March Luncheon Recap 

by Paul Bates, LEED-AP  
 

This month IFMA Atlanta members enjoyed an interesting presentation at a beautiful new venue. A big thanks goes out to Steve Soteres of Choate Construction for arranging our meeting at The Cherokee Town Club.  Steve introduced our featured speaker, Mr. Paul Bates, Market Outreach Manager of the Greenguard Environmental Institute. Mr. Bates' presentation, Healthy Indoor Air Quality by Design focused on indoor pollutants and how to minimize the impact on building occupants.

 

Did you know that we spend about 90% of our time indoors?  We talk about air pollution a lot, especially in Atlanta during the summer, because of our high level of ground ozone, but we don't talk much about the indoor air quality. Actually, the quality of the air indoors is two to five times higher in pollutants than outdoor air. Paul informed us that human beings shed about 150,000 skin particles every 30 minutes and that over a 10 year period, our mattresses will gain about 10 pounds due to excess skin particles! 

 

There are literally thousands of pollutants that affect the indoor environment.  Each year, about 10,000 more chemicals are invented by manufacturers.  Common pollutants include VOC's, allergens, aldehydes, gases and fumes, mold and mildew.  Sensitivity to these chemicals can develop slowly and might not be noticeable for years.  In the office environment, the biggest cause of pollutants is flooring, paint and wallcovering, and furniture.  Symptoms of poor indoor air quality include eye irritation, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory problems including asthma.  Asthma in children has increased 160% in the last ten years.  

 

Also contributing to the rise in poor indoor air quality is the desire to make buildings more energy efficient.  Examples of this are: Fresh air makeup has been reduced, buildings are designed to be tighter, we've lowered ceiling heights causing less air circulation, and the workspaces are more compact.  Paul commented that quite often, the fresh air makeup is close to the ground level in a building so the fresh air is actually polluted from low ground ozone.  Architects are now designing buildings with this in mind and the air intake is higher in the building. 

 

The financial impact of poor indoor air quality is huge.  It is estimated that $20 billion dollars is spent every year on worker's compensation claims due to poor indoor air quality.  Another $120 billion a year is spent in litigation over poor indoor air quality.  Paul shared an story of an older federal building that required the floor to be leveled prior to installation of carpet.  The compound was not allowed to dry adequately prior to installation of the new carpet.  The end result was a lawsuit that eventually cost the tax payers over $6 million.  Although the situation was rectified, the reputation of the building was not and it was eventually torn down.

 

So, what are the solutions?  Paul suggests a three prong approach.  Design, construct, and operate & maintain with indoor air quality as a priority.

 

During the design phase of a building, consideration should be place on the site, the layout of the space, design of the ventilation, and the selection of low emitting materials.  Paul explained to the group that it's more important to look at the emissions information of a product rather than the contents.  Emissions should be reported in micrograms per cubic meter (MG/CM).

 

During the construction phase, the sequential order is important.  The wet process should always be installed and completely dry prior to dry processes.  That's why it's important to make sure that painting and wallcovering should be applied and dried prior to installation of flooring material.  He suggested that an IEQ manager be assigned to a construction project and that the subcontractors are to follow strict rules regarding the site such as, refraining from sitting on a stack of drywall while eating lunch.

 

The last phase, the O & M phase is the longest process.  This is carried out throughout the life of the building.  Paul suggested using green procurement guidelines, including green janitorial practices.  He suggested that facility managers have their facilities cleaned after hours and to educate the janitorial staff on high performance cleaning practices.  Paul also suggested that HVAC and moisture issues should be tracked by the facility manager.  He also gave us a few tips we could use in the office and at home.  One of these suggestions is to purchase green cleaning supplies in trigger type containers rather than aerosol containers, to minimize the spread of pollutants.

 

There are additional advantages of designing a building using high performance standards.  The permit process is expedited in some cases, there are property tax abatements, reduced operating costs, and marketing benefits.

 

Paul suggested that we be aware of "greenwashing".  These are exaggerated product claims.  Beware of products claiming to be natural or organic.  As he pointed out, petroleum is natural but you don't necessarily want it indoors with you.  Claims that a product is "eco-friendly" or "earth friendly" don't really mean anything.  The key is to look for products that are certified either by Greenguard or one of the other certifying organizations.  There are currently 270 manufacturers with thousands of products that have been Greenguard Certified.  A list of these can be found of their website at www.greenguard.org

 

Atlanta's New Legal-Industry Facility Manager Special Interest Group

On March 10, Facility Managers from several of Atlanta's large and mid-sized law firms met at a luncheon hosted by Troutman Sanders, where they discussed several of the day-to-day issues they face.  This new Special Interest Group for Legal-Industry FMs based in Atlanta, will hopefully be a powerful resource for attendees to network and share knowledge.

The next meeting is on June 9 at the offices of Arnall Golden Gregory.  If you are a FM professional interested in attending, please contact Joseph Geierman at joseph.geierman@troutmansanders.com.

 

 

    

Joe Carroll, Chairman of the Career Services Committee awarded Keith Mathison, CFM, and Tony Tedesco, the FM Job Club Appreciation Award at a meeting held at IST Management Services.  Both Keith and Tony were active members of the Job Club while working on their job search.

Keith recently was hired as the District Manager at the GMI Group in Suwanee, Georgia and Tony was hired as the Director of Operations & Business Development with Crye-Leike in Cumming, Georgia. 

After Keith and Tony secured their new positions, they returned to the club meetings and shared their success story with others in the Job Club.

