This year at the December Luncheon, we are collecting gift cards to be distributed among our ten IFMA Atlanta Nonprofit Partners:  A Friend's House, Atlanta Community Tool Bank, Atlanta Mission, Clarkston Community Center, Covenant House, Decatur Cooperative Ministry, The Elaine Clark Center, Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta, Project Community Connections, and Safe America Foundation.  Suggestions:  Home Depot/Lowe's, Kroger/Publix, Walmart/Target, Office Depot/Staples, QT, Amazon.com, Visa/AmEx.  Please bring gift cards to drop in the collection basket at the reception desk as you pick up your nametag.  Your generosity in support of our partner organizations is much appreciated!

Additionally, we will host a silent auction  featuring assorted art and decorative pieces from 11:30- 12:15.  Our own IFMA members will be entertaining us with live holiday music.  We will also present our annual membership awards for 2013.  Please come prepared to have some fun and take care of your holiday shopping (cash, checks and credit cards accepted).  All proceeds from the auction will go to the IFMA Foundation in support of our industry programs and educational partners!

Maximizing human energy is the key to driving productivity in the workplace.

As our society has shifted from a primarily farming and manufacturing based economy, to a white-collar or "knowledge-based" economy, there have been dramatic increases in obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. 

One of the reasons for this health decline is that we have become much more sedentary due to the nature of our jobs. Fuel Builders is a consultancy whose mission is to use education, fitness and nutrition to increase energy in the workplace, and to offset the dangers of prolonged sitting, which is typical for many professionals. Founders Julie Crow and Steve Naturman will share information on the adverse health effects of prolonged sitting and how to prevent the injuries and illnesses that lead to absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace.

Human capital is on the rise in the workplace, with companies spending 70-90 percent of their overall expenses on their workforce. The key is maximizing that human capital to stay competitive in a global economy.

Pending approval for Continuing Education Units

Core Competencies for CFM: Human and Environmental Factors

Thank you Stephen Swicegood for your presentation and insight on Thomas Friedman's new book That Used to be Us: How America Lost its Way in the World We Invented describes the challenges businesses face today.

Thank you to all of our sustaining patrons!  Without you, the IFMA Atlanta Chapter would not be as successful!        

Why would a facility manager go all the way to Washington DC to have meetings with Congressmen that are not from their district or state?  Can't any conversations be done via snail mail, an e-mail or the telephone?  The answer is yes to all three. But being face-to-face with the lawmakers and their aides, gives me a voice.  I had the chance to represent each of you during the 2013 IFMA Advocacy Day.

This year the advocacy efforts of IFMA focus on supporting a Property Realignment Act (PRA)  This bipartisan legislation would require our government to look at its own real estate portfolio, 8300 buildings in the U.S., which are owned or leased, to determine which can be consolidated, sold to private industry, etc. The reduction in wasted space, efficiencies in building systems, reduced O&M budgets are money savers.  Can any of you imagine being allowed to move occupants into one floor of a vacant, 10 story high-rise when you have an empty floor two blocks away? Private industry regularly makes a case for realigning property to meet its business objectives.  

There are two bills in the House and one in the Senate that provide various suggestions on how to use part of the savings from the PRA to fund the Federal Building Personnel Training Act.  This act, vote into law in 2010, requires the government to set standards for facility employees and provide funds for training these government employees.  As with private businesses, don't we believe trained facility managers, those with credentials like those offered through IFMA, should be managing our governments' real estate portfolio?  Training of government facility staff, not only makes sense today, but creates opportunities for using their knowledge to implement energy efficiencies, create reduction in waste and developing building longevity.  

Locally, we are our legislator's resource when it comes to showing them how government can learn from private industry facility managers.  They beg for knowledge and we fortunate to have two IFMA employees in Washington walking the halls on our behalf.  

I would like to extend an invitation to any member to email me if they are interested in learning more about what they can do locally or while in Washington. If there is interest in meeting with State officials, I will be happy to organize an event for the Chapter.  Please contact me to discuss your interests or to hear about  my experience from the 8th Annual Public Policy Forum in Washington.

Obama Administration Expands Better Buildings Challenge to Multifamily Housing, Launches New Programs to Boost U.S. Energy Efficiency

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