IFMA’s Awards of Excellence honor facility professionals, associate members, educators, chapters and councils whose vision and accomplishments are extraordinary. Raising awareness of professional accomplishments made by IFMA members, the Award of Excellence nominees and winners are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the FM profession. Advancing the facility management profession is the common thread that binds the Awards participants together.
2018 – Associate of the Year – Judith Sayler, Gordon Prill, Inc.
2017 – Distinguished Member Award – Larry Morgan, CFM, SFP, FMP, SAP
2017 – Associate of the Year – Christian Pellecchia, Slatter Construction
2017 – Young Professional of the Year – Caitlin Schaapman, Sabah International
2016 Professional Development- Chapter Award
Our Professional Development Committee focused on educational programming provided the 30+ events (chapter meetings, lunch and learn workshops, deep dive breakfasts, IFMA educational classes and special events) and our chapter was recognized for being unparalleled in content, format, and attendance. We focused on providing programming to appeal to both Professional and Associate members from topics of a tactical nature to chapter meetings focused on broad reaching high level trends, emerging technologies, and other big picture topics. Our deep dive breakfasts delved deeper into best practices. Our Education Committee’s efforts continued to reach out to colleges and universities to assist with establishing curriculums for FM certificate and degree programs and speaking to students about choosing careers in FM. One of our members also taught a Fundamentals of Facilities Management at a local junior college while we also offered locally taught classes for our members to earn their FMP and SFP certifications as well as offering CFM Review.
2014 Large Chapter Award- Chapter of the Year
IFMA’s Annual Chapter of the Year Award honors chapters who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the FM profession and the association. In 2014, the Silicon Valley Chapter was selected as the Large Chapter recipient. We were recognized for achievements of excellence in the areas of Professional Development, Education and Scholarship, Mentoring, Communication, Membership, and Community Service:
- Community outreach projects raised $742,000 in cash and in-kind donations over the past 3
- Our Past Presidents Counsel support for succession planning has continued to secure excellent chapter
- Our successful Mentoring Program has continued to grow to over 30 mentoring pairs
2014 – Associate of the Year – Robert Dills, Western Allied Mechanical
2013 Web Communications Award
2012 Large Chapter Award of Excellence in Professional Development
Our chapter stood out because of our Professional Development Committee’s (PDC) efforts to engage stakeholders with leadership, educational and strategic opportunities that expand their knowledge. We did this through our monthly chapter programs and roundtables, recognized because of a mix of FMP-CFM-SFP topics as well as local and national trends that affect our members, their companies and the field of FM.
Our Scholarship and Mentoring Committee runs a very successful mentoring program with mentor/mentee pairs signing up for a complete one year commitment. The Chapter gave local FMP and SFP scholarships; and also, at the national level, funds the Linda Beverly Scholarship.
Our Education Committee’s mission was to provide excellent and accessible career essentials for FMs to advance their careers, and we again stood out by offering FMP, CFM and SFP credential classes locally with our own talented trainer. We are among the chapters having highest number of credentialed members. Our chapter has also worked with higher educational institutions to provide additional educational opportunities including Cal Poly to establish a Graduate Certificate Program in Facilities Management and Engineering in Silicon Valley; and City College of San Jose’s Workforce Institute to offer free courses to our Chapter Members and others in the facilities and construction fields in Integrated Project Management.
2012 Associate Member of the Year Award
Awarded to Ralph Buchanan, Principal, Facilities First
The Associate of the Year Award is presented in recognition of voluntary contributions to IFMA at the local, regional, national or international level. These contributions may include sponsoring programs or educational offerings, presenting innovative sessions on FM-related topics, sponsoring educational research or scholarships, providing technical assistance to members or serving as chapter or council officers or committee members.
For 2012, our board unanimously nominated Ralph Buchanan to receive the Associate Member award. The nomination process required submission of ten-page response of his accomplishments by a chapter, along with appropriate attachments, to IFMA HQ. The judging panel consisted of an IFMA staff member, one member of the IFMA Board of Directors, two former IFMA Board Members and a previous winner of the award. He is the first Associate Member from our chapter to receive this recognition.
Ralph has been Silicon Valley Chapter member for fifteen years. He is only the second Member of our chapter to receive the status distinction of being Chapter Board Emeritus. He was our first chapter Member to receive the Lifetime CFM status (Certified Facility Manager). He has been on our Board of Directors for the past eight years. He was a non-voting Board member while serving as Chapter Administrator. He has been a strong financial supporter of the chapter and a force in membership recruitment. He has been a highly-valued and trusted advisor to six Chapter Presidents.
In 2006 when it became necessary to replace the Chapter Administrator, Ralph volunteered to assist with the transition, and subsequently his company was hired to provide the services on a contract basis, with Ralph serving as the Chapter Administrator. He continued in that role for three years until the time demands of his company necessitated that he hire and train his replacement. His company, Facilities First, continues to provide the administrative services to the chapter.