 

The FM Job Club meets once a month at IST Management Services in an effort to help people in the facilities management industry secure employment.  Membership is free.  During the last nine months, seven members were successful in finding new jobs. To find out more about the FM Job Club, go to www.IfmaAtlanta.org.

 

 

Sovereign Building Tour

 

  

 

    

Approximately 40 IFMA members enjoyed a private tour of the Sovereign Building at 3344 Peachtree Road on Thursday, February 25.  Attendees got an inside look at the newest and tallest mixed-use building in Atlanta.   Sovereign features class A office space, upscale retail, million-dollar condominiums, a commissioned art collection, and some of the most extraordinary views in the city.   The building is within easy walking distance to Lennox mall, an assortment of dining options and two major expressways.

 

Adam Allman, with the development company Regent Partners, kicked off the tour by sharing some background about the project and a few of the challenges. Tours were then lead by the Jones Lang LaSalle property managers, Megan Matthews and Stacy Goldworn.  They shared further insights about the building's architecture, design and artwork, as well as day to day management of the space.  

 

The tour was highlighted by a stop on the Forty-Third floor to see the furnished model condominium.  The view from the balcony of downtown Atlanta was spectacular on this clear, late afternoon.  At the conclusion of the tour, everyone convened at the exclusive Buckhead Club located on the 26^th floor for happy hour. Food was graciously provided by Andy Hoover, president of The Best Consultant Group.

A fun and unforgettable night was had by all.  Thanks to our IFMA Board, committee members, and, of course, our fabulous country music singers.  Loretta decided not to shave her chest and mustache since husband Doo always wanted her to be natural.  Johnny needs to return the Preparation H to Bryan or else he'll be in the hot seat with his wife.  At least two people inquired about the cat therapist and one of our LEED-certified members was so inspired by the quality of the stars that she is reportedly considering a new career at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville.  One of our members suffered slight head injuries when Dolly floated by his table, but the word is that he will happily recover.

Starring:

Joe Carroll, IST Management Services, as Bryan Seacrest
Greg Pontillo, Northwest Exterminating, as Loretta Lynn
Stewart Smith, Great American Floors, as Johnny Cash
Monte Townsend, Flood Brothers, as Dolly Parton

Written and Directed by:

Joe Carroll, IST Management Services

Produced by:

Joe Carroll, IST Management Services
Jeff Dellamaggiora, Humanscale Corporation
Michael Doane, ecoInsight
Bob Faloni, Allsteel
Wendy Gill, Taylor Group and Associates
Annette Gorelick, G4 Green Connections
Darrell Gray, Georgia Tech
Richard Nahody, ADVANCE Lease Audits
Stephen Nelson, Dyson B2B
Greg Pontillo, Northwest Exterminating
Stewart Smith, Great American Floors
Richard Tillison, Emcor Services Aircond
Pete Van Cleave, Water for Life

Thank you to all the attendees who made for a great tour and a fun, different event!

Top 10 Things People are Saying About This Year's IFMA Spring Classic...

10. I heard Steve Christopher is bringing his own saddle...what a prima dona!

9. Just write down a really high handicap...they won't know the difference.

8. Manicure, Pedicure or both?...Both!

7. Do you think Joyce and Dee will get mad if I bring my own Mountain Dew?

6. I know they added some new events...do you think they will ever add curling?

5. Just move it from behind the tree...they won't know the difference.

4. I heard Tom Haslach is going to swim next to the Booze Cruise to train for his upcoming triathlon.

3. You mean I can cruise around a lake all day and drink as much wine as I want?

2. I heard that "hunkalicious" Stewart Smith is playing tennis again in those short shorts...OMG!!!

1. I heard that if I don't sign up for the upcoming IFMA Spring Classic on Thursday, April 29th, in the next 48 hours, then Madame President Joanne Cole is going make me compete in the next IFMA American Idol singing competition...you don't want that do you?

SCAD TOUR 

 

 

 

 

May 19, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Special Thank You to the IFMA Service Committee!

When I arrived at 89 Grove Way in Roswell in November 2005, I had just become the Executive Director of the Child Development Association and landlord of its 33,000 square foot facility. The 30-year old building was ugly, hemorrhaging utilities, pest-infested and in generally deplorable condition. Fortunately, I had already attended my first meeting with the IFMA Community Service Committee, so I knew that I did not have to tackle these challenges alone. I knew that an entire cadre of experienced, knowledgeable, facility professionals were committed to the successful modernization of our building.

 

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.

 

 

 

Student Profile

 

Bob Barnes, CFM, MCR, is the Director, Corporate Services & Global Facility Operations for CIBA VISION in Duluth.  A Georgia Tech graduate students and working professional, Bob is typical of the GT "non-traditional" student.  Bob says, "An enticing factor in my deciding to relocate from Boston to Atlanta in 2006 to work for CIBA VISION was the prospect of entering the masters program in Building Construction at Georgia Tech.  For many years, I considered various university graduate programs, but I was holding out for one that was special in terms of career impact and reputation of program and faculty.  I discovered that in Georgia Tech, and a year into the program I can say the wait has paid off.  Having graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1977, I had some degree of trepidation in resuming the rigors of academia (last time I was in school, I used a slide rule and keypunch cards); in other words, I was rusty!  Yet the school highly values the experience of the seasoned professional, so the Building Construction program is structured to maximize the synergy within the generational spectrum of students.  Thus, the classes feature dynamic interaction in lectures and project teams comprised of Millennials and Boomers, and for an experienced professional, the opportunity to research special topics, especially through the thesis option, is excellent.  And the 'extra credit' for me as a professional FM going back to school is that there is frequent direct application to my job."