Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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International Facility Management Association celebrates 20,000 member milestone
The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce that it now serves more than 20,000 members worldwide. IFMA members are a diverse group of facility professionals concerned with the form and function of the built environment. Representing 78 countries, they manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services.
IFMA counts among its membership facilities managers, architects, engineers, interior designers, property managers and real estate professionals. Within their organisations, IFMA members are senior decision makers consulted by executive management for strategies to ensure functionality of the built environment through the integration of people, place, processes and technology. IFMA members must be willing to explore new possibilities, form plans for growth and restructure their businesses to comply with the demands of an ever-changing work environment.
"Facility management is maturing, and 20,000 members is a sure sign of progress," reports Kathy Roper, CFM, MCR, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, chair of the IFMA board of directors and associate professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology's Building Construction Programme. "In less than 35 years, IFMA has grown to become a truly international organisation empowering facility professionals worldwide.
"We are excited to reach this milestone, but must continue pushing for recognition of facility management and the value that facility professionals bring to their organisations. I am proud to be part of such a significant association that continues to expand its membership and the services it provides."
Nearly 850 professionals joined IFMA over the past two months, helping the association cross the 20,000 member threshold. These new members come from countries as diverse as Argentina and the United Arab Emirates and everywhere in between. They represent organisations including CB Richard Ellis, Deutsche Bank, Jones Lang LaSalle, Lockheed Martin, the Minnesota Vikings, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Rolls Royce, the Smithsonian Institution, the US Department of Energy and more. They hold titles ranging from account executive to CEO, owner and president.
IFMA's new members include educators, service providers, students and retirees. Nearly one third are in their 40s and nearly one quarter in their 30s. They are majority male, with nearly 40% working for an organisation with more than 1,000 employees. A total of 30% of these new IFMA members have been in the profession from 10 - 20 years, illustrating how even experienced facilities professionals turn to the association for continuing education and career resources.
IFMA helps its members face the challenges of the 21st century workplace by providing best-in-class education, research and professional certifications. Facilities managers can build their career on a solid foundation with the association's Facility Management Professional designation, establish sustainability knowledge with the Sustainability Facility Professional credential, or earn recognition for their expertise in the field with IFMA's flagship Certified Facility Manager credential.
IFMA was formed in 1980 by George Graves, IFMA Fellow, of Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., Charles Hitch of Manufacturer's Bank and David Armstrong, IFMA Fellow, of Michigan State University. At the association's first annual meeting in October of that year, there were 47 participants, 25 of whom were members of the association. Today, IFMA's World Workplace Conference & Expo and its counterpart conferences attract thousands of attendees annually and continue to elevate the importance of the facility management profession worldwide
"Twenty thousand members. I cannot believe it after all these years," says George Graves. "It's been great to see all the advances that IFMA has made since the founding back in 1980. I would not be able to keep abreast of all the things going on in this organisation now.
"I'm very happy that we've reached the 20,000 mark and look forward to going beyond it. I would advise the next generation of facility managers to keep on persevering and building the reputation that FMs are go-to professionals and problem solvers."
T: 713-623-4362
W: www.ifma.org
22nd September 2011