I am sitting in the living room, laptop in my lap, Word document open, staring at a blank page. Conner is playing his PS4 and I say to him, “I can’t decide what I want my IFMA President’s Letter to be about.” He shrugs his shoulders and keeps playing. I go in the kitchen to start on dinner and he comes in and says, “Hey mom, I know what you can write about…you can write about how you love your job.” And this comment gets me thinking and from there it was a snowball effect…he totally put everything into perspective for me.
Turns out, the kid is smarter than I give him credit for. I do love my job. Of course he was talking about my job at Flood Brothers but I have more than one job (like most everyone reading this letter right now). Yes, working at Flood is the only paying job I have but I have 2 other jobs that I don’t get paid for (at least not by money). And the theme surrounding all 3 of those jobs that I love so much? Teamwork.
Being a single mother is by far the hardest job in the world but yet, the most rewarding. However, I get a lot of help from friends and family. Have you ever heard the expression, “it takes a village?” The same goes for my Flood job and my IFMA job. I can’t possibly do my Flood job without the help of other sales reps, the operations & accounting departments, etc. Similarly, I can’t run this chapter without the help of the entire board and membership. By working together, we can get so much more accomplished.
If you don’t already volunteer, now is the time for you to give back to your Chapter. We need your help to keep our status as “best chapter in the world” (yes…I am a little biased). Below are just some of the many ways for you to become involved.
Focus Groups: I need your input to help rejuvenate some of our Chapter’s offerings, services, etc. Some of you have already heard from me but I need a few more participants. I will be holding focus groups for various reasons. If you are a professional member and would like to be included, please send me an email at [email protected].
Spring Classic: One of the best events of the year and one I get particularly enthusiastic about is our annual Spring Classic. IFMA Atlanta’s Spring Classic will be held on April 20 at Chateau Elan Golf Club. This annual event is our biggest fundraiser with proceeds benefitting the IFMA Foundation. In addition to golf, the Spring Classic will feature a wine tour and tasting at the winery, networking at the hospitality villa and themed golf sponsorships on the course. Finally, the Awards Dinner will be held at the golf pavilion. For more information and to register, click here: https://www.ifmaatlanta.org/event/2016-spring-classic/
Strive for Five: Starting March 1st through May 1st, we challenge you to get involved, to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities our chapter offers each year to learn, connect, and advance. Get engaged! Simply complete five 5 items on the Strive for Five activities list then log your 5 activities during any IFMA Meeting/Event at registration. Each 5 items completed qualifies for entry into our Strive for Five Prize Drawing of $100. Repeat, submitting multiple entries. For more info, click here: https://www.ifmaatlanta.org/strive-for-5/
Sustaining Patron: Consider joining the Sustaining Patrons program to provide ongoing support of our vision as the premier, focused resource for professional development and innovative solutions in strategic facility management. The Chapter offers educational programming which reach over 350 FM professionals. Our quality programming and events would not take place without the generous support of companies who value professional facility managers. The Atlanta Chapter needs like-minded companies who want to get their company in front of facility management professionals in Atlanta. The best way to increase your business opportunities is through supporting the audience which you are trying to reach. Please click here for more information: https://www.ifmaatlanta.org/sustaining-patrons1/
There are so many other ways for you to become involved. Feel free to reach out to me or any of the Board members for more ways to commit to the teamwork that makes the Atlanta Chapter the best IFMA Chapter in the world!
As always, I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected]. Have a fantastic March!
