From the President:                                                       

Greetings to all. In contemplating the subject for this newsletter article, I was struck with an out of the blue thought. How many of us made a conscious decision at a young age that we were going to be a Facilities Professional? How did you, me, we, us become involved in the Facilities profession? Was this a path that we choose or did this path choose us?  For me, it was the path that made my choice.

Whether it was you or the path that made the choice, I hope you were taken under the wing of a mentor who took an interest in your professional development and that you had the luxury of learning from a seasoned professional. This would be someone who responded positively to a myriad of questions from a young facility professional and by keenly observing their professionalism in their dealing with others.   

As I reflect back on my career, which is still far from over, I thought about the many people that have made a positive impact on me both personally and professionally. Some of these mentors were friends, co-workers, peers and bosses. Many of these mentors openly and willingly shared their knowledge and provided guidance when requested on issues that were being faced. They consistently demonstrate a high level of professionalism in their interactions both up and down the organization chart. They led the charge and their teams by example and not exception while doing the right things, even when no one was watching. Observations and teachings like these made a lasting impression on me, a young Facilities Professional. This is the type of Professional I wanted to be and continue to strive to achieve.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the lessons I learned from a few on how NOT to do things. These made a lasting impression as well. I had the good fortune of witnessing some that consistently demonstrated a poor work ethic, unprofessional behaviors and practiced the9o as I say, not as I do=94 approach. I decided that is not the type of Facilities Professional that I want to be.

The point and direction of this article is that you, me, we, us are in large part the stewards of our profession. It is up to us to determine if we are willing or want to take a vested interest in the future of our profession by helping to shape and mentor the up and coming Facility Professionals.  Please consider becoming more involved in your Austin IFMA Chapter as this is a perfect way to impart your facilities knowledge and wisdom to those that are starting out in their professional career.  

Tech Topic     

 Tim Geier - Editor

In this issue I wanted to feature a main component in our buildings features and energy usage. It may be that the last time you looked at a major investment in your lighting system; you changed from T-12 Light Bulbs and Ballasts to a T-8 system. As those systems are now approaching "End of Life" this is a great time to look at High Performance Building Lighting Systems.

There are many different options for you to choose, and I have found one example of an amazing system that can offer it all; Substantial Energy Reduction, Daylight Harvesting, HVAC Monitoring, Occupancy Monitoring, Automatic Lighting Level Control and more. This particular system can be installed with the latest technology in fluorescent or LED style bulbs. Click here to learn more.

Community Service

Todd Coleman - Community Service Chair

Please join us after the next IFMA luncheon on May 14th for a Community Service Project at Sammy's House.

We will be working on part of the Playground Equipment through the afternoon and possibly some small tasks within the facility.

Your attendance and support of this work activity is greatly appreciated, and thanks to all of our members for their support of our adopted organization, Sammy's House.

 2015 IFMA Golf Tournament

Registration to the IREM Power Luncheon is open now!

A few reminders from the organizers: All registrations are on the website so that they have a consolidated list.

They don't refund registrations but allow people to substitute up until and including the day of the event.

When people register, they need to be prepared to pay. If they need to write a check, they will want to print the form and mail it to annahrens@austin.rr.com. I've included a mailing address on the website. Click here 

Reminder that we are encouraging all 15 Associations to buy or share a table. And, if you are going to do this, you'll want to invite your attendees early so they don't also sign up and pay on the website

IFMA  National 2015 Activities

• Message from the President
• New Member Listing
• Our Chapter Sponsors
• Tech Topic
• Featured IFMA Austin Members
• Community Service News
• Golf Tournament 2015
• IREM Power Luncheon

Brian Bundy
Facility & HSE Manager
Build A Sign.com

Blake Condren
Acoustical Consultant
Speech Privacy Systems

Kelly Herbert
EE Program Manager
Speer

Paul Kilmer
Project Manager
Trimbuilt Construction

Henry Robertson
Key Account Manager
CORT Business Services 

Erick Rodas
President
Summit Source Solutions

Ron Saenz
Commercial Sales Manager
American Eagle Protective Services 

Diego Sais
General Manager
Bungo Box

Jason Schaub
Vinson & Elkins LLP

Colleen Walsh
Business Development Specialist
Mood Texas

Featured Professional Member