Four longstanding members and four employees of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) were honored for their contributions to the association and the facility management community with Chair Citations issued by 2016-2017 IFMA chair Maureen Ehrenberg, FRICS, CRE. Individual citations were presented to: James E. Loesch, P.E., CFM, IFMA Fellow, Nancy J. Sanquist, IFMA Fellow, Steve Lockwood, CFM, IFMA Fellow, and Rick Corea; with two joint citations presented to Cathy Pavick and Brenda Varner, RCFM; and Andrea Sanchez and Geoff Williams, FMP.

The presentation of the citations was part of IFMA’s annual Awards of Excellence banquet, held Friday, Oct. 7, in San Diego, California, USA, during IFMA’s World Workplace 2016 Conference and Expo.

“There are a great many members and dedicated IFMA employees whose leadership, hard work, selfless actions and exceptional achievements take place behind-the-scenes,” said Maureen Ehrenberg, FRICS, CRE, Chair of IFMA’s Board of Directors. “As chair, I’m grateful for the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals for their roles in elevating the FM profession.”

Each IFMA chair may elect to honor individuals whose association involvement and professional achievements may not be widely known or formally acknowledged. Chair Citations recognize those who help drive IFMA’s success by serving, supporting membership and enhancing IFMA’s values.
Below are summaries of contributions made by each of this year’s Chair Citation recipients:

James E. Loesch, P.E., CFM, IFMA Fellow has dedicated more than 25 years to the advancement of FM education and credentials. He served on IFMA’s Education Committee, and participated in the development of the IFMA Education Strategic Plan and the Leadership Institute. He’s been a champion for global FM standardization through service as the immediate past chair of the International Credentials Commission, and was instrumental in the process to certify IFMA’s credentials through the American National Standards Institute. He served on the IFMA Research and Development Council, and provides continued consulting on the direction of IFMA’s Global Job Task Analysis.

Nancy J. Sanquist, IFMA Fellow has inspired others to imagine the future of the built environment, and fostered opportunities for aspiring facility professionals to forge the path in FM technological change. She has shared her passion and vision for the role of the workplace through countless speeches, seminars and noteworthy publications such as the award-winning “Work on the Move: Driving Strategy and Change in Workplaces.” Serving as chair of IFMA’s Knowledge Management Committee, she has championed knowledge cultivation and imparted innovative thought leadership to the FM industry.

Steve Lockwood, CFM, IFMA Fellow has supported the future of facility management for more than 35 years through teaching and leadership. He has fostered FM workforce development through research, scholarship and mentoring opportunities for ambitious FMs; and diligently pursued creative partnerships that position FM as a career of choice. He developed the IFMA Foundation’s Facility Management Accreditation Commission Regional Task Force Committees; and enhanced the FM profession through dedication to the mission and purpose of the IFMA Foundation.

Rick Corea has dedicated more than 35 years to excellence in FM industry leadership and education, serving as a mentor, advocate, researcher, teacher and advisor to undergraduate and graduate FM students. His professional, intellectual and sponsorship contributions to Arizona State University programs are foundational to FM student growth and instrumental to the future of FM practice. He has developed mentorship resources and internship opportunities facilitated by the IFMA Foundation; and devoted time and expertise to the cultivation of the FM community at all levels, from students to peers.

Cathy Pavick and Brenda Varner, RCFM have a combined service to the association of 20 years. Dedicated to creating IFMA’s quality educational programs and maintaining global accreditation standards, their significant contributions to IFMA’s world-class education and credential offerings include achieving accreditation with the American National Standards Institute, as well as receiving seven ANSI commendations recognizing IFMA as a model of industry best practices.

Andrea Sanchez and Geoff Williams, FMP have cultivated IFMA’s Knowledge Strategy to support information-sharing that leverages the valuable collective experience of FM professionals. They facilitated the design and creation of IFMA’s Knowledge Library, the first online collection of expert-vetted facility management resources for leading change and forging new paths in technological implementation within the disciplines of communications, education, organizational development and management of the built environment.