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The Atlanta Chapter of
The International Facility Management Association
July
2009
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 Message from the President: Joanne Cole
Our
2009-2010 Board met in early May to reflect upon and
evaluate where we are as an organization and where we
want to go. In these challenging and difficult
tmes it became apparent that our primary goal should be
to provide for and demonstrate the unique value of
membership benefits to you as an FM professional or FM
service provider. In today's climate, a key partner in
the on-going development of your professional life is
IFMA. Too frequently, we get so involved with everyday
events that the value of being an IFMA member is
obscured.
So, what can
IFMA do for you?
- Participation in your Chapter activities affords
the opportunity to network with other facility
professionals in your area. They share the same issues
and concerns that impact you and your job.
- IFMA serves as an advocate for issues of interest
to our profession.
- Updates on relevant topics such as ergonomics,
indoor air quality, work place safety, and building
codes and standards can be obtained.
- The IFMA Foundation funds Research and Development
and White Papers on relevant FM topics and provides a
variety of scholarships to FM students and established
professionals.
- A wide variety of educational opportunities:
- Monthly educational programs offering CEUs/CFM
maintenance credentials in the core competencies of
the FM profession.
- Behind-the-scenes Facility Tours
- FM Networking Breakfasts
- Educational Seminars
- Atlanta Work Place - September 10th, 2009 - This
year we will be partnering with CoreNet at The Emory
Conference Center for a combined educational
opportunity and Showcase of our valued vendors who
serve the FM profession - a mini WWP for those who are
unable to travel to Florida.
- World Work Place - IFMA is noted for presenting
world class events and World Work Place is the
flagship. This annual affair (October 7-9, 2009
in Orlando) attracts thousands of professionals to
review new products and services and sit in on a
variety of seminars and training sessions.
- Councils (industry-specific) are an important
benefit provided to members, and a service that is
provided by members. The opportunity to share
ideas, resolve common issues, and gain increased
awareness of current facility issues is a
core-function of each
Council.
Here is where
you find support for dealing with those things no one
else understands. Here is where you meet your peers and
make new friends. Here is where you belong.
We also have a
wide variety of on-line benefits:
- Electronic newsletter - NEW in July, 2009!
- FM Jobs on Call - NEW in July!
- Website - Calendar of Events and information on
Chapter committees and activities
- Sustainability Directory - offering legislative
website links and featuring "Green" products from our
associate service providers
- An IFMA Atlanta blog featuring FM issues and
discussions
- An IFMA Atlanta Facebook page featuring Chapter
activities and connectivity to other Chapter members
(we also feature Twitter and
LinkedIn)
Get more out of your
membership than just something to add to your resume.
This is a vital time to remain involved in your
professional association with your
Chapter.
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Date:
July 15, 2009
Time:
11:30 am - 1:00
pm
Location:
Villa
Christina
Speaker:
Elliott
Augustine,
WebXperts Designs
Topic: "Optimize
Communication Using
Social
Media Tools"
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| http://www.ifmaatlanta.org |
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2009 -2010 Sustaining
Patrons
Carithers Wallace &
Courtenay
Bronze Level
Carter & Associates
Corporate Environments
ASD, Inc.
DTI
Hendrick,
Inc.
Malcolm B. Weiss &
Associates
Royal Cup
Southern Business
Systems
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Please
Welcome the 2009 - 2010 IFMA Atlanta Chapter Board
Joanne
Cole, Chapter President
Christy
Jellets, Chapter Vice
President
Keith
Mathison, Treasurer
Karen
Howard, Chapter Secretary
Clara
Smith, Vice President of Professional
Development
Chris
Vest, Past
President
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UPCOMING EVENTS
July 14
FM Job Club
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location:
Corporate
Environments
Speakers:
Joe Carroll & Julie
Gardner
July
15
July Luncheon
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Villa
Christina
Sreaker: Elliott
Augustine
Topic: "Optimize Communication
Using Social Media Tools"
July
28
FM Networking Breakfast
7:00 am - 8:00 am
Location:
UPS Corporate
Offices
September
10
Atlanta World WorkPlace
7:30 am - 6:30
pm
Location:
Emory Conference
Center
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CONNECTIONS
Find us on
twitter at
Read our blog
at
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June
Luncheon
 
Joe Carroll, Vice
President of Human Resources for IST Management
Services, presented a high-energy
audience-participation session on a very timely
topic, "How to Recession Proof Your Career".
This was a relevant program for everyone ---
whether currently employed or looking for new
opportunities. There is no such thing as job
security these days. A job loss can happen to
anyone at anytime. In fact, most people have
multiple careers in their lifetime. To be
prepared for this, Joe stressed the importance of
having a career management plan in place:
- Know your personality
- What would you do differently if nothing
could stop you
- Use your talents
- Listen to your instincts
- Write down your goals
- Make more friends
- Get credentials
- Think outside the box
Networking should be part of your
job. It is about learning about the other
person and how YOU can help THEM. During a
job search, networking is more important than
ever. A job search is a marketing campaign
and YOU are the product.
Joe gave us tips
on how best to leverage ourselves during a job
search. Some of these included:
- Identify your top 50 companies to work for
- Identify a referral
- Know your elevator speech
- Keep networking
- Master the interview
- Polish your resume
There was much food for thought during this
fast-paced presentation!
Thank you
Joe!
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Community
Corner
The (30) year old Elaine Clark Center for
Exceptional Children is just now completing their
first year as a Community Service Partner with
IFMA Atlanta. In establishing how IFMA
Atlanta's Community Service Committee could be a
teaching and educational resource for their
facility needs, the committee established a well
qualified subcommittee to meet our mutual goals.
The team leaders are Alan Jones (Adams Transfer
& Storage Company) and Barbara Miller (Akzo
Nobel).
