Established in 1981, IFMA has more than 18,000 members representing 125 chapters, 15 councils, and one special interest group in 60 countries worldwide. The association certifies facility managers, conducts research and provides educational programs for members.
Fred DiNapoli, president of IFMA Greater Phoenix and project manager at Greenwood Construction, says involvement in the association is important for networking.
“A facility manager has in his reach over 300 people just in this chapter of whom he can ask any question he wants because we all have those same problems,” he says.
Kent Miller, vice president of sales and development at The Groundskeeper and a former president of IFMA Greater Phoenix, agrees.
“If people need information or solutions,” Miller says, “it really does boil down to the network of who you can call and talk to, to find the solution to that problem and possibly learn a new technique.”
IFMA is also a valuable resource for facility managers because of its educational opportunities. Classes are offered several times a month on a variety of topics including operations maintenance and organizational leadership. Additionally, the national headquarters organizes seminars both in the United States and abroad, including the World Workplace Conference & Expo.
Miller says this year’s World Workplace Conference, to be held in New Orleans in October, will be highly beneficial to facility managers.
“It will be special because it’s been two years since [Hurricane] Katrina and we’ll go see the areas that are still recovering,” he says. “We’ll talk to facilities management there to find out if they had emergency plans, did they work or not work, and how to fix that in our own states.”
In an effort to increase camaraderie among IFMA chapters in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, Miller created the annual Vegas Mixer three years ago. Held in April, the event includes tours of the Nevada Test Site, Hoover Dam and Solargenix Field, the largest solar generation facility in North America.
“Most of us just deal inside our own box,” Miller says. “[The mixer] allows members to get to to know members from other chapters throughout the Southwest.”
All proceeds from the mixer will be donated to the IFMA Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation separate from IFMA that provides scholarships for students in facility management and related fields.
DiNapoli’s goals for 2007 include updating the organization’s technology and increasing membership. He hopes to establish PayPal on the Web site so members can automatically pay their dues and event costs. He also intends to increase the 300-member organization by 10 percent.
“Our biggest challenge is keeping the membership coming to the meetings and making [meetings] what everybody wants,” he says. “Everybody wants something different from IFMA, and we’ve got to make it better for everyone.”
An important issue that has emerged in recent years and on the agenda for IFMA chapters across the nation is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. DiNapoli says being LEED certified or taking actions that support green building has become a huge international priority.
“Facility managers all over the world have to deal with green issues every day, like how to dispose of carpet,” he says.
Karen Ellington, communication manager at the national IFMA headquarters, agrees.
“Not everyone will pursue LEED certification, but they will all take steps toward a greener building,” she says. “It’s more like a marathon rather than a sprint.”
Members of IFMA stress networking and educational programs are key to sustaining a successful organization.
“Where else is a facility manager going to find solutions to everyday problems if they can’t go outside of their immediate sphere of influence?” Miller says. “Where else in the world can you join an organization with 18,000 members and have access to these folks to solve real-time problems? Benefits are derived every day from having another set of experienced eyes look at what’s going on.”

www.ifma.org
www.ifmaphoenix.org