IFMA San Francisco Chapter Wins the Web Communication Award!

Our talented Webmaster, Kathleen Smith doesn't toot her own horn much, so we're going to toot it for her!

Congratulations to Kathleen and the SF Chapter on our 2007 IFMA Award of Excellence in Web Communication! The award was presented at this year's World Workplace in New Orleans at a lovely banquet in the La Louisiane Ballroom of the Ernest Morial Convention Center on Friday evening, October 26th. Chapter members and friends in attendance showed our great appreciation for Kathleen's hard work and dedication with an uproarious round of applause and noisemaking. A great time was had by all!

Many thanks to Kathleen for her fantastic work on our SF Chapter website.

-Emily Gibson, Chapter Administrator, on behalf of the San Francisco Chapter of IFMA!

Beta Test of CFM Exam Review - September 14th & 15th, 2007

The exam review sponsored by IFMA San Francisco and held at Genentech was a complete success according to its three leaders:

Jon Martens, CFM, CFMJ - Redwood Empire Chapter,
Chris Hodges, CFM, IFMA Fellow – Capitol Chapter (Wash. D.C.) and
Kit Tuveson, CFM, IFMA Fellow – Sacramento Chapter.

This was an opportunity for the committee to test the new exam review and some of the new exam questions that they have worked so very hard on along with seven other members of the Team.

The Team started with a learning matrix that outlined what a CFM should know and understand. One of the concepts that was presented several times throughout the two day session is that this is a “competency” exam and as such requires the examinee to constantly understand what the perspective of the Facility Manager is and NOT what they would do individually in their own current work situation.

There were 15 participants signed up and all appreciated the discussion of the new materials and how to think when answering 180 questions that have between one and three correct multiple choice answers. Yes, that’s right, some questions required choosing the correct three of the five or six multiple choice possible answers. Although the exam is 180 questions instead of 300 and has less time to complete with no breaks, 4 hours versus the 6 hours previously, the consensus amongst the previous exam takers was that there was adequate time to complete the exam but no time to dawdle either. The testing service determined that no one who has taken the exam so far has taken more than 3 hours 15 minutes to complete it. We were very fortunate to have Jon Martens offer the review session at this time.

The three members of the team packed up and left for Washington, D.C. on Sunday to administer the review and Beta Test to a group from the Capitol Chapter on Monday and Tuesday. The review will also be given at WWP next month in New Orleans.

If you are interested in signing up for the next CFM Exam Review, there is a review session scheduled for World Workplace in New Orleans. If you are not attending WWP, then keep your eyes open for a notice on our Chapter calendar as to another offering next Spring. You can also contact Jon Martens directly at jon@jemcor.com or 707.326.5508 and he will put you on his list of interested parties.

Thanks for your interest in the CFM Exam,

John Dilges, CFM
SF Chapter of IFMA
Co-Chair of the Programs/Education Committee

Sustainable Landscape Design Round Table Discussion

On September 11th, we met at Genentech in South San Francisco for a encore presentation by David Nelson, ASLA, Principal-in-Charge and Senior Designer for Landscape Archtectural and Urban Design Projects at MPA Design. David's presentation revealed a world where hardcore engineering, green fundamentals (reduce, reuse, recycle), budgets and politics merge with the timeless values of nature and beauty.

The following sunset tour of the Genentech campus was punctuated by sightings of a Gen-cat (invaluable in the management of pestiferous but valued starlings and blackbirds), a magnificent memorial Norfolk pine, a solstice secret, strawberry trees, climbing ficus, 30-thousand pound ficus trees (on a laboratory roof), lichen covered Sonoma boulders, rubber duckies, 5% grades and 8% grades, wild grasses and naked ladies. Or maybe that's pink ladies -- the debate continues.

Special thanks to David for his help with many practical answers to questions regarding planning considerations and the facility management of landscapes.

Play Ball!

On June 8th, members of IFMA San Francisco and IFMA East Bay attended our annual night at the ballgame to watch the San Francisco Giants battle it out with the Oakland Athletics.

We were pleased to have the opportunity to acknowledge our Platinum Sponsor, Genentech, on the Jumbo-tron. THANK YOU GENENTECH for stepping up to the plate again and continuing your sponsorship of IFMA San Francisco!

Photo by Emily Gibson

LEED-CI Round Table Discussion at Bevery Prior Architects - May 8th, 2007

IFMA San Francisco held its latest “Roundtable” at the offices of Beverly Prior last Tuesday with a crowd of more than 30 attendees! LEED-CI was such a popular topic and was greeted with such enthusiasm that we are planning to continue to have more roundtables around the topic of LEED certification and how to become a LEED AP! If you are interested in this topic, please let us know by e-mail to admin@ifmasf.org.

Thanks,

John Dilges
Education Chair

Tour Behind the Scenes of the San Francisco Ballet - April 17, 2007

Thank you Jason Blackwell and Andrew Havill for guiding us behind the scenes of the San Francisco Ballet and for being such gracious hosts. Seeing the practice studios, physio-therapy rooms, administrative offices, student lounge, and the very mysterious little room from which the ballet shoes are dispensed, greatly enriched our enjoyment of the performances that evening. Hearing about the unique facilities management challenges your staff meets with obvious affection and regard for the dancers' well-being made our own appreciation of their gifts that much greater.

It was a magical evening -- thank you, again!

IFMASF Tours the San Francisco Conservatory of Music - February 15, 2007

Our tour guides were Donald Cremers of SMWM, the architects responsible for the design of the renovation and expansion of SFCM, and Elizabeth Freer of Oppenheim Lewis, Project Manager. Their generosity in discussing the solutions to the unique problems posed by the creation of a vital, living space encompassing rehearsal rooms, performance spaces, architectural heritage, and the extraordinary talent and psyches of the students, was greatly enjoyed and appreciated by the attendees. Not surprisingly, those solutions present unique challenges, as well, to the facilities management team at SFCM. The discourse on the technological aspects of the renovation was nicely complemented by the many human aspects considered and incorporated into this extraordinary creative space.

Thank you, Donald and Elizabeth.

Photographs provided by Wulf Trachta.

Hey! Did You Know the Best Time to Get a Job is When You Have a Job?

Sign up for the IFMASF Job Search use group at Yahoo! and share your own tips and expertise on navigating the job market. Have you ever wanted an impartial review of your resume? Trying to find the perfect person to hire for your own team? Need a place to ask your peers everything you wanted to know about changing jobs but didn't know who to ask? This is the place.

The IFMASF Job Search use group is an offshoot of the Job Search Support Group organized by IFMASF member Adele Dow earlier this year.

New to use groups? Please note:

* You choose when and how to stay in touch
* Swap photos, files, polls, calendars, links, and more with members
* Quickly scan new postings and browse detailed message archives
* Plus enjoy many more ways to show and tell - 24/7

Visit IFMASF Job Search at:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42879/*http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ifmasfjobsearch

Or, navigate to groups at Yahoo! and search for ifmasfjobsearch.

Get involved and do good for yourself and others!