We congratulate Tom Haslach and the whole TrilogyFM team for a job well-done!  You can see pictures of the event here.

Joanne, with WWP behind us, what were you most proud of for the Atlanta Chapter?

I’m incredibly proud of our chapter and its members for several reasons.  That we were the first chapter to ever work hand in hand with International to host World Workplace and to have a real strong presence on the Expo floor showed how dedicated our WWP committee was to making 2010 the best WWP in Chapter history.  It was quite the accomplishment.  Although we didn’t win chapter of the year we were highly recognized for our accomplishments.

What did you learn as president of IFMA Atlanta? In hind sight, what do you wish you had known prior to holding this position?

I feel I was pretty well prepared to serve as president.  I had served many years on the board as the Community Service Chair, then as Chapter Secretary, and then as Vice President.  Over those years of service I learned how important it was to have the right people in the right jobs and that leadership needs to be cultivated.  What surprised me most was how hard it was to choose my board and to convince those individuals that they were the best person for the position; that they could do it.  I made it my mission to implement Succession Management.  We needed a strategic plan for going forward to continue on the past years momentum.  It’s important to identify those individuals that are going to be our future leaders and to help cultivate their growth and encourage their participation in the chapter.  We have developed a different way to nominate the next board.  In the past the board was hand picked from a small, five member nominating committee.  We changed that; now we have two years of nominating committees (the past year and the current year).  We meet quarterly to identify future volunteers and leaders.  The goal is to always be two years ahead and to have each year flow into the next seamlessly.

One of your pieces of art was auctioned off at the Foundation Gala; can you tell us more about it?

I’d love to.  It was a stained glass mosaic and sold for $220 to an IFMA member from Chicago.  I have always used art as a creative outlet.  I stumbled into stained glass crafting by accident.  I enjoy trash to treasure art projects and have a friend who flips houses.  One day he offered me some old windows.  At first I just painted ‘faux’ stained glass. Then I learned the art of working with glass and started crafting mosaics using the windows as my canvas.  It’s my escape.  I really love to give handmade gifts to friends and family.

Part of the former President’s responsibility is to plan and host the Holiday Celebration and Awards Ceremony; can you give us a preview of what to expect to entice us to come?

Let me give a little background first on why we do this.  The original purpose was the Annual Awards of Excellence, but almost a decade ago we expanded the program to honor our non-profit partners.  Every chapter has a community service committee but none have one like ours.  We wanted to give back to our community using our time and talents, not just through money and gifts.  The Community Service Committee has developed a program that empowers our non-profit partners and encourages their growth through Facilities Management.  This is the third year of the Non-Profit Facilities Summit which offers courses taught by our chapter’s members and vendors.  These courses help to educate the non-profit staff in best practices and allow our own members, professional and associate alike, to give back to the community, grow the profession of FM and support the Chapter’s mission and goals of education and stewardship.

 This years’ program is going to be a Bob Hope USO themed party with lots of laughs and surprises.  We will honor our outstanding volunteers for Excellence in Service, our Sustaining Patrons and our non-profit partners.  Food, music, entertainment and the Driving Club; I’m not going to give anything else away.  You will just have to come and don’t forget to bring a donation for our community partners.  Check the website at ifmaatlanta.org for the Wish List!

As this year of service comes to a close what aspirations do you have for IFMA Atlanta’s future?

We have achieved so much and have many things to be proud of; especially the balanced score card and establishing much needed procedures to help increase volunteer participation.  We have set in place new ways for committees to divide tasks and responsibilities so that members can participate in a meaningful way that doesn’t cause them to feel overwhelmed.  We want our members to continue to volunteer and through divvying up the work we have made it easier for them to fit it into their already busy lives.  I hope to see this momentum continue and for our members to see that everyone can contribute even in small ways. 

For the future, I would like to see the next board address the roles of past board members.  As it stands currently, after the past president is removed from the board they are to take a one year sabbatical from board participation.  As the past has proven, this policy is detrimental to the chapter.  We lose so much knowledge and talent when we eliminate a way for the past president to participate.  We run the risk of disengagement of these valuable members and sometimes it takes years to get them to participate again.  Addressing how to keep past presidents engaged in the Chapter would be a valuable asset to the future.

