IFMA Atlanta gladly introduces you to Priti Bhatia, she is currently the Assistant Director, Facilities Management at Clayton state University. Before we get in to her professional background and achievements, let’s get to know her a bit on a personal level. She was born and raised in India and moved to America in 1999 and recently completed her American citizenship last year. She and her husband have lived in Atlanta for nearly twenty years and are proud parents of their 11 year old daughter. One of Priti’s favorite hobbies is traveling and cooking where she enjoys creating multicultural dishes with a vegetarian twist. As with many of us, her typical day has shifted drastically during the pandemic. In addition to checking in with her team, coordinating with staff, and being of assistance in any way needed; being a mom and a committed community member is perhaps now more involved than ever. Her favorite quote is “Dreams don’t work unless you do”- John C. Maxwell
Like many of our FMs, Priti has taken a unique path to Facilities Management. She started in the industry by completing an internship with Georgia Power Company, where she was eventually offered a full-time position as a Facilities Analyst, where she worked with their Corporate Facilities Design and Construction Team, supporting GA Power Company and Southern Company HQ corporate design services. Workplace space planning, commercial furniture design and specification, presentation and organization was a big part of her role with GA Power and it, along with her educational experience in design and construction combined with her work experience in commercial design and hospitality industry and strong technical skills, has helped her land at Clayton State University where she has been a valuable member of their team for nearly 8 years. Priti has been a proud member of our Atlanta chapter for the past 15 years and loves the education that IFMA provides to our FMs. She also considers the networking and building relationships with other professionals/associates to be most valuable. The biggest challenge in her current role has been in regards to budgets and finding skilled trade team members like many other institutions are facing in current times. “Trying to stretch 1 dollar into 10 and wearing multiple hats or managing multiple roles is part of the magic that FMs are responsible for and challenges like these offer opportunities to quickly adapt, develop partnerships, cross train, think outside the box and work efficiently and creatively. We are seeing a change and shift in Facilities Management, being resilient and being able to adapt quickly for better is going to be a key factor to sustain and survive.”
The part of her job that she enjoys most is being the leader and seeing projects from start (concept design) to finish (delivery) and see end users actually enjoy the end result. She takes pride in being a leader and TEAM PLAYER and believes that no task is too humble if it helps her team perform better or win.
Priti has over 15 years of experience in planning design and construction industry, with focus in project planning, design, construction and management area. She has experience working in higher education and corporate facilities management. Currently reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management at Clayton State University, provide strategies, collaboration, communication, innovation and leadership in support of the University’s facilities planning functions including capital and non-capital project planning-programing, construction, interior design and renovation projects. She also oversees campus’s central shipping & receiving department. She effectively collaborates with the contractors, administrative management and campus client to create, review and maintain the University’s space, design and construction standards, ensuring the sustainable integrity and appearance of the physical campus is adhered to on all projects.
She actively participates in selecting project architects, engineers, other professional consultants and contractors, budget development, project scheduling as well as, managing logistics and the potential impact of projects on the campus planning. She has consistently assisted in the development of strategic plans, Capital Planning, Major Repair and Renovations, SACS reports, departmental guidelines, policies, procedures, programs and services to consistently encourage and demonstrate action to support University’s Vision, Mission and Values with a focus on providing excellent customer service.
She is currently volunteering as project leader for one of the strategic goals for Clayton State University’s Strategic 2022 team, and leading a group of six team members in conjunction with a partner. She is serving on several committees like Facilities Advisory Committee, Semester Readiness, Tree Committee, etc. and have presented at many conferences and seminars with organizations like GAPPA, USG, SCUP and IFMA. She has also led planning and organization of design expositions, Arbor Day and other events on campus. Priti have been nominated few times for Clayton State University’s prestigious “Making Things Better” award and one time for the prestigious Alice J. Smith award by coworkers and clients.
Priti is a Certified Facilities Manager and holds CFM certification from IFMA, She also holds Planning Institute certification from Society of College and University Planning. She is an active member with IIDA, APPA and SCUP professional organizations. She is a graduate of the Savanah College of Art and Design with a Masters of Fine Arts in Interior Design and Georgia State University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Interior Design. She holds a Bachelor degree from India as well.
Her collaborative and partnership style leadership has been extremely beneficial to her various roles. She believes in working smart, develop people, develop a culture of excellence and trust and most importantly continuous learning and improvement.
Overall, the Atlanta chapter is proud to call Priti a member of our group. We look forward to seeing her grow in her career and the bright future she has ahead! Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn or one of our events.
