Operations Track

Brought to you by IFMA Atlanta and Preparis

Sustainability

Brought to you by IFMA Atlanta and the Atlanta Branch of the US Green Building Council

Design

Brought to you by IFMA Atlanta and IIDA Georgia

This is a great opportunity for our members to raise their profile by writing articles that get seen by a wide range of Real Estate and Facilities professionals. The authors chosen by the chapter get a chance to write a bio which promotes their professional achievements, and lets the community know who they are. The articles are also informative and can highlight things that IFMA Atlanta is doing or has done. An example of the biographies published can be found here. The articles published in the Summer, 2012 issue can be found here.

In 2012, newsletter chair Tammy Weeks began contributing cover photos to OC Atlanta – this allowed them to stop using stock photography and start showing actual pictures of Atlanta on the cover. Here is one of Tammy’s covers:

The other bonus of Roland’s presentation is that his company will be offering a facility roundtable tour of his data center in the near future. Watch for this great opportunity in our next newsletter.

You can view the presentation here: Reliability Centered Maintenance from a Data Center perspective

Keynote Speakers:

Kevin Johnson, Senior Advisor for Economic Development at Invest Atlanta was the morning keynote speaker.  He shared some of the ways he develops and implements strategies to drive economic growth and development for Atlanta.  His work creates capital investment as well as new jobs for the city.  Invest Atlanta is involved in every aspect of our economic growth from business development and affordable housing to redevelopment and transformative city initiatives such as the Atlanta Beltline. 

Ryan Gravel, Senior Urban Designer at Perkins+Will in Atlanta was the afternoon keynote speaker.  Ryan’s 1999 master’s thesis was the original vision for the ambitious Atlanta BeltLine.  The BeltLine is a 22 mile transit greenway that transforms a loop of old railroads with light-rail transit, parks and trails to generate economic growth and protect quality-of-life in 45 neighborhoods throughout the central city.    Ryan argues that as we begin to solve the problems we have created as it relates to suffocating traffic, etc., we are given a unique opportunity to re-shape our communities into a metropolis where we all would want to live.

Courses I attended:

In “Session 1”, I attended “Sustainability is in our Nature:  The Real Life Story of UPS.  This course was led by Patrick Browne – Corporate Sustainability Program Manager – UPS.  Patrick discussed how UPS remains a worldwide corporate leader in sustainability practices.  He pointed out UPS’s approach to sustainability and its focus on specific issues and initiatives.  He also shared how UPS uses sustainability to drive business results. 

In “Session 2”, I attended “Generational Preferences”.  This course was led by Kylie Roth – Director of Workplace Strategy at Knoll.  Kylie explained how today office design is dominated by the world view of the Baby Boomer generation.  She noted that by 2020 Generation Y will comprise over 50% of the workforce.  To attract and retain Gen Y workers, companies will have to provide work-spaces and facility programs that align with their needs and preferences.  Kylie identified in this course ways generational preference impacts the workplace environment. 

In “Session 3”, I attended Design Session 3 – “Phone Booth & Mailboxes”.  This course was led by Derek Rusch – Teknion.  Derek shared how technology and mobile work practices may be making the workplace obsolete.  He stated that more employees work from home today than 5 years ago.  In the presentation Derek explored the advantages of mobile work trends and analyzed the world’s most innovative mobile workplaces. 

All three courses were interesting and insightful.  In each there was something I could take away and use in my daily work. 

Exhibitors:

There were 30 exhibitors who attended Atlanta Workplace.  Booths were provided for each vendor where attendees could visit and network.  Exhibitors provided information on their companies as well as momentums for attendees to take with them.

I’ve been to too many WWPs to count so I thought I’d highlight what made this one stand out in my memory and it’s not the educational sessions.

 The opening keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki was awesome as he presented a message about how to promote innovation in yourself and others. But, in my opinion, the highlight of the conference was the closing keynote speaker. Delivered by Frank Abagnale, the real life star of Steven Spielberg’s move “Catch Me if You Can” played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Frank described with frankness and honesty mixed with humor, his teenage years of committing ingenious (my words) white collars crimes. Of course, he eventually got caught. His heartfelt remorse for his crimes and his love for his wife and family had more than one of us with a tear in our eye. I can’t wait to read his book.

One of my favorite things about attending WWP is getting to know some of our Atlanta chapter members better through the networking events (OK, parties). This year I had an amazing experience with one of our members who I have been acquainted with for years but didn’t really know very well despite working with her husband for five years. Upon arrival at Hartsfield Tuesday, I saw Barbara De-nijs-bik and Anne Shrock who were also on my plane to San Antonio. We arrived in San Antonio and decided to share a cab to our hotels. I was supposed to stay at the LaQuinta but when Barbara found out that I was on a scholarship from IFMA Atlanta for my trip, she immediately offered to see if she could get me a “Family and Friends” discount at the Hotel Indigo. It would save me and the chapter $100 a night. I had already decided that even with the Atlanta scholarship, this trip was going to cost me $500 but it was worth it. Fortunately, Hotel Indigo had a room for me so I was in.