Joanne Cole has lived in Atlanta since 1971 and began her career in Facilities when the position was created at Unisys.  Since that first Facility Management position Joanne has worked for Ivan Allen and Heery.  Joanne is a Project Officer/Interior Designer for the CDC, lives in Alpharetta and has two grown sons whom she enjoys spending time with.

 -Chris Sanders

Christy, why did you decide to run for president of the IFMA Atlanta?

I have been asked many times in the past to run for president and have many times turned down the opportunity. Last year I attended the House of Delegates meeting in Dallas and was riveted by what I heard. In discussions with fellow attendees, what I noticed was that others were not as engaged or enthralled by what they heard. They didn’t get it but I did. It was at that point that I knew my passion for facilities would benefit the Atlanta chapter best if I was president.

What is your vision for IFMA Atlanta?

I want the Atlanta Chapter of IFMA to be recognized on a national level as the premier Facilities Management association in the southeast and throughout the nation. My hope is that we continue to provide resources and opportunities for FM professionals to grow and expand their careers. Through supporting professional development we expand our knowledge base. By expanding our knowledge, we become experts. We want to be the experts and foster expertise among our members.

What do you hope your legacy as president to be?

To develop and employ a strong strategic vision that will take our chapter beyond just one year ahead in planning. I would like to end this year with a five year plan established that can be built upon in the following years. I want our BOD to keep our mission first and foremost and see how our chapter strategic plan ties into that vision and how that vision relates to International. By achieving this goal, I will have created a forward-thinking strategy that can carry our chapter into the future.

Very few people start their career as a FM, How did you get your start in Facilities?

I started in community service as a liaison for the YWCA of Greater Atlanta. As a partner with IFMA who hosting meetings and there I observed the conversations and presentations through which I learned to apply facilities management skills to the position I held. It was through this assimilation that I came to realize that Facilities Management was in my blood. In those early years at the YWCA, I was performing the tasks of a FM without the title. As fate would have it, the YWCA posted a position for a Facilities Manager. Through the support of peers and mentors in the industry I end up taking the position and fourteen years later I’m still here. I owe a big thank you to Mitch Rabil who through all these years has provided guidance and supported my professional growth.

Prior to chapter president, what has been your contribution to the chapter?

Up until two years ago I was a member and eventually chaired the Community Service Committee. Community Service is my heart and it drives the direction of my life. Two years ago, I rolled into the MCIC of IFMA International as a membership chair and then served as Vice President of our chapter for 2009-2010. It is through this volunteer service to IFMA that I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the interactions of many sides of the organization from both a local and international perspective. One of my primary accomplishments has been the establishment of the Annual Nonprofit Summit engage members in community service. I am proud of the efforts and compassion of our members to help the community.

What advice can you offer to new members of the Facilities Management community?

Tap into the resources that IFMA has to offer. Get involved with your local chapter and make the connections that will help foster your growth. We have a collective knowledge that cannot be taught in school. Sure, in school you learn the terms and the theory, but it takes real time experience where you have to apply knowledge with good decision in the heat of the moment to give depth to that knowledge. I would advise that you reach out to your network of IFMA professionals who have been there – done that for guidance. Nothing beats experience especially in this profession.

World Workplace will be hosted in Atlanta this year, what do you hope is a result of this event?

I hope our members and our BOD use this opportunity to really get to know the staff at International. They are a phenomenal resource. Our participation with International on this annual conference has truly been a partnering unlike what has been done in the past. We studied past years’ experiences and determined early on that we didn’t want International to just show up and run the show; we wanted to fully engage our resources to make WWP 2010 in Atlanta the most successful WWP in years. Through our efforts, we have coordinated tours to highlight Atlanta properties and we sold out Peachtree Street. For our associate members, which I want to add are wonderful supporters and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them, I want to see our associate members make national contacts that foster business growth in Atlanta and beyond. The Atlanta Chapter is huge; we make a huge impact on this community. This impact will be seen and felt.

If you could sum up the motto for IFMA Atlanta 2010-2011 what would it be?

It’s about relationships. Me Knowing You and You Knowing Me.

