The First Facility Management Blog

The U.S. Air Force’s Office of the Civil Engineer has issued a policy recognizing the value of the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) Certified Facility Manager® (CFM) credential, adding the designation to its Group A Professional Credential Level list. Membership in the Group A Professional Credential Level means that the selection of a CFM to fill key senior civil engineer positions at Air Force installations is “highly encouraged and/or required,” according to Air Force guidelines. Additionally, civilian employees may request 100% reimbursement for expenses required to maintain the CFM designation, a benefit previously afforded to professional engineers and registered architects.

The new Air Force guidelines, as outlined in the “Policy on Professional Registration and Certification for the Civil Engineer Career Field,” are part of the Air Force’s efforts to “develop and attract employees who possess proven abilities in their professions [and] a high degree of technical competence as evidenced by professional registration or certification.”

“Recognition of the CFM for the civilian civil engineer career field as a matter of policy clearly indicates the importance this credential has when it comes to possessing the skill set and level of proven ability needed to meet current and future built environmental requirements,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ and second vice chair of IFMA. “The CFM is the wave of the future. It increases the value of civilian facility professionals who will play a significant role in executing and sustaining the civil engineer business practices necessary to meet the challenges of the future.”

The certification process is designed to assess competency in the field through work experience, education, and the ability to pass a comprehensive exam. Since the program’s inception in 1992, more than 3,100 facility managers from 32 countries have received the designation.