IFMA Atlanta 1980’s

1981

  • In December 1980, a group in Houston formed the first chapter of the National Facility Management Association (NFMA) and invited other cities to participate.
  • In August of 1981, Dave Armstrong of the Facility Management Institute (Sponsored by Herman Miller in Ann Arbor) came to Atlanta to make a presentation on Facility Management (new concept).  He was traveling to major cities across the United States making these presentations.
  • The first public meeting in Atlanta was held in at the Radisson Inn I-285 and Chamblee/Dunwoody Rd.  The subject was open offices (work places).
  • Six weeks after the initial visit by Dave Armstrong, five local organizers – Ted Stout, Sam White, Colin Webster, George Snow, Ed Rondeau met in the Herman Miller showroom to discuss formation of a local chapter.
  • They were joined by Christine Williams (Neldon) in subsequent monthly organizational meetings
  • Early meetings were at the home of Ted Stout to form bylaws and organizational structure.

1982

OFFICERS

•    President, Sam White
•    Vice President, Rob Stevens
•    Treasurer, Ed Rondeau (Later in year Ed moved up to VP and recruited Christine to Treasurer)
•    Secretary, Colin Webster
•    Program Director, Ted Stout

MEETINGS

•    Meetings were held at Cross Creek Country Club next to Holiday Inn on Howell Mill Rd. every month with attendance of 17-20 people
•    Cost was $7.00 for members; $8.00 for non-members
•    First regular chapter meeting was a tour of the Herman Miller Plant in Roswell


HIGHLIGHTS

•    The first local corporate sponsor was Coca-Cola, who absorbed cost of copying and postage for the initial meetings.
•    Herman Miller (through the local CWC dealer) was the first chapter sponsor and source of contacts for the initial meetings.
•    Organizational dinner was on April 29th at the Coca-Cola headquarters building.
•    Charles White, NFMA President, presented Chapter Charter to Sam White and Officers were officially installed.
•    In 1982, Canada joined the organization and the name changed to International Facility Management Association.
•    Ed Rondeau was selected as a Delegate-at-Large for IFMA to the International Board of Directors
•    The first Christmas party was at the Georgia Railroad Depot meeting facility (historical site run by the State of Georgia).  New officers for 1983 were installed and Charter members recognized. Cost was $15.00 per person; $25.00 per couple.


CHARTER MEMBERS INSTALLED

Ed Rondeau
Christine Williams (Neldon)
Bob Euton
Sam White
Ted Stout
Evelyn Blackstock
Rob Stevens
Gary Robinson
Peter Ruys
Robert (Bob) Browder
Mike McGahagin
Dewey Beardon
Bill O’Connell
Harold Troy

1983

OFFICERS

  • President, Ed Rondeau
  • Vice President, Dewey Beardon
  • Treasurer, Christine Williams (Neldon) Later in year Christine moved up to VP and maintained dual role until the end of the year
  • Secretary, Evelyn Blackstock
  • IFMA Director-at-Large to the IFMA International Board of Directors, Ed Rondeau

MEETINGS

  • Meetings held at Holiday Inn and Tower Place in Buckhead
  • Attendance of 25-30

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Applied to host Conference in Atlanta.
  • President’s first letter established. It was a single page duplicated, announcing the next meeting, and other chapter information.
  • Program committee began (Ed Rondeau and Ted Stout).
  • New members were invited to attend first Chapter Meeting as guest of Chapter.
  • Initially, International allowed chapters to set their own chapter fees and bill for them. (Atlanta $50.00 and International $50.00). In 1984, International established an annual fee of $125 to be sent to International, with $50 per member returned to chapters.
  • Participated in Conexion.
  • Participated in Facilities Day at Neocon.
  • Began to attract other vendor sponsors
  • Toured Arthur Andersen & Co., Atlanta Facility.

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1984

OFFICERS

  • President, Christine Neldon
  • Vice President, Wayne Wills
  • Secretary, Lois Johnson, later in year Gene Jackson
  • Treasurer, Bill Stephens
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Christine Williams (who married and became Christine Neldon)
  • International IFMA Board Secretary, Ed Rondeau

COMMITTEES:

Program

 MEETINGS

  • Meetings were at Lanier Plaza Had guest speaker for every meeting
  • Average attendance 25-30
  • Cost $10 and $15
  • Chapter membership increased from 30 to 90 by end of year

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Major goal was to increase membership and improve programs.
  • IFMA policy was that 75% of the membership had to be direct facility practitioners and 25% with a vendor relationship.  Vendors who wanted to join had to recruit three professional members.
  • A government list of largest employers in the city was obtained.  Volunteers called to find out who had facility responsibility and invited them to a meeting.
  • Christmas Social was at the Georgia Railroad Depot meeting center where door prizes were provided by vendors. Only one professional member won a prize and the other ten were vendors who won each other’s products. Thereafter, only professional members were eligible for door prizes at parties.
  • The chapter funded trips for the RVP to get chapters started in other cities.  Richmond chartered on 10/25/84.
  • Christine wrote the first Chapter Organizational Manual for the International Association.
  • The Chapter made a $500 contribution to the IFMA Computer Fund (to fund office equipment for the International office) and issued a challenge to all other chapters to match it.
  • Participated in Conexion.
  • Issued a membership directory.

