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Photos from the January
Luncheon
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"Neither
snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these
couriers from the swift completion of their appointed
rounds." - inscription found on the General
Post Office in New York City.
Often
misquoted (and surprisingly not the even the official motto
of U.S. Postal Service), it seems everyone can
recite or at least paraphrase that
inscription. With that in mind this month's
recent ice storm was definitely a potent test of that
old adage. The icy road conditions closed schools and
many businesses from restaurants and malls to Fortune
500 companies which led to the lost of hundreds of
thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
The
work of a facility manager cannot be put off until the
ice melts or the snow clears. In fact, when things look
the grimmest, we are the busiest, making sure our
building's weather the storm and are safe to open as
soon as possible. Because of this the old postal
inscription is now the motto of our facility
managers!
In fact, once the storm was
forecast, my office as well as many of yours quickly
switched to preparedness mode. Our pre-storm planning
included laying down ice melt before the freezing rain
came and closing the upper exposed portions of our
facility's parking decks. We also identified essential
personnel needed on the property to address any sudden
emergencies as well as personnel who lived close-by who
could be called upon to expeditiously begin clean-up
once conditions improved.
A
myriad of other details needed to be
addressed:
- Were
emergency systems, such as our back-up generators,
ready to operate and topped with fuel?
- Who
could walk into work to process payroll?
- What
was our secondary plan to get our customers
information about opening and closings if our network
servers and website went down?
- How
were we going to communicate our plans quickly and
efficiently to our staff - especially about things
like road conditions that might make it unsafe for
them to travel?
- What
about our vendors and how would the storm impact them?
Who could we turn to for critical supplies of fuel,
tools, or ice-melt if we needed them during the worst
of the storm?
While
our facility learned many lessons from this latest round
of storms, there are two that stand out above the rest.
First, the need of a backup system in case the office
phone lines go down is critical and secondly, enlisting
the use of social media to easily disseminate critical
information to both staff and the general public. Our
staff knew if phone lines were down, they could check
our facility's status on our Facebook page.
With
the current world conditions such as global warming, El
Nino, floods, terrorism and workplace violence companies
are finding a Business Continuity Plan could mean
survival. If you and your company have not yet
established policies and guidelines for disaster
planning, turn to IFMA International to aid you in
implementing one. IFMA International and the IFMA
Foundation both have a wealth of resources for
you.
Maybe we can't wipe that "snow and sleet"
slogan from the post office. And that's okay what makes
a great facility manager isn't how he or she responds to
emergencies, but how he or she prepares for it.
Remember,
"There are two ways to sleep well at night... be
ignorant or be prepared." Simon Black.
On
a more somber note, we would like to take this
opportunity to express our deepest sympathy in the lost
of Roger Milliken. Mr. Milliken was 95 years of age and
his presence will be missed throughout the industry. His obituary appeared in the
December 31, 2010 edition of the New York Times,
The
Atlanta Chapter of IFMA has been privileged to be part
of the Milliken tradition to excellence business
practices. Milliken supports the annual board retreat,
provides active members to the chapter and supports the
work of the facility management profession at the
national level. Roger will be missed by all he touched
in his career.
--
Christy.
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Upcoming
Events
Time:
8am - 5pm
Instructor:
Kathy Roper
Location: ASHRAE
Headquarters.
Date:
February 10
Time:
7:30am - 3pm
Location: Atlanta
Foodbank
Note:
Non-Profits only
Topic:
Turn
Negative Thinking to Your Advantage
Date:
February
16
Time:
11:30am
Location: Cobb
Energy Center
Education Program Topic:
LEED
AP Exam Prep
Date:
March
8
Time:
8am
- 5pm
Location:
The
Westminster Schools
March Luncheon
Topic:
Leveraging
the Emerging Workplace to Win
Date:
March
16
Time:
11:30am
Location: Villa
Christina
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Connections...
Read our blog
at
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Links
to
Sustaining
Patrons
Gold Level
Silver
Level
Bronze
Level
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Do You Want to Get More
Involved?
Are
you interested in getting more involved with IFMA's
Atlanta chapter, but not sure where to start? If
so, please contact Wendy Gill, our chapter's volunteer
coordinator at wgill@taylorgroupga.com.
There
are all kinds of opportunities to help out - many of
which could be done from the comfort of your home or
office. We look forward to hearing from
you!
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GA
Tech Corner
 The
Georgia Tech Facility Management graduate program
announces the offering of our Master of Science degree
in Distance Learning format. Students from outside of
Atlanta will now have access to the same learning
offered on campus beginning in fall 2011. Course work is
exactly the same, with Internet access to lectures,
lessons, projects and exams.