In his spare time, Ralph also served on our Professional Development, Newsletter, Finance, and Special Events Committees for over six years. He has personally presented FM Roundtable sessions entitled Benchmarking, Enhancing Your Career, and Space Planning tools. Because of his passion for excellence, Ralph volunteered to coordinate the preparation of, and was principal author of, the four Awards of Excellence you see listed below: Professional Development 2009: Best Large Chapter 2008; Membership Marketing 2008: and Newsletter Publishing 2006
Ralph has not only been instrumental in the vibrancy of the chapter, but he has been an outstanding mentor and advisor to many of our members to assist them with their career growth.
2011 Distinguished Member of the Year
Awarded to Julie O’Loughlin, Sr. Director Operations and Facilities at Fenwick & West.
This award is the second highest form of recognition given to an IFMA member (the first is IFMA Fellowship, the most prestigious title bestowed by the Association). The Distinguished Member Award is presented to a Member or Associate member who has provided sustained, outstanding leadership to a chapter, council and/or the Association at the international level. This person is highly valued by his or her company, IFMA and the facility management profession. This individual keeps current on changes in the facility management profession and educates other IFMA members and peers. Recipients demonstrate the best in leadership and ethics.
Julie O’Loughlin has been a tireless “rainmaker” for the International Facilities Management Association- Silicon Valley Chapter and Northern California Facilities Management Community. Julie is a perfect example of the community she represents – Silicon Valley. That same enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit that is the hallmark to the success of Silicon Valley is comparable to Julie’s career as Senior Director of Facilities at Fenwick & West LLP and as Past President of the our local Silicon Valley chapter. When it would have been easier, especially during this time in our business economy, to tread in the rough waters of our economy, Julie has taken the lead to inspire and put forth creative ideas that have become the foundation of our successful chapter in recent years. Julie not only has the amazing ability to formulate creative ideas but the enthusiasm to execute inspired programs that encourage our membership to get involved, give back and mentor our new and young members.
2011 Award of Excellence – Best Large Chapter of the Year
IFMA’s Annual Chapter of the Year Award honors those chapters that have clearly excelled in their contributions to the advancement of the facility management profession and to IFMA around the globe. In 2011 The Silicon Valley Chapter of IFMA won this prestigious award.
The award was presented for our excellence in:
- Professional development
- Membership marketing
- Newsletter publishing
- Web communication.
In addition, our Chapter met or exceeded membership expectations, was fiscally responsible, communicated to our membership a clear strategic plan and implemented its action items. We also maintained quality growth, were innovative in raising funds and had a high percentage of members attending and participating in meetings. The recipient chapters also reach out to the community and provide facility management expertise to those in need.
2010 Award of Excellence for Web Communication
In 2010 our chapter’s efforts to develop this website were recognized as the highest achievement in web communications by a chapter. This was truly a team effort by our chapter volunteers, requiring participation and input across all committees.
The goals that we achieved for the new website were to:
- Provide our members with a better tool for communicating and register for upcoming chapter events.
- Provide our members with current relevant information about our chapter.
- Develop a design that not only tells potential members about the benefits of membership, but also imparts a feeling of wanting to belong.
2009 Professional Development
To win this award, a chapter must demonstrate exceptional support of professional development in its facility management community; our chapter achieved this distinction because we consistently present outstanding programs designed to meet the needs of professional members, provide career support services (including FMP and CFM Exam Review classes), and supplement monthly programs with seminars and classes throughout the year, offered at various times of the day. Professional Development at IFMA-SV is top priority as we invest in human capital and continue to forge new ground for our members and the industry.
2008 Chapter of the Year, Large Chapter
In 2008, we were judged by the IFMA Community as meeting and exceeding membership expectations, continuing to embody fiscal responsibility, communicating to our membership a clear strategic plan, and conclusively implementing our action items- practices we continue to employ and improve upon today. Furthermore, we experienced quality growth in 2008, and developed innovative fundraising techniques in addition to enjoying a high percentage of member attendance and participation in chapter events.
2008 Membership Marketing
We were recognized in 2008 for our active efforts to market the benefits of IFMA membership, a campaign which included broadened outreach to select industry sectors such as life sciences in pursuit of fresh faces. Moreover, our retention and recruiting measures by current members, innovative membership-boosting strategies, and realization of committee objectives were all distinguished as best in class.
2006 Newsletter Publishing, Large Chapter
Our bi-monthly newsletter publication took the top award in 2006. Former newsletter editor and, later, chapter president Raffy Espirtu, reshaped our newsletter to merit the distinction of best in class for communication of chapter activities, related events, and opportunities to our readers. In addition to meeting our members’ needs, Raffy improved the appearance, quality, and resources of our newsletter, a publication we continue to evolve and grow every year.