Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Faces of Facilities profiles members of the facilities management community, sharing their personal experiences, successes, challenges, current practices, aspirations, and opinions on topics impacting the industry and its workforce.
Jackie Riegel Kittek, a facilities manager at global services firm CAI, is passionate about women’s empowerment in the industry. According to her, “When we celebrate women role models, we inspire the next generation to pursue a career in this field.” It’s an important goal, given that women account for only 25% of the FM workforce […]
Matt Heath is a senior manager of workplace environments at VF Corp., the parent company to a diverse portfolio of apparel, footwear, and accessory brands including Vans, The North Face, Dickies, Timberland, JanSport, and others. Although VF Corp. has thousands of facilities globally, Heath oversees the company’s corporate headquarters, lab, and warehouse in Denver, managing […]
It’s not every day that you come across a romance story in facilities management. Randy Groff and Lesley Groff, a former “Faces of Facilities” participant, are prominent FM leaders at separate companies in Pennsylvania and have been married for 13 years. The two first met at an International Facility Management Association (IFMA) local chapter meeting. […]
Melissa Grimes serves as a regional vice president at ESFM, the corporate facilities management division of Compass Group USA. In her role, she supports life science pharmaceuticals accounts with over 25 campuses across North America totaling more than 100 buildings. According to Grimes, her most important responsibility is contributing to the success of her team […]
As a regional facilities manager at major real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Sam Horton oversees a leading tech company’s properties across San Francisco. With a vast portfolio exceeding 4.6 billion square feet under management, Chicago-based JLL provides comprehensive services worldwide. In his role, Horton is in charge of over a dozen client […]
Whenever customers order tasty treats from a Checkers or Rally’s fast-food restaurant, Tee McCluster’s goal is to ensure proper facilities management helps improve the overall guest experience. McCluster is the national facilities and operations service manager of Checkers & Rally’s, a merged restaurant chain that operates under both the Checkers and Rally’s brands and specializes […]
“Always learn, practice, and apply. Find experts and ask them everything. Never be afraid to not know. Face the fear of not knowing and ask anyway.” Those are the wise, humble words of Maria Ruiz, a life-long learner who serves as the facilities and operations manager at UNICEF USA. Headquartered in New York City’s Financial […]
The University of Connecticut (UConn) recently made headlines after its Huskies basketball teams fought their way to the March Madness Final Four games for both men and women. Ultimately, the men’s team won their NCAA tournament and became rare back-to-back champions. There’s no wonder UConn is known as the “Basketball Capital of the World.” However, […]
Which clean energy technologies will help fuel a more sustainable future? Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are hard at work to answer that question. Meanwhile, Caroline Kelley, a senior facilities manager at NREL, is dedicated to providing the scientists with a safe and well-maintained work environment. Based in […]
Diversity, equality, and representation are essential across all industries, including facilities management. In honor of Black History Month, Erna Perkins-Jones shares her FM success story, discusses what the annual observance means to her, and offers advice for future facility leaders, no matter their skin color. Perkins-Jones is the director of facilities at Johnson C. Smith […]