We at Facilities Management Advisor launched our “Faces of Facilities” profile series in December 2021, offering readers a chance to hear directly from industry insiders. As we enter 2023 and celebrate the series’ first anniversary, let’s take a look back at some of the best advice, insights, and predictions provided over the past year.
Dave Irvin from Florida State University:
My favorite part of our industry? We never have a dull day! Just when we believe we’ve seen everything and solved everything, a pandemic, supply chain issues, or the Great Resignation requires our leadership. We are continually challenged, which means we can continually learn!
My least favorite part? There aren’t enough hours to do everything we’d like.
How would I change that? I’m working on cloning but not sure I’ll get it down.
Prince Reed from DaVita Kidney Care:
Find a mentor and actually listen to them. There’s nothing worse than good advice wasted. There is no need to recreate the wheel. Get input from the people around you. No one likes or respects a know-it-all. If you think you’re smarter than everyone in the room, find a new room.
Stan Robinson from Roanoke City Public Schools:
For the K-12 educational systems, facilities management is a major component within the organization because, quite simply, if we don’t do what we do, then the teachers and administrators cannot do what they do. There truly is a yin and yang to all the functions that we both provide for the betterment and the education of our future.
Lesley Groff from UGI Utilities Inc.:
My advice to all who are looking for FM positions: just apply. Apply for the jobs you want, even if you think you are not quite qualified. Organizations will train you. Job postings are for the “ideal” candidate. They think they know what they want. They might not know you are EXACTLY what they need. Just go for it, and keep trying.
Nelson Peña from Sam’s Club:
It is important for company leaders to understand the significance of facilities maintenance because of the exposure it creates to the bottom line. If the company does not invest in maintenance today, it will cost more in the future to maintain an asset and expect it to produce a similar return as when it was new.
Amber Gratkowski from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission:
My biggest mistake when starting in the field was thinking I had to have an immediate answer for everything. In this field, you are the “go-to” person for everything and anything at your facility. In the beginning, because I was learning so much, so fast, I would think I would have to respond right away.
Now, if I do not have the answer, I let them know that! I always follow back up and get the answer, but it may not be immediately.
Jeff Womack from AGEISS Inc.:
In my opinion, we absolutely have to do a better job cultivating interest in the industry with high school students, college students, and my own personal desire to see more veterans choose the career track. Military members often have diverse experience and are taught to handle problems in an expeditious manner.
Jessica Bickel from Reece Group USA:
Hands down my favorite thing about this industry is that I’ve never done the exact same job twice. Every role I’ve held, every facilities ticket I’ve addressed, every project I’ve worked on—each has been unique, and I love the never-ending capacity for new challenges. This means that nothing I learn is wasted. Future challenges could be solved with the skills I learn today.
Alana F. Dunoff from Temple University:
[W]e will always be ready to accept the next big thing—whatever it is. … As I look back on 30 years in FM, the only thing certain is change and our need to be adaptable. The pendulum always swings, and as FMs we need to be swinging with the pendulum and not running behind it.
Liz Bishop from Bazaarvoice:
Join the FM world—it is far more than what you may think it is!
Are you or a colleague an FM professional interested in being profiled for the “Faces of Facilities” series? Please contact Editor Joe Bebon at JBebon@BLR.com