If your company has
locations outside of Atlanta, within Georgia, the U.S.
or even internationally, your employees may be
interested in this opportunity. Please contact our
Graduate Recruiter, Brenda Morris at 404-385-7479 or brenda.morris@coa.gatech.edu for
details on how to apply for the distance learning
Integrated Facility Management degree. We hope to bring
the world into our virtual classroom and expand
knowledge of facility management worldwide. The Atlanta
Chapter support for this program enables us to continue
to expand and grow this program, which is one of only
four internationally accredited programs in facility
management at the graduate level. Thanks for supporting
us and sharing this exciting expansion!
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Balanced
Scorecard Update
Are
you interested in the progress the chapter has made at
achieving its goals this year? If so, you can view the 6
month report card created recently by our chapter's
board.
Read it
here!
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Green
Building Focus Seminar on Building
Performance
This one-day
seminar, being held on February 24, provides
expert discussions in LEED EBO&M, water resource
management, performance monitoring and reporting, as
well as financing and incentive opportunities, along
with networking opportunities to bring your green
building knowledge up to date at a very reasonable
rate. Whether your manage, maintain, oversee, or
utilize buildings, you will find value in this seminar
designed to bring the latest information in a one-day
format.
Register
Here!
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February
Luncheon:
Turn
Negative Thinking to Your
Advantage
Date:
February 16, 2011
Location:
Cobb
Energy Center
Speaker: Craig
Price (author and entertainer)
Mark your
Calendars Now!
Register
Here!
Negativity is an unfortunate part of life.
Understanding its usefulness and value is the key
to success. This innovative, entertaining program
takes a realistic look at traditionally "negative"
issues and will give tools to not only limit the
occurrence of these difficulties, but also show
how to use the hidden value in them. Insightful as
well as humorous, this program will have you
looking at these "problems" in a whole new
light.
Craig Price helps people learn how
to find the value in negative thoughts and
emotions. He gets them to understand how to use
negativity as a tool for change and productivity.
As he says, "It's better to take a moment to think
an idea through than rush a flawed idea into a
major mistake."
His funny, straightforward
approach to everyday situations and experiences
gives audiences proof that their options are not
limited. Examining self-doubt and cynicism, he
demonstrates that understanding how you think is
more important than what you think.
Key
learning points -Harnessing the power of negative
thinking; How to use your natural insights to
proactively problem solve; Find the value in
negative experiences and turn failure into
success.
We hope you will join us for an
entertaining yet realistic look the power of
negative energy and harnessing it as a tool for
change! |
IFMA
Tour
Johns
Creek Environmental
Campus
8100
Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA
30022
February 10, 2011 at
3:30pm
There is No
Charge for this
event!
Happy hour to follow
at approximately 5pm at Taco Mac
8440 Holcomb
Bridge Road, Bldg. 50
Alpharetta, Georgia
30022
The Johns Creek Environmental Campus (JCEC)
is situated on 43 acres off Holcomb Bridge Road in
the City of Roswell adjacent to the
ChattahoocheeRiver near Garrard Landing. The new
facility will meet the needs of the JohnsCreek
basin and replace the existing Johns Creek Water
Reclamation Facility (WRF) located in the
Horseshoe Bend community. JCEC will ultimately
contribute to the quality of life for current and
future residents in numerous ways. It will ensure
water reclamation capacity for new homes and
businesses and make better use of ratepayers'
money. Because JCEC will use newer technology, it
will operate more efficiently than the existing
Johns Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF),
which is nearing the end of its useful life and
will be decommissioned when the new facility goes
online. The treatment process will also offer a
learning opportunity on water quality issues for
young and old alike through the educational
center. Since there is a higher level of
treatment, JCEC also provides the future
availability of reuse water for
irrigation
The County has also put a lot of
effort into working with the community to create
an aesthetically pleasing site that blends with
the area. The "old mill" theme for the facility
was selected as the result of several pre-design
sessions involving local leaders and residents.
Many of the buildings' architectural features,
such as red brick, window detailing, and
fieldstone accents, are reminiscent of the
historic mills in Roswell and Fulton. Staff
continues to respond to the site's closest
neighbors. In addition to a community meeting held
last summer, several meetings have been held with
homeowners next to the site.
Please join us
for what will be an interesting and educational
glimpse atthis state of the art water facility.
Afterwards, everyone is invited to a happy hour
gathering at the nearby Taco
Mac.
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LEED AP Exam Prep Course
and Study Group
Date:
March 8,
2011
Time:
8:00am
to 5pm
Location: The
Westminster Schools 1424 West Paces Ferry Rd, NW,
Atlanta, GA 30327
Instructors:
Charlie
Cichetti, Annette Gorelick
Cost:
$275
per student for pre-registered
members
Register Here!
The
LEED AP Operations & Maintenance credential
requires passing a two-hour exam which contains
100 multiple choice questions. Candidates must
achieve a minimum score of 170 (out of 200) to
earn the credential. Registrants who complete
assigned credits will be provided a letter of
attestation documenting LEED project participation
which is required to sit for exam.