Barbara didn’t stop there. She had a contingent of co-workers attending WWP along

with Anne Shrock, who is a valued consultant to IHG (and my former co-worker so we were already good friends). I didn’t have a lot of my past co-workers, friends, etc. at this conference but Barbara included me in everything her IHG group did. Along the way, I think I became better personal friends with Barbara and I was introduced to a whole new group of her colleges who I look forward to seeing next year.

This is what I love about IFMA. Not only do I have friends in Atlanta, I have friends around the country and some from around the world who I have met through relationships I’ve developed at WWP.

My goal this year was to take BIM course and Facility/IT courses to help in planning for the future of FM’s in today’s market. The three BIM course helped me to learn more about BIM and the value of BIM in our future. Another course that was helpful was “Best Practices in Mobile Computing Space” panel discussion that outlined how our landscaping in office space and the direction that businesses are going. Some of the other courses of interest were “Change Management” and “A Smarter RFP, Getting Apples to Apples” (great course and great speaker). I attended a course on “Subleasing Best Practices and Lessons” taught by local IFMA members! The challenge for me was to attend as many educational courses and learn about new products and services at on the Expo Floor but I did succeed.

The closing speaker was a “WOW” moment because of the movie “Catch Me If You Can” and really enjoyed Frank Abagnale version of the story. Frank inspired the audience and left a little bit of wisdom for all of us to take with us.

“Thank the Atlanta Chapter” for giving me a scholarship to attend a rewarding, educational, experience. I am honored to have been a part of IFMA Atlanta!

• Cookware sets
• Dishware sets
• Flatware sets
• Glasswear sets
• Kitchen Towels/Sponges
• Sheet Sets
• Bed Pillows
• Towel Sets
• Bath Mats
• Plastic shower curtains/rings
• A check made out to “Project Community Connections”

Register for the program here!

 I am here!  To use the word “Thrilling” is an understatement when I express how my career has come full circle.   Beginning as an administrative support person for the Georgia Civil Rights Network, to Washington DC, obtaining updates on IFMA’s legislative agenda on “The Hill” is exciting to say the least.

 A recap of my visit to “The Hill” follows.  It began with participant introductions; each chapter sent two representatives each serving a two-year term.  Of the two members, one is a more seasoned member while the other is relatively new on the scene.  Gean Leyba and I would thank you for the opportunity to represent you at IFMA.  Gean and I found that the members as a whole focused on getting our business on the GSA supply schedule.  I am eager to learn more about IFMA’s presence “on the hill”, and how our Atlanta Chapter Members can have a more effective voice in government.

 IFMA supports public policy to protect our industry through effective legislation.  Did you know IFMA has a lobbyist on staff in Washington every day of the year?  Jeff Johnson represents us in the offices and chambers and through the hallways and tunnels surrounding The White House.

 So what was the focus?  There were three main agenda items for participants to take to congress and to its’ membership back home during the 7th Annual FM Advocacy Day.  First, IFMA wants all federal facility managers to be trained to the same high standards used in private industry.  Funding the CFM, SFP and FMP programs was mandated in the 2011 Federal Building Personnel Training Act (FBPTA) and IFMA wants its’ membership to encourage their politicians to insure that the General Services Administration (GSA) is allocating resources to meet this mandate.

 Secondly, the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA) of 2012, introduced by Congressman Jeff Denham (R-CA19th District) would focus on the 500,000 federally owned properties.  IFMA has lobbied to align the properties portfolio of the federal government to ensure it maximizes properties is part of this bill.  Also, agencies within the federal government are allowed to negotiate their own leases with no oversight.  With oversight standards buildings can be better managed affording empty buildings to be considered before new ones are added to the government property portfolio.   Repurposing a building puts people to work and makes fiscal sense.  Can some of these savings be allocated to support the FBPTA?  Certainly makes good business sense to me.

 Finally, Washington must get an energy bill on the table in the 113th Congressional session.  The last bill was in 2007 which did not have government incentives for building owners.   

 IFMA will continue to keep us abreast of the developments on Capitol Hill, but the conversation isn’t one-way.  The chapter must get involved.  We are over five hundred members and we do make a difference in the building environment.  We are the experts, a resource to lawmakers, and we vote! 