The center is one of the few accredited
facilities in the metro Atlanta area that serves
special needs children from birth to middle teens
with on site pediatric nurses and a trained
teaching staff. Shortly after becoming a
Community Service Partner, The Elaine Clark Center
has been given the opportunity to explore the
possibility of merging with The Heart of Hope
Academy that currently serves special needs teens
and young adults in Atlanta. With the
approval of both of their board of directors, that
possibility has now become a reality and on August
1, 2009, The Heart of Hope Academy at The Elaine
Clark Center will begin its operation. At that
point, the center will be able to serve special
needs individuals from birth to adulthood under
one roof. The center will be the only one in
the metro Atlanta area of its kind.
This has not been the easiest of tasks
because the board vote and approval did not come
until April of this year and the facility was in
dire need of renovation prior to the August
opening. Alan & Barbara were asked to join a
special task force at the center to move forward
on a substantial "face lift" for the interior of
the building. After numerous meetings with
the task force and substantial contributions of
time and resources, IFMA Atlanta's Community
Service Committee in concert with several other
contractors, was able to put a plan into motion
that involves ( 8 ) phases of floor replacement,
wall repair and painting, Movement of walls, and
asbestos abatement. Currently, the project is
approximately 60% complete and the amazing part of
this project is that the center has not had to
lose one day of operation and service to the
children.
This project, like so many with nonprofits,
has been in the "hurry up and wait" stage for a
long time. Fortunately, when the approvals
came for funding, IFMA members were readily
available to assist in project management.
This project has been fast tracked and truly looks
amazing. We look forward to sharing pictures
with the membership in the next few months.
Another Community Partner finds wings and
flies!
What a wonderful journey Our House has
begun with the construction of a new addition
and the renovation of our existing
facilities. Who could have believed more
than a year and a half ago when Charles Cayce
(Emcor) introduced us to IFMA we could
accomplish the things we have. Under the
guidance and direction of the wonderful
professionals like team leader Annette Gorelick
(Ruppert Nurseries) and the community services
committee we have learned more about what it
takes to build andmanage a safe, attractive
facility than we could have in ten years on our
own. We thank each member of the committee for
the advice, support and guidance that has led to
the beautiful facility we occupy today. We are
more than pleased with our new home. The
children, families, staff, and board all agree
we have been successful in our vision of a
facility worthy of the wonderful work that takes
place at Our House. It has not been an easy road
thus far, but well worth all of the efforts of
all of our friends and supporters,
including the Atlanta Chapter of IFMA.
Sincerely,
Tyese Lawyer, Executive Director for Our
House of Georgia
If you are interested in joining the
community services committee, meetings are held
the Friday before the third Wednesday of each
month at Hendrick, Inc. Contact Dave Woelber
at dave@total-plant.org
for more details.
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UPS Corporate Office-FM Sustainable
Networking Breakfast (Facility Managers Only
Event)
Presentation of the building's sustainable
features which pre-date LEED for the various
building components focusing on improvement of
water and energy efficiencies. Their
corporate office is the testing ground before
initiating them in the field.
July 28th
- 7-8:30AM
Limit 25
attendees.
Register
Here
55 Glenlake Parkway,
NEAtlanta, GA 30328
Meeting will be
in the Oberkotter Room just behind the main
reception desk.
Directions:Ga 400 to Exit 5B
Abernathy Road heading towards Sandy Springs.Turn
right at first stop light onto Glenlake Parkway
(passing last month's venue location at Newell
Rubbermaid.) Our building is the 4th on the right
side of the parkway.Turn into the driveway just
past the flagpoles at the UPS Shield, Bear right
into Parking Deck A and park in the visitor
parking on the first floor.Follow the Loggia to
the left of the elevator bank to arrive at the UPS
Corporate Office main lobby.Sign in at the main
reception desk to receive a visitor's
badge.
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| July Luncheon
Speaker
Topic: "Optimize Communications
Using Social Media Tools"
Speaker: Elliott
Augustine, WebXperts Design, Inc.
Core Competency:
Communication
Presentation
This
interactive presentation is meant to be an
informative session on what, how, and why to use
the latest social networking tools for effective
communication. Learn why it has become so
popular, why to invest in it, and who has adopted
these social media tools. The differences as well
as the redundancies of Twitter, Facebook, and
Linkedin will be discussed. An overview of
these tools and their application to the facility
manager will be discussed as well as learning how
to integrate them into your website.
Objectives:
Learn the power of social networking and
why to invest in these tools.
Understand the differences between Twitter,
Facebook, and Linkedin and which might be the most
effective for different situations.
Learn how the facility manager can
effectively communicate using social
media.
Bio:
Elliott
Augustine is owner of WebXperts Design, Inc., a
company that specializes in web design, search
engine optimization, and internet programming. The
company was incorporated in 2000 and has been
providing Internet consultation for clients of all
sizes. Some of the better known companies
WebXperts has built solutions for are Turner
Enterprises, Cox Communications, Time Warner and
Grady Hospital. Since WebXperts relocated to
Decatur, it has focused on helping local companies
and organizations. WebXperts has always put a
strong emphasis on customer satisfaction and
providing knowledgeable customer service.
Elliott has spoken on social networking to various
organizations including the Atlanta Press Club,
Decatur Rotary Club, and Georgia Perimeter
College.
Register
Here
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Sustainable Products
and Services Directory
The Sustainable Product and Services
Directory is now open to all Associate members to
apply to if they have a "green" product or service
that they would like the Professional members to
know about.
Applications are
available on the IFMA
Sustainability Links Page.
Just
fill out and email to lanit@energyace.com and the
Sustainability Subcommittee will review
applications at their next meeting.
Professional Members: This
will serve as a great resource if you are looking
to "green" your
workplace. |
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