 & World Workplace - News & Trends
This section is dedicated to news about the International Facility Management Association, IFMA, the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 18,500 members in 60 countries. The association’s members are represented in 125 chapters and 15 councils worldwide. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management degree and certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. For more information, visit www.ifma.org and www.worldworkplace.org
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IFMA Foundation appoints executive committee
HOUSTON — The IFMA Foundation has appointed its 2008-2009 executive committee and board of trustees.
Melissa Van Hagan, CFM®, CFMJ, of Bank of the West has been named the new foundation chair. Members of the IFMA Foundation board of trustees serve a two-year term and are tasked with managing the foundation and guiding it in its efforts to serve the facility management profession.
“This group of trustees has incredible talent, and it’s a pleasure to work with them and serve as the chair of the foundation this year,” said Van Hagan. “We want to continue to develop more FM degree programs throughout the U.S., as well as in Europe and China. Considering that the average age of a facility manager is 48, and we’re currently graduating roughly 500 students per year in the U.S., the need to expand is critical.”
Also serving on the executive committee are Past Chair Peggy McCarthy, CFM, IFMA Fellow, of PMC Solutions; First Vice Chair Pat W. Turnbull of Kayhan International; Secretary/Treasurer Pamela Ewton, CFM, of Shell Real Estate; and IFMA President and CEO David J. Brady.
Other members of the IFMA Foundation board of trustees include IFMA Second Vice Chair Francis Kuhn, CFM, CFMJ; Jennifer Corbett-Shramo, IFMA Fellow; Peter Kirk; Kathryn L. Lopez, CFM; Andreas Rohregger, FMP; Eric Teicholz, IFMA Fellow; Stephen Ballesty; and David Hewett, CFM.
This year’s board of trustees has a strong international presence. Ballesty, of Australia, is managing director of advisory at Rider Levett Bucknall and has worked closely with the Australian government on strategic facility management issues. He is also past chairman of the Facility Management Association of Australia.
Rohregger is a doctoral student at the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein, Austria — one of the IFMA Foundation’s Recognized Degree Program schools. Rohregger is also the only person in Austria to have received IFMA’s Facility Management Professional credential. For more information, see www.ifmafoundation.org
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IFMA appoints Liz A. Ely as director of strategic event management
HOUSTON — The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has appointed Liz A. Ely, CMP, CMM, to the position of director of strategic event management. In this newly created role, Ely will be responsible for advancing IFMA's events and programs to greater levels of influence, participation and prominence worldwide. Ely will work closely with IFMA's senior management team to oversee the strategic and long-term planning and management of the association's events and meetings. She will also negotiate and manage partnerships with other associations and organizations participating in IFMA events. "I think we have an excellent team in place, and I look forward to working with them and the association's membership to take our conferences to the next level — and maybe create some new ones" said Ely. "I know facility managers are a diverse group, so I hope to interact with them and create unique experiences for all IFMA conference attendees." Ely joins IFMA with a strong background in meeting and event management. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Pennsylvania State University as well as certified meeting professional and certified meeting manager credentials. Ely has held leadership positions in Meeting Professionals International and has served on the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau Advisory Board and the Tourisme Montréal Advisory Board. For more information, see www.ifma.org
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FMpedia wins award
HOUSTON — The IFMA Foundation has received the 2008 Facility Management Association of Australia and Rider Levett Bucknall FM Industry Achievement Award in recognition of FMpedia, the free online facility management glossary launched by the foundation last year.
Developed by Eric Teicholz, IFMA Fellow and IFMA Foundation trustee, FMpedia has been an online resource of the international FM community since its debut in October 2007. Now with almost 1,000 defined terms and contributors in nearly 25 countries, FMpedia unites facility professionals around the world and empowers them to define and discuss the terminology of their industry. To learn more, visit the FMpedia home page at gsishare.com
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Facilities costs on the rise, says IFMA
HOUSTON — Led by a dramatic increase in utility costs, the overall cost of running a facility is 10% higher than it was just four years ago, according to results from an International Facility Management Association (IFMA) research report. The study, Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs, shows that utility costs — which include electricity, gasoline, fuel oil, steam water and sewage — have jumped 19% compared to similar data from 2006.
While the increase in utility costs may come as no surprise to some, it is happening at a time when energy consumption is down. When compared to IFMA’s 2006 benchmarking figures, average electricity consumption — measured in kBTUs per square foot — has dropped from 93 to 81, while gas consumption has remained constant at 35 kBTUs per square foot. This decrease in energy usage could be attributed to companies implementing energy conservation practices, lighting improvements and equipment upgrades at their facilities.
“In recent years, many organizations have invested in their electrical and mechanical systems to make them more energy efficient,” said IFMA Associate Director of Research Shari Epstein. “Performing simple measures such as installing occupancy sensors, adjusting heating and air conditioning controls and performing preventive maintenance checks to keep equipment running efficiently can make a measurable impact in reducing energy consumption.”
Based on a survey of 1,032 facility professionals from across North America, the new report covers a variety of costs, including lease, maintenance, housekeeping, security, environmental, recycling, waste disposal and space planning. The costs are on an annual basis and are displayed as dollars per square foot. Many of the costs are further broken down by industry, facility type and geographic region.
This year’s report reveals that expenses associated with environmental initiatives are also starting to increase. For example, the cost of recycling has doubled in the past four years. While facility managers today are spending an average of 4 cents a square foot on recycling, they were spending 2 cents a square foot in 2004, according to a previous IFMA benchmarking study.
