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From the President | Past President's Letter

A message from Karen D. Cochran, CFM, RPA, FAM, CCIM, LEED AP
President, San Francisco Chapter of IFMA, 2011-2012

Dear IFMA San Francisco,

What makes you want to get up in the morning? Maybe the sun's out, the birds are singing, the coffee is brewing in the kitchen, or maybe you have something fun or interesting in mind for the day. Remembering to be grateful gets me going. Even if I know the day may bring challenges, I'm grateful for all that I have and that I have some tools and other people to help me.

IFMA is one of the tools I use to help me with challenges at work. It provides access to facility management resources, best practices, service providers, and best of all- other facility managers. I hope this message finds all of you in good spirits and that you take advantage of all of the benefits of being associated with IFMA:

• Networking Opportunities

As a smaller chapter, IFMA San Francisco's meetings and events are a good size for meeting new people in the industry and developing relationships. Yet we are large enough that our members are a good cross section of representatives from all different types of business and service providers. Volunteering to check people in or helping to organize an event are easy ways to meet people. And by working together, you get to know others and they get to know you.

• Learning new skills

Getting involved with IFMA SF means you can learn and try out new skills that you might not have an opportunity to try on the job. For instance, through my years on the board I have learned a great deal about the many of aspects of running an organization, from developing a vision, outlining steps needed to get there down to managing funds and implementing on commitments. Along the way, my confidence as a leader has grown.

• Interesting facility tours

Touring a facility as a member of IFMA SF allows you to go behind the scenes and learn some of the "back of the house" secrets. … See how they store all the ballet shoes and costumes at the Opera House, how they clean the atrium glass at the Academy of Science…look at all the extra security at the loading dock of the Jewish Art Museum.

• Professional Certifications

The Certified Facility Manager® (CFM) credential sets the industry standard for ensuring the knowledge and competence of practicing facility managers.

Designed to bring you one step closer to achieving certification, the knowledge-based Facility Management Professional credential will help to accelerate your transition into the profession.

And the Sustainable Facility Professional (SFP) is the new credential for FM's seeking a higher level of sustainable performance. Go farther, faster. Engage all your company's FM assets to truly maximize triple bottom line results.

• Education/research/benchmarking

IFMA SF programs and roundtables are designed to bring you up to date on changes in regulations, technologies, and workplace issues. And through IFMA National you can access information on the latest studies and benchmarking information to keep you up to date. Help you understand where your facility rates relative to its peers, and expand your knowledge base.

• Business/career development

All of the benefits combined can help you get that next job, that next account, or meet that next goal. The more you engage and take advantage of the available benefits, the more opportunities can come your way.

I hope you have been finding value in your IFMA SF connection and that you can join us in what looks to be an exciting 2012. We're starting the year with a lively presentation from Mike Robbins, to get us off on a positive footing. February will bring us the latest in technologies in mechanical systems, followed in March by another fun bowling night. Later in the year we're planning more tours, and we're working to pull together a joint event with our other Northern California chapters on the popular topic of Sustainability. And along the way we hope to revamp our website.

So, we have a lot on our plates – we'd love to have you help out and you will find you get something out of it as well. Host a program, help with the website, or write a blog…let us know what you might be interested in. Come to one of our monthly business meetings – the first Thursday of the month, 4-6pm. For more information on volunteering, contact volunteer coordinator Chris Ott, or any of us on the board – our contact information is here on the website.

And thank you to all our sponsors and members. IFMA SF exists thanks to you! Looking forward to getting to know you – see you at the next event or meeting!

Karen D. Cochran, CFM, LEED-AP
President
IFMA – San Francisco Chapter

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