtual Reality, IoT Enabled Workplaces and Innovations in Construction.

Lisa De Rosa, Sundt Construction

Said Davis “We are truly honored to be able to put on such an outstanding event, showcasing the talents of 16 Thought Leaders in the CRE/FM IT industry, imparting their experience on an engaged audience. This event was conceived out of an event put on by CoreNet/IFMA North Texas (which is going into its 4th year in 2018) and we are pleased that the founder, Ed Buckley from Ericsson, was able to join us. We are looking to partner with other chapters around the globe to bring thought leadership, technical innovation and practical experience to bear. There is a wealth of talent in this industry and we are just happy to share”.

Simon Davis, Saltmine

The wealth of talent Davis referenced was on show in the first panel, with prominent Real Estate experts from Wells Fargo, GoDaddy, Avnet and Apollo discussing everything from drones to virtual reality. In spite of the hype surrounding available technology in the CRE/FM space, it was refreshing to note that the panelists considered how technology enables the employee’s experience as the primary driver for their adoption of new tools. The need to attract and retain talent, whilst improving productivity and limiting expense are driving the global economy and Real Estate and Facility Management are front and center in delivering the product the occupiers of space need.

Leo Bauman (Wells Fargo), Brent Fuller (Apollo Group), Philip Grossberg (Avnet), Calvin Crowder (GoDaddy)

The cost components were rung true in a dynamic presentation by Ian Morley, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Australian innovators Serraview. Serraview’s real time data on how companies are actually using space provides a great business case for adopting agile and activity based working styles to lower real estate costs. Morley referenced a client in Australia that was able to increase their headcount by 8,000 without increasing their square footage by simply managing to their use of space which averaged 49% prior to adoption of new working styles. Post adoption, their utilization was at a staggering 92% and they also saw the benefits of a fourfold increase in employment applications and a 10% reduction in voluntary turnover.

A real buzz for the day was the Virtual Reality demonstration by Guy Messick of Interior Architects. VR was a theme close to many of the audience, who were looking to see what technologies could provide a practical application and benefit in the short to medium term.

The IoT panel provided some great insights into everything from the impact of IBM Watson to the practicalities of implementing an IoT solution with a stop off in privacy concerns along the way. Perhaps the most succinct recommended approach to IoT within FM and RE came from Buckley, “Think Big. Start Small. Move Fast”.

 Sherri Savage (IBM), Ian Morley (Serraview),
Vik Bangia (Verum Consulting), Ed Buckley (Ericsson)

The final panel of the day was a great example of the melting pot of the end users that occupy this space from Sundt Construction, the University of Arizona, Fiserv, the City of Scottsdale and IWMS technology giants Accruent. They tackled the pressing subject of “Operationalizing What you Learned” tying back the importance of making technology a workable reality.

The final presentation of the day was from co-organizer Ted Ritter, of Draw Alert. DrawAlert is a disruptive technology in the Construction industry designed to meet the needs of project funding sources. It streamlines the process while mitigating risks and reduces both hard and soft spaces.

The first RE and FM Technology event of its kind drew to a close with a very appreciative crowd. We all look forward to the 2018 event.

The Leadership Society, partnering with the International Facility Management Association Greater Phoenix Chapter, presented  the first of eight workshops on Friday, September 8 at Arizona State University.  Workshop #1, “ The Language of Metrics” was taught by Dr. Dean Kashiwagi. A group of 74 enthusiastic participants attended and learned how to “keep things simple”  while concurrently improving group and individual performance through measurement and tracking techniques. 

Dr. Kashiwagi, a recently retired professor at Arizona State, spoke for nearly 45 minutes and presented several examples of how his students are able to learn up to ten times faster than before they enrolled in his class.  Following the presentation, participants were given an Activity Sheet, where they were asked to write down a Goal and a Problem.  Next, the participants selected Criteria that they wished to measure with respect to the goal and the problem.  Finally, the participants listed how they planned to measure the goal and the problem.  This interactive exercise helped participants to use metrics to keep things simple.

The examples used in the content taught were simple, natural law scenarios.  These natural laws help participants to quickly identify and analyze complex issues in their life and world and concurrently understand the problem and take immediate steps to fix the issue at hand. 