1985

OFFICERS

  • President, Bill O’Connell
  • Vice President, Bill Stephens
  • Secretary, Ann Shrock
  • Treasurer, Patty McDonald (Roth)
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Christine Neldon
  • International IFMA Board Treasurer, Ed Rondeau

COMMITTEES:

 Hospitality

MEETINGS

  • Met at Lanier Plaza and moved to Merchandise Mart in Skyline room
  • Average attendance 30-35
  • Cost $12 and $15

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Participated in Conexion.
  • Bill O’Connell received a congratulatory letter from Zell Miller, Lt. Governor of Georgia, on his election as president.
  • Toured Cox Communication and Taylor Mathis Terrace, Perimeter Center Area’s two newest and most interesting facilities.
  • Talk at the July meeting was “Computers in Facility Management” as computers “enter our workplace.”
  • The chapter continue to fund trips for the RVP to get organizational meetings and chapters started in other cities.

1986

OFFICERS

  • President, Patty Roth
  • Vice President, Neil McTavish
  • Secretary, Mark Mausen
  • Treasurer, Keith Pressley
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Christine Neldon
  • International Board Vice President, Ed Rondeau

MEETINGS

  • Meetings at Merchandise Mart, Stouffer Hotel, and Wyndham Hotel
  • Attendance was 30-40

HIGHLIGHTS

  • By-laws ratified August 19, 1986.
  • Jean Lusso won trip to Chicago for Annual Conference in local chapter drawing.
  • The chapter continue to fund trips for the RVP to get organizational meetings and chapters started in other cities. The Birmingham, Suncoast and Research Triangle chapters chartered in 1986.

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1987

OFFICERS

  • President, Mark Mausen
  • Vice President, Van Frazer
  • Secretary, Mike McGahagin
  • Treasurer, Jean Lusso
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Christine Neldon
  • International Board President, Ed Rondeau

COMMITTEES:

 Membership, Programs, and Social

MEETINGS

  • 40 plus attendees
  • Membership was from 90-125
  • Merchandise Mart was the regular meeting place

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Main accomplishment: encouraging members to accept office and become more active.
  • Bob Browder retired (MS was getting worse).
  • Toured Coca-Cola Complex (120 attendees).
  • Christmas party at Ritz Carlton (120 attendees, speaker from RJR Nabisco).
  • Profits came from membership dues and luncheons.
  • The chapter continue to fund trips for the RVP to get organizational meetings and chapters started in other cities. The Charlotte, Jacksonville, Louisville and Nashville chapters chartered in 1987.

1988

OFFICERS

  • President, Jean Lusso
  • Vice President, John Steffes
  • Secretary, Martha Osborne
  • Treasurer, Chestley Yelton
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Elliott Stern
  • International Board Past President, Ed Rondeau (Board position)
  • International Board Secretary, Christine Neldon (first woman on International Executive Board of Directors)
  • Secretarial Service, Noble Data Systems (233-1777) was hired during this year as first secretarial service. Prior to that, the secretary took reservations for meetings. Mark Mausen helped set this up.

COMMITTEES:

Membership, Programs (secretary), Social, Job Bank

MEETINGS

  • 60-120+ (huge variances) attendees
  • Meetings mostly at Merchandise Mart
  • Cost $15 and $20
  • Membership range 144
  • Secretary arranged meals and meeting places.
  • Began moving meetings to different locations.
  • Meetings were held at different times and on different days of the week.
  • Some meetings were for professional and associate members only.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • At beginning of year, Secretary was assigned duties of Programs (not really a committee). During the year, the committee was re-established as a separate committee.
  • Social Committee began (Gina Klopf).
  • Membership Committee started (Kim Weiss).
  • Executive Committee decided that VP would head up committee chairpersons.
  • Minutes were first begun for the executive committee meeting.
  • Job Bank established (John Steffes).
  • Annual Conference held in Atlanta (Peach button created and started Peach sticker).
  • Chapter members served as hosts, moderators, and Atlanta Booth.
  • Officers judged booths at Conference and gave awards.
  • Christmas luncheon at Wyndham Hotel – speaker from Contel. 130 attendees.
  • Tour of CNN.
  • Tour of High Museum of Art.
  • Tour of Galleria Tower (I-285 and Hwy. 41) as guests of IBD.

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1989

OFFICERS

  • President, Chestley Yelton
  • Vice President, Martha Osborne
  • Secretary, Kim Weiss
  • Treasurer, Judy Barber
  • Regional Vice President (South) for IFMA International Board of Directors, Elliott Stern
  • International Foundation Study Committee Chairman, Ed Rondeau
  • International Board Treasurer, Christine Neldon
  • Secretarial Service, Noble Data Systems

COMMITTEES:

Membership, Programs, Social, Job Bank

MEETINGS

  • Meetings at Merchandise Mart and once at Trio
  • 40-60 in attendance
  • Cost $15 and $20
  • Membership 163

HIGHLIGHTS

  • VP was in charge of all committees.
  • Program Committee re-established (Jamie Lanier/Martha Osborne).
  • Tour of Scitrek
  • Tried discussion tables for one meeting with people sitting at table where a host lead discussion on particular subject.
  • Several meetings for Professional and Associate members only. This practice caused some discontent among Allied and Affiliate members.
  • Hosted Southeast Regional Conference at Merchandise Mart, May 4-6.
  • Christmas party at Westin Lenox – cost $15/$20 (since 1987).
  • Toured IBM Building with IBD.
  • Held a meeting at Underground Atlanta.
  • Newsletters were one or two pages of announcements, duplicated.
  • Newsletter Committee added in April and Newsletter more formally laid-out.
  • Sponsors sought on as-needed basis.
  • In October, VP began expanding the committees in preparation for next year. Included awards, codes and regulations, education, job bank, membership, networking, newsletter, nomination, programs, publicity, research (information, social, technical). Chairmen did not attend executive committee except for special projects by their committee. New Chairmen were to start in October to be “in action” when new officers took over.

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