Facility what now?

This is just about the expression I had when I began working here at IFMA almost two months ago.  Since then I have been thrown into a new world that is much larger and all-encompassing than I had imagined.  Fa·cil·i·ty Man·age·ment; an interdisciplinary field primarily devoted to the maintenance and care of commercial or institutional buildings, such as hospitals, clinics, hotels, resorts, schools, office complexes, sports arenas or convention centers (definition taken from Wikipedia).  And the list goes on… and on, and on, and on.  As my awareness and understanding of this profession has grown, so has my respect for the impact it’s had on my life.  For I have been a frequent visitor, a constant occupant, and an avid user of all types of facilities since the moment I was born, and aside from the occasional caveman or diehard hermit, so has everyone else.  This seems obvious I know, but I never considered the people who make all of those spaces so safe, clean, efficient and habitable for the rest of us.

So where’s the love?  Before I started working at IFMA and despite my occasional notice of the various janitorial or work crews cleaning and repairing the facilities in my life, my appreciation for the field and people of facility management was as absent as the term had been from my mind.  This did remind me of something else in my life.  When people ask me what I do, I say “I’m a graphic designer”.  When they ask me what that is I wonder where to begin.  Just about any piece of printed matter that passes through your hands, just about every commercial, billboard, book, magazine, brochure, bottle of water, or website carries the mark of my profession.  But despite its impact on their lives, I still need to explain it to people.  This doesn’t bother me, because I love what I do and I love educating people who are interested in listening.  I have found that same pride in profession from the people working in the world of facility management.  Where’s the love?  It’s in the work.  I love working with people who love what they do.  We have something in common!

I’m Houston, Senior Graphic Designer for the FMJ, and the newest addition to the FMJ team.  I lay out the magazine, and visually organize it’s information for you to digest.   I’m new to the world of facility management, but not its influence.  This blog is all about sharing ideas and sparking conversation, and I look forward to doing both with any future FMJ bloggers out there.  I know I’ve still got a lot to learn about the world of FM and I’m hoping you can help learn me.

Blog FMJ!

- HD