 If you are interested in learning more about IFMA’s advocacy efforts, I would love to meet with you.  I can be reached at cjellets@atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

IFMA is working with a Broad Industry Coalition to support the “Civilian Property Realignment Act and the Federal Buildings Personal Training Act. The Civilian Property Realignment Act is a bill to identify properties that can be repurposed or sold off as a way to relieve the government of properties that are more of a strain then a benefit for the government to hold on to. This could be based on the location of the property or the condition being in such disarray that it would benefit the government to sell off the property to the private sector to ease the strain of holding onto unusable property and to put the funds from the sale back into the governments account. This would be a way of reducing depth and excess inventory while working toward a leaner government.

The Federal Buildings Personal Training Act is a bill that passed as law but has not been followed through on by the U.S. General Service Administration. This bill was intended to have Government Facility Managers utilize existing industry certifications that we (IFMA) know have impact and have improved building performances and values in our private sector industries. Our goal was to share with our constituents the benefits of the CFM and similar training offered by IFMA and how it would pay for itself through the overall O&M cost of running buildings across America and the value of following the industry standards already in place.

This year IFMA was joined by industry partners including the American Institute of Architects, ASHRAE, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, International Code Council, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, National Institute of Building Services and U.S. Green Building Council in supporting the proposed legislation, which will now make its way to the U.S. Senate.

During our two day event we have the pressure of meeting some amazing speakers who shared in their support of our organization and the bills mentioned above. The speakers where:

• Marc Liciardello, Chair and CEO of IFMA
• Lynda Stanley, Executive Director, Federal Facilities Council (FFC)
• Congressman Pete Sessions ( R-TX-23), House Rules Committee
• Kevin Kampshroer, Federal Director, Office of Federal High – Performance Green Buildings, General Services Administrator
• Congressman Jeff Denham (R_CA_19^th), Chair, Public Buildings Sub-Committee, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Congressman Dennis Rehberg, (R-MT-AL), House Appropriations Committee
• Just to name a few

Our final day was spent meeting with different Republicans and Senators staff members to share our message about IFMA and the benefits of the bills that I mentioned above. We talked about who we are individually in our industries and the benefits of IFMA and why we were in Washington for Advocacy Day.

We shared that IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 22,655 members in 78 countries. And that the association’s members, represented in 127 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. We shared that we formed in 1980; IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition.

My experience from these last two years on IFMA Advocacy Day has been an experience of a lifetime and has brought to the forefront the benefits that IFMA helps to impact government policy for our profession and to share the benefits with our Government Facility Managers.

In Fall, 2010 IFMA Atlanta was notified that our international organization would no longer support continuing education units (CEUs).   In early 2011, the Chapter Board of Directors voted to pursue CEU accreditation from the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET).   Because the IACET standard focuses on how learning programs are developed, not what they cover, it provides a framework of best practices that can be applied across disciplines and industries.  The value to our membership is that each of our programs will qualify for CEU credit and be internationally recognized as meeting proven, rigorous, third-party independent standards.

 This accreditation is an ANSI/IACET Standard that measures all aspects of a Continuing Education provider’s program development across ten nationally recognized categories:

• Continuing Education and Training Organization
• Responsibility and Control
• The Learning Environment and Support Systems
• Learning Event Planning
• Learning Outcomes 
• Planning and Instructional Personnel
• Content and Instructional Methods
• Assessment of Learning Outcomes
• System for Awarding CEUs and Maintaining Learner Records
• Program Evaluation

Obtaining the accreditation has proven to be a very big challenge since it is usually a program that colleges and universities implement.  Therefore our non-profit organization is breaking new ground.   

Here is a brief timeline of Harriet’s volunteer efforts and our progress to date (as of September, 2012):

• February – March 2011 – Research to find out what costs were involved.
• March 2011 – Reviewed the application outline and all requirements with the then current board members; including costs and needed documentation for supporting information.  
• Spring 2011 – Initial sign-up for four (4) required training courses to learn what was involved and how to prepare the application.  Each session was a webinar that included testing in order to pass that section and move on to the next section.  This required a bit of reading and study time, usually after hours at night and on weekends.
• Spring 2011 – Conducted three interviews with the IFMA International staff for guidance and to learn how they had successfully implemented some of the practices.
• July 13^th, 2011 to July 12^th, 2012 – Time to complete the application- 1 year.  This involved reading through the chapter documentation, board meeting notes, and charters to fill in the required information.  Several pieces of information had to be adjusted since we are a non-profit professional association and do not have paid staff teachers, nor set classroom style learning events.
• July 2012 – The completed application was submitted.  The application was 300 pages in length and included details about the chapter’s processes for planning and administering monthly meetings and workshops for the chapter’s educational events.
• August 8, 2012 – We were notified that the application was received.

The application is currently under consideration with initial review comments expected in October