The second of the eight workshops “The Purpose of Relationships” will be conducted on Saturday, September 30 from 10 AM – 12 noon at FM Solutions, 4001 N 3^rd Street in Phoenix.  To register:  http://leadaz.org/2017-workshops-registration/ 

IFMA Student Chapter of the year – the main reasons why Arizona State University won the Award:

• Created and taught in 10 College and High School Programs
• Hosted 3 IFMA Leadership Conference with 190 participants
• Supported 6 PhD and 4 MS students to receive their degree
• Won ASU Changemaker competition
• Taught 40 YSEALI Fellows from South East Asia about FM in a 2-hour session

A push to get high school and college students access to the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA members and the profession. This will be done  in two ways:

1. The student chapter is putting on 8 workshops this fall. It has already coordinated with 8 FMs in the valley and booked locations for the workshops at their sites. This is valuable because it gives the students and other professionals, access to the FM member’s site to view as well as learn more about the profession and any opportunities they have. The student chapter has partnered with the Leadership Society of Arizona to provide the professional leadership education and training.
2. The IFMA student chapter is going to use its student body to run projects with the FM members in the valley. This will give the students easier access to FMs and work experience in the FM area.

The Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA's Community Outreach Committee recently supported UMOM Day Centers with a $300 donation in the form of 12 gift cards in the amount of $25.00.  UMOM serves nearly 600 people each month and concurrently helps participants in teaching people and families the benefits of taking ownership of life circumstances and the overall responsibilities of self-sufficiency.  The gift cards will assist UMOM participants in the purchase of school supplies, and clothing.

On July 22, the Student Chapter IFMA Phoenix at Arizona State University conducted their Leadership Society of Arizona graduation ceremony for 30 local high school students from Ahwatukee. Five students had the opportunity to give a 5-7 minute presentation in front of the group of 60, consisting of fellow classmates, family members and friends.

In particular, Cole Gibson, a freshman at Mountain Pointe High School shared the presentation that he wrote: “Traits of a Great Martial Artist”. Throughout his delivery, Cole expounded on how learning and training in Martial Arts helped him change his life. Prior to taking the class, Cole was confident in his ability and progress in Martial Arts but not necessarily so in school and in living in our challenging world and environment.

In short, the foundation of the coursework that Cole and his classmates learned consists of the Logic of Leadership in 7 Key Lessons:

1. Minimize thinking and do what you know
2. Utilize expertise
3. Life is not random
4. You are in control
5. Everyone is vague
6. Once we know ourselves, we can get to know others
7. Use systems to understand your environment

The week long course is an abbreviated version of content from “The 2016 Information Measurement Theory” text book written by Dr. Dean Kashiwagi of Arizona State University.

Each graduating member of the class also received a copy of the 2016 Information Measurement Theory textbook. The content of the book as well as the successful implementation of these concepts by companies around the world has resulted in $14.6M in research funding as well as delivering more than $6B in services.

Jake Gunnoe, a member of the IFMA Student Chapter and candidate for a PhD in Engineering at Arizona State University crafted the content for the week long course. In speaking with Jake, he explained to me that prior to taking the class from Dr. Dean, he really had no idea what would come next in his life. After taking the course, Jake was very clear in what he wanted to accomplish as well as how he was going to set out to meet and exceed his goals.

The class made such an impact on Jake that he wanted to share the content with others and as a result, he and the IFMA Student Chapter designed the course content and delivered it to the Mountain Pointe High School students over the course of one week in July.

In a year that saw the membership of the IFMA Greater Phoenix Student Chapter nearly double, student research may have helped a local company with over $4 Million in cost avoidance.

In less than ten weeks, the students were able to collect and analyze data from twenty sites worldwide. The research conducted by the students was so complete and comprehensive that the client was surprised at the large number of different gas and chemical connections presented, when the client had anticipated a sample of 20 to 40 gases and chemicals per location. While providing a potential cost avoidance of up to $4 Million, a direct savings of $100,000 was realized by having the students conduct the research instead of using an outside consulting firm.

Concurrently, another group of students conducted a cost feasibility study for Sundt Construction with respect to changing the current lighting to LED. Working within a very tight timeframe, the students completed sketches and drawings that met city specifications and submitted the plans and suggestions to Sundt. The students saved Sundt $7,500 and received valuable experience concerning working on a quick deadline while also meeting city codes.

Earlier this year, the Student Chapter established a Mentoring and Outreach Training Program for local high school students. During the spring semester, Student Chapter members interacted with over 1,800 students and 83 teachers at 6 high schools. As a result of these efforts, a curriculum has been developed that teaches students how to plan their future career with the Facility Management profession in mind. Seventy students from the Phoenix Union and Tempe Unified School District will participate in the program this summer.

Members from the Student Chapter presented a summary of their efforts at the June IFMA meeting. Especially notable was the fact that 92% of the 1,800 students reported a greater sense of overall confidence about their future as a result of their interaction with the Student Chapter.

Later this year in October, the Student Chapter will host a Family Leadership Conference. This pilot program is designed to help children prepare for careers, learn how to solve problems at home and learn how to better communicate at home.

We anticipate if the need arose in the future to have connections standardized, that we could realize avoiding costs of approximately $4 Million.

The Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA and the Greater Phoenix Student Chapter of IFMA are proud to be a part of the Logic and Leadership Academy 2016 High School Summer Program.

Click below for details