“In years past, organizations could generate a little income from recycling paper, cans and cardboard materials,” Epstein said. “With the current emphasis on sustainability, more organizations are stepping up their recycling efforts even though it comes at an increased operational cost.”
IFMA annually conducts a benchmarking survey of its members in an effort to collect data that allows for easy comparisons of built environment costs and practices. These reports allow facility professionals to gauge their performance against similar facilities — whether in the same industry or a different one. This year’s report includes data from more than 1,000 facilities and is IFMA’s largest benchmarking study to date, with many survey respondents supplying information from multiple facilities.
To learn more about the Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs survey results and methodology, or to order a copy of the report, visit www.ifma.org
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IFMA opens chapter in Nigeria
HOUSTON — The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) announces the formation of its newest chapter, the Abuja Chapter of IFMA in Abuja, Nigeria.
The new chapter was formed to promote the facility management profession and educational opportunities to IFMA stakeholders in Abuja and neighboring states in Nigeria. Abuja is approximately 879 miles from Lagos, the location of IFMA’s other Nigerian chapter.
The new chapter has successfully identified its leadership for the inaugural term, consisting of a five-person executive board. Samson Opaluwa will serve as the chapter president, while Collins Osayamwen will serve as the chapter vice president. Approximately 60 Nigerian facility professionals attended the chapter’s initial formation meeting. For more information, visit www.ifma.org
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IFMA announces keynote WW keynote speakers
HOUSTON — The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) announces its keynote speakers for World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo, scheduled for Oct. 15-17 in Dallas.
Chip Heath will deliver the conference’s opening address, “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,” on Wednesday, Oct. 15. In his presentation, based on a book he co-authored of the same title, Heath discusses how to use “naturally sticky” ideas to design more effective messages. A professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, Heath researches why certain concepts survive and prosper in the social marketplace of ideas while others do not. He has also taught at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle will close the conference on Friday, Oct. 17, with his keynote speech, “Funky Business Forever,” which will offer commentary on the state of business in the latter half of this decade. Ridderstråle is a visiting professor at Ashridge Business School in the U.K. and a former assistant professor at the Stockholm School of Economics. His research focuses on new organizational models and leadership styles in the information age. He also acts as an advisor and consultant to a number of multinational corporations and is co-author of three international best-selling books, including Funky Business Forever.
Early registration is available until Aug. 1. To learn more about World Workplace 2008, or to register for the event, visit www.worldworkplace.org
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IFMA names Director of Government Relations
HOUSTON—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has appointed Jeffrey Johnson as director of government relations. Working from IFMA’s Washington, D.C., office, Johnson will develop and strengthen partnerships among IFMA, governmental agencies, and other organizations. He will also serve as a voice for IFMA members in the nation’s policy-making process, educating the public and members of Congress about issues critical to facility management professionals.
Johnson holds bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa., and is pursuing a law degree from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. He brings extensive experience in government affairs and on congressional and gubernatorial campaigns.
As director of government relations, Johnson will work with government, public, and private sector leaders to establish mutually-beneficial business relationships with IFMA. His primary focus will be matching IFMA’s professional development courses and credentialing programs with the needs of federal agencies, contractors, and others managing real property nationally or internationally. For more information, see www.ifma.org/tools/prdetail.cfm?id=258
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IFMA names Director of International Development
HOUSTON—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has named Codrutza Timariu as director of international development. In this role, Timariu will coordinate the international development and global operations of the association by building an infrastructure which elevates and supports IFMA’s global vision.
Timariu will serve on the senior management team. She will build and advocate IFMA’s external relationships through collaboration with national, regional, transcontinental, and governmental organizations. She will oversee progress on the initiatives outlined in IFMA’s international agreements and build new partnerships for IFMA senior leadership or board approval. In addition, Timariu will maintain close internal relationships with IFMA chapters, members and stakeholders.
Timariu has experience in management, strategic planning, analytics, marketing, and communications. She also has extensive international experience and is fluent in English, German, French, Italian, and Romanian. She holds a master’s degree in international business administration from Gheorghe Cristea University in Bucharest, Romania and a post graduate diploma at the Institute for Commercial Management in Bournemouth, United Kingdom (U.K.). For more information, see www.ifma.org/tools/prdetail.cfm?id=217
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IFMA joins ENERGY STAR
HOUSTON—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program as a Partner. As such, IFMA makes a fundamental commitment to protect the environment through the promotion of continuous improvement in energy performance to its 19,000 members.
As an ENERGY STAR Partner, IFMA will:
- Set a goal for members to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities by 10% or more and develop and implement a plan to achieve this goal by following the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines;
- Ask members to commit to the ENERGY STAR Challenge — a national call to action designed to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10% or more;
- Encourage U.S. members to partner with ENERGY STAR and measure and track the energy performance of their facilities by using tools and training such as those offered through the ENERGY STAR program;
- Appeal to staff and members to learn about the benefits of energy efficiency and to implement appropriate energy efficiency measures;
- Highlight its achievements with recognition offered by ENERGY STAR and provide internal recognition to facility managers who achieve large annual energy savings.
In partnership with IFMA, ENERGY STAR will:
- Assist IFMA in achieving its energy efficiency goals by providing informational, technical, and educational support to the association and its members;
- Explore opportunities to collaborate on the development of new educational programs for facility managers.
IFMA will also be recognized on the ENERGY STAR Web site as a Partner and participant in the ENERGY STAR Challenge. As IFMA makes progress toward achieving ENERGY STAR milestones, the association will be eligible for additional recognition. For more information, see www.ifma.org/tools/prdetail.cfm?id=224
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