The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce that it now serves more than 20,000 members worldwide. IFMA members are a diverse group of facility management professionals concerned with the form and function of the built environment. Representing 78 countries, they manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US $100 billion in products and services.
IFMA counts among its membership facility managers, architects, engineers, interior designers, property managers, and real estate professionals. Within their organizations, IFMA members are senior decision makers consulted by executive management for strategies to ensure functionality of the built environment through the integration of people, place, processes, and technology.
“Facility management is maturing, and 20,000 members is a sure sign of progress,” said Kathy Roper, CFM, MCR, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, chair of the IFMA board of directors and associate professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Building Construction Program. “In less than 35 years, IFMA has grown to become a truly international organization empowering facility professionals worldwide. We are excited to reach this milestone but must continue pushing for recognition of facility management and the value that facility professionals bring to their organizations. I am proud to be part of such a significant association that continues to expand its membership and the services it provides.”
Nearly 850 professionals joined IFMA over the past two months, helping the association cross the 20,000 member threshold. These new members come from countries as diverse as Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, and everywhere in between. They represent organizations including CB Richard Ellis, Deutsche Bank, Jones Lang LaSalle, Lockheed Martin, the Minnesota Vikings, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Rolls Royce, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Energy and more. They hold titles ranging from account executive to CEO, owner, and president.
IFMA’s new members include educators, service providers, students, and retirees. Nearly one third are in their 40s and nearly one quarter in their 30s. They are majority male, with nearly 40% working for an organization with more than 1,000 employees. Thirty percent of these new IFMA members have been in the profession from 10 to 20 years, illustrating how even experienced facility professionals turn to the association for continuing education and career resources.
IFMA was formed in 1980 by George Graves, IFMA Fellow, of Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., Charles Hitch of Manufacturer’s Bank, and David Armstrong, IFMA Fellow, of Michigan State University. At the association’s first annual meeting in October of that year, there were 47 participants, 25 of whom were members of the association. Today, IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo and its counterpart conferences attract thousands of attendees annually and continue to elevate the importance of the facility management profession worldwide.
“Twenty thousand members. I cannot believe it after all these years,” said Graves. “It’s been great to see all the advances that IFMA has made since the founding back in 1980. I would not be able to keep abreast of all the things going on in this organization now. I’m very happy that we’ve reached the 20,000 mark and look forward to going beyond it. I would advise the next generation of facility managers to keep on persevering and building the reputation that FMs are go-to professionals and problem solvers.”
