The local chapter of IFMA doesn’t just focus on educating those currently connected to facility management – they also have a close eye on the future. When I sat down with local IFMA President John Strharsky I got caught up on IFMA’s recent events but I also got the opportunity to learn about all the possibilities and programs they have in place for students in the area!
Above, President John Strharsky works on the group’s strategic plan with other members of IFMA. Strharsky is finishing up his year as president and previously served two terms as the organization’s vice president.
For people less familiar with your organization, what are the main goals of IFMA?
Our main goal is to educate our members and to promote facilities management as a career choice for young people. KCIFMA does a variety of different things. We have an outreach program; we like to have students from the nearby colleges get involved. Our membership committee includes a student liaison. We also have a scholarship program, which students with related degrees (architecture, engineering, interior design, etc) are encouraged to apply. In addition to our local chapter scholarship, the IFMA National Organization offers scholarships and all the different local chapters contribute to it too.
What does the student liaison position entail?
It’s a member who visits colleges and lets career counselors know about our scholarships and invites students to our meetings. This is one of the ways we keep in-touch with students. Recently we worked with the professors to at KU to establish some courses related to property management. If that catches on, we will try to institute a full course program. Currently Kansas City does not have a property management degree program here locally at KU or UMKC.
What have events have your members recently attended?
We have planned many types of events. We recently had our golf outing on June 8 at Drummond Farm (above). This event is held once a year and is our scholarship fundraiser.
Our local chapter holds monthly meetings. The next one is at the Jewish Community Center on July 20. At this meeting we are going to swear in our new officers. We have had meetings in the past on a wide variety of topics. We met with Mike Thompson and held a special meeting on weather for property managers. FEMA had a presentation on Emergency Management and gave us a tour of their facility off of Ward Parkway (below). We visited JE Dunn’s new LEED Certified building and learned about sustainability.
What do you have coming up that people should know about?
Our August meeting is on the Federal Government’s Energy Star program. It’s about implementing energy saving strategies and technology into buildings to make them more efficient. Our local Chapter is working on our strategic plan for next 5 years. Meeting sessions have been held for the past two months. We are hoping to finalize our plan soon.
How have current events impacted IFMA?
We try to have classes on topics such as sustainability and the environment not only because it’s popular, but also because businesses can save money by conserving energy. We hold special training sessions. Recently we had one on “green leases” where we partnered with BOMA and a few other local organizations to bring in a speaker from out of town. To help with educational expenses at the local chapter we had some discounts on meetings and educational seminars. We also had some free webinars. Our local chapter paid for them so that our members could view them at no charge.
So you mentioned that you held a class on “green leases,” could you tell me a little more about that?
A green lease contains certain provisions that both the tenant and the building owner agree on that help promote a clean environment and save energy in the building. These provisions involve building operations, water conservation or the recycling of trash. They are referred to as green leases because they have additional statements in them that aren’t normally in a standard lease.
How does someone get involved with IFMA?
Visitors are always welcome to a meeting or visit our website. The membership committee’s contact information is listed on our website. Anyone can talk or chat with an officer to help guide them through the application process and complete the forms. There is a national website too, and it is possible to fill out application forms there if they like. IFMA has an annual membership fee that covers national and local dues. We also have a student membership fee that is less expensive.
All of the applications are reviewed on a national level at the headquarters in Houston, Texas. After the applications are processed, we get notified on a local level and we greet our new members. We like to introduce new members at meetings and pair them up with somebody so they feel right at home when they start getting involved.
What kinds of resources does IFMA have?
IFMA has many resources for students and active facility managers. There is an online bookstore where members can buy educational products. These products include education classes, seminars, books and webinars. There are two types of professional certifications. Resources are available for members to become a Certified Facility Manager or Facility Management Professional.
At IFMA’s World Workplace, held every year in a different city, there are certification classes offered. The FMP — facility management professional — is based on books and formal training courses. The CFM designation is obtained by passing an experienced-based text. The test involves questions in different categories (construction, codes and standards, building drawings, etc.) It’s about a four-hour exam! Several years ago when I took the test it was an eight-hour exam.
About how many members are in the local IFMA chapter?
The local Kansas City Chapter has about 215 members.
Who is ideal for IFMA membership?
We offer a wide variety of resources that are helpful to different types of professionals — besides facility managers, we encourage architects, engineers, building owners, and real estate investors to join us. We have many events that provide an excellent opportunity for networking with other people in the business. For example, vendors that have a building product can join IFMA and meet people that actually need their service. At some of our seminars, vendors are invited to show their latest products and services. For architects, interior designers, engineers and anyone involved with construction, membership offers them the ability to learn more about buildings and their operation. Membership can lead to finding a new niche market. Real estate brokers and sales people can benefit as well.
IFMA’S membership even stretches worldwide with chapters in many countries.