The
one-day course will be taught by:
Charlie
Cichetti: Charlie is a principal in
Sustainable Investment Group, a green building
consulting firm with offices in Georgia, Colorado
and Texas. Charlie has more than ten years
experience in commercial construction, real estate
development, and project management, and oversees
the sustainable consulting, construction
management and LEED certification services for
simultaneous projects in multiple rating systems.
Annette
Gorelick: Annette is Founder and
President of G4 Green Connections, an education
and consulting company specializing in the
sustainable operations and maintenance of
commercial buildings. Annette has worked in
facility and property management since 2001,
primarily as a service provider for landscape
installation and maintenance. Annette's work has
been featured in the online journal Green Building
Pro.
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Mark
Your Calendar
IFMA
Spring Classic - Thursday,
April 21, 2011
Sign
up and join the fun at IFMA Atlanta's Annual
Spring Classic. Sign up early and take advantage
of the savings offered by registering before April
1st. We promise this is not an
April Fools joke!
Once
again, the day promises to be jam packed with fun
and fellowship amongst your IFMA friends and
family. The day's events will include...
- The
highly handicapped golf tournament!
- The
IFMA Open tennis championship! Don't
forget you will have the cabins to shower and
lounge before the Booze Cruise.
- The
now-famous Coca Cola wine cruise across the
now-full Lake Lanier!
- The
equestrian event where Steve Christopher will
perform highly dangerous horse jumping tricks!
- The
social event by the pool with a Mexican fiesta
and beautiful sunsets by the pool!
Don't
miss this opportunity, go to www.ifmaatlanta.org and
let's serve up, tee up, ride up, drink up and eat
up. Grab your favorite co-worker, your
favorite client or come alone and get out of the
office for a day. Good
times will be had by all!
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March
Luncheon:
Leveraging
the Emerging Workplace to Win
Date:
March 16, 2011
Location: Villa
Christina
Speaker: Michael
Dziak, COO at
E-work.com
Mark
your Calendars Now!
Register
Here!
IFMA Atlanta is pleased to present
MichaelDziak, Chief Operating Officer for
e-Work.com, Inc. at the March luncheon on March 16
at Villa Christina. Mr.Dziak is in his twentieth
year as a telework consultant, author and trainer.
He has successfully assisted public and private
sector clients with the many changes required by
organizations to adopt a virtual work culture.
Michael founded the Metro Atlanta Telecommuting
Advisory Council in 1992 and was a board member of
the International Telework Association Council
(ITAC) for five years. Michael has appeared on
television, radio, print and web media as a
virtual work expert and authored the book
"Telecommuting Success: A Practical Guide for
Staying in the Loop While Working Away from the
Office" in 2001.
Michael's presentation,
"Leveraging the Emerging Workplace to Win" will
explore the ever changing work place and how
organizations can embrace this change to better
utilize resources, both internal and external. A
successful Telework Program is more than just
providing employees with mobile technology tools.
In addition to the tools, employees and managers
need to be trained to work in a virtual work
style. Michael will share real life case studies
of organizations who have successfully implemented
Telework Programs including metrics to measure the
success.
Please join us on March 16 to hear
this enlightening and relevant
presentation. |
Pink
Ice
March 19, 2011
at 7:05pm
Free
parking!
$15 per-person,
tickets picked up at will call!
Register
Here!
From
the North: Take I-85 South to Exit 109 (Old
Peachtree Rd/Sugarloaf Parkway). Turn right off
the second exit offramp (the first off-ramp is Old
Peachtree Rd) and cross over Satellite Bovd. The
arena will be on your left.
From
the East (Lawrenceville, Dacula, Athens):
Take SR 316 west to Sugarloaf Parkway exit. Take a
right on Sugarloaf Parkway. Follow Sugarloaf
Parkway approximately 1.5 miles. Follow underneath
I-85 and cross Satellite Bovd. The arena
will be on the left.
From
the West (Duluth): Take SR 120 (Duluth
Highway) to Meadow Church Road. Take a left
on Meadow Church Road and follow for about a mile
to Sugarloaf Parkway. Take a right on Sugarloaf
Parkway. The arena will be on the right.
From Atlanta and
points South: Take I-85 North to Exit
108/Sugarloaf Parkway (formerly Exit 42A). Turn
right off the exit off-ramp. Go back under the
interstate and cross over Satellite Blvd.
The arena will be on your left.
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Luncheon
Recap
Scenes
from the January
Luncheon
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Interested in
contributing an article - or even in joining the Newsletter
committee? If so, then contact our Newsletter Committee
Chair, Joseph Geierman, at joseph@ifmaatlanta.org |
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