Being a facility management executive in 2023 is no easy task. The modern facility executive must maintain a delicate balance; from providing excellent customer service, being responsive to building users and the staff, and ensuring that supply chain issues are minimized to maintain operational success — all while juggling these issues within mostly slim operational budgets. Here’s how the University of Georgia FMD uses the HGSC program to support employees.
How Facility Managers Can Offer a Path to Professional Growth
Steering Committee Member Kimberly Thomas Continues to Support Facilities Employees in Retirement
Kimberly officially retired as the Senior Director of Services at the University of Georgia. During her career, Kim developed the FMD Building Service Worker Academy, mentored staff into leadership positions, and much more.
Facility Cleaning Managers Benefit from Self-Assessments
It’s never easy admitting mistakes, showing weakness, or flat out failing at something. But if a cleaning department doesn’t have a strong program in place, success will be an uphill battle. To be successful, it’s imperative to establish a baseline for departments to build from.
Cleaning Self-Assessment Identifies Key Areas of Improvement
When the Wisconsin-based West Allis-West Milwaukee School District first learned about the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC) initiative, it was easy to wonder if this was just another idea that sounded good in theory, but would be too costly or take too much time to implement. After some careful research — various emails and utilizing some online resources — it became clear that this approach might be realistic.
3 Keys to Training, Sustaining, and Retaining Workers
There is a strong belief in the Salt Lake City School District that when it comes to creating a safe and healthy environment, the most important and sustainable asset is a well-trained, appreciated, and valued group of employees. To accomplish this, the leadership team focuses on three main programs that are designed to result in a happy and sustainable work force: training; collaborative problem-solving; and professional development and employee appreciation.
Congratulations to School Facilities Visionary Gene Woodard on His Retirement!
In November, Gene officially retired as Director of the Building Services Department at The University of Washington after 36 years there. Over his three and a half decades at The University of Washington, Gene helped establish a sustainability and waste reduction program and culture that was embraced by the campus community.
Steering Committee Member Merv Brewer Remains Dedicated to Family, Healthy Schools in Retirement
We first met Mervin (Merv) Brewer when he helped the Salt Lake City School District earn the Green Cleaning Award Honorable Mention in 2011 when he was assistant custodial supervisor. He went on to become an integral part of the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Program as one of our founding steering committee members, bringing
It’s Time to Lift Up Our Most Essential Workers: School Custodians
Our school custodians and facilities teams have always had the challenging job of cleaning up messes while protecting public health. During the pandemic, we have been asking school custodians to show up day in and day out to protect us all against COVID-19. We ask them to don PPE and enter classrooms where known cases
Educational Facilities Managers Reflect on the Most Challenging Year
Steering Committee Members Share Lessons Learned from 2020 The educational facilities managers interviewed for this article have led their schools and universities through many tough times in the past, with a commitment to green and healthy cleaning that has led the field. But there has never been a year like 2020, where the global COVID-19
The Unique Challenges Facing School Custodial Teams in the 2020-21 School Year
One thing we learned about K-12 school districts in the first half of the 2020-21 school year is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to pandemic schooling. Districts across the nation have chosen different methods for opening instruction amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, from fully remote plans, to hybrid schedules, to in-person learning, and a little