Christy Jellets lives in Atlanta with her husband Jeff Jellets, a frequent contributor to IFMA Atlanta and our August luncheon guest speaker and their 17 year old daughter. When Christy is not working or fulfilling her duties as chapter president, she enjoys volunteering, crocheting hats for newborn babies and quilting for Project Linus, spending time in her garden, and reading. Christy is currently reading, The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove by Cathy Erway.

In fact, the IFMA Community Service Committee had already conducted a comprehensive analysis of the building’s needs and prepared a detailed assessment that would guide the needed improvements over the next several years. Under IFMA’s guidance this process had begun– a new state-of-the-art roof had been installed earlier in the year and the HVAC system was under contract for renovation.

Since 2005 we have accomplished a great deal thanks to many hours of IFMA professional expertise and many generous inkind contributions:

• replacement of the entire roof was our first significant conservation undertaking
• total overhaul of our HVAC system improved the comfort of children and staff while reducing energy consumption
• replacement of lighting fixtures brightened every classroom and office
• painting of our main floor lobby and hallway totally changed the first impression we make on visitors
• refurbishing our childcare administrative offices enhanced our appearance and created more functional work spaces
• new carpeting for our toddler classroom
• new ceiling tile throughout the building helped banish the slum shabby look
• lowering the ceiling was essential to remodeling our conference room which serves not only the CDA but the broader community as well
• upgrading of all toilets to dual-flush and sensor flush valve models
• successful recovery from an accidental flood that swamped our entire lower level and took three classrooms out of service
• accurate CAD drawings of the entire facility
• new generator
• new hot water heater
• numerous painting and landscaping volunteer days to keep us functional and attractive
• ongoing training and mentoring of our maintenance man
• selection of the architect and contractor for our exterior renovation

Now, four years later, 89 Grove Way is wrapped in blue plastic as construction crews work to create an entirely new exterior shell with insulated walls, energy-efficient windows and doors, and even new architectural features to give the building a fresh, modern look. We could never have embarked on this exterior revitalization without the IFMA Community Services Committee behind us.

It is impossible to name all the IFMA individuals and businesses who have invested their time, talent and resources in the Child Development Association. But two must be mentioned. Clara Smith, CMS Enterprises, and Steve Soteres, Choate Construction, serve as Trustees of the CDA and on our Building Committee. They are our IFMA ‘lifeline’ whenever we face a facility challenge. Even now Clara is managing the design, construction and installation of the signage that will crown the new exterior.

Clara, Steve and the entire IFMA Community Services Committee have been unstinting in their support of the CDA. The projects we have tackled together are demanding, complicated undertakings. IFMA’s partnership has significantly enhanced project outcomes and their generous in-kind contributions of real goods and services have enabled us to dramatically stretch our resources.

Our mission is to enable the young children of low-income families to make a great start toward a bright future by providing a nationally accredited preschool program focused on early literacy and school readiness. IFMA should be very proud of its role in shaping the futures of our young children and their families by supporting our mission to provide affordable childcare and early learning education programs.

by Donna Smythe

Interesting fact: “The average person tells three lies in ten minutes of conversation”

Aside from the entertainment value of the show with its cut-aways to notable mug shots of famous individuals striking classic gestures of emotions and ‘potential’ cover-ups, this technique can be useful in the leadership management field as well. Recall the envisioning statement of the 1980′s “believe and you shall become” type of stuff. One can study leaders in various organizations to learn some of their body language techniques for effective communications as a type of mentoring tool to help develop personal leadership skills.

The below – referenced article in the current edition of Business Week caught my eye and I thought since we cover leadership skills as one of the CFM core competencies it would be useful to you all.

Reading the Body Language of Leadership

Researchers at MIT are focusing the latest sensor technology on the physical traits of leadership

By Stephen Baker
March 23 and 30, 2009

Game Changing Ideas for Business

Humans instinctively transmit signals that date back to our primal roots. People use vocal tones and cadence to establish dominance or trust. Or they impose their will by showing up late to meetings or feigning lack of interest when others speak …

Read more of the article here.

For more on body language:

http://www.squidoo.com/readingbodylanguage