IFMA’s strategic leadership team (SLT) is led by the president and chief executive officer. The SLT is responsible for conducting the business of the association and for implementing strategies to achieve the objectives defined in IFMA’s strategy map and balanced scorecard. The IFMA board of directors sets the strategic focus. The SLT aligns staff, volunteers and other resources to achieve the desired outcomes.
Tony Keane, CAE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tony Keane, CAE, is president and CEO of the Houston-based International Facility Management Association, (IFMA). In this capacity he also serves as a Board Member of the IFMA Foundation. At IFMA he oversees the global organization from its Service Center of Excellence in Houston, TX. IFMA is the world's largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting over 23,000 members in more than 80 countries. The association's members, represented in 130 chapters, an institute and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs and produces World Workplace, the world's largest facility management conference and exposition.
Keane is a certified association executive with significant experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to starting at IFMA in 2010 Keane served for approximately five years as executive director of NACE International, the professional association for corrosion prevention. While at NACE he also served as a director on the NACE Foundation Board, chairman of the Four Point Publishing, Inc. board and as a director on the Board of International Registration for Nuclear Coating Specialists (BIRNCS).
Keane previously served as chief operating officer of the Optical Society of America in Washington, D.C.; interim executive director and deputy executive director of the Construction Specifications Institute, located in Alexandria, VA; and the Institute of Industrial Engineers, located in Atlanta, GA.
Keane's past positions have provided him with a broad range of experience, from accounting to business management. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Cincinnati with a business degree in accounting and management. He also attended MBA courses at the University of Dayton and Georgia State University. He is a former Certified Public Accountant.
Additionally, Keane serves on the Board of Directors for GlobalFM, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, (GHCVB) and on the board of directors for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives, (CESSE). He is a member of the American Society of Association Executives.
Michael D. Moss, CAE
Chief Operating Officer
Michael D. Moss, CAE, is the chief operating officer of the Houston-based International Facility Management Association. In his role as COO, he oversees IFMA's product and service areas and serves in a leadership capacity at the direction of the association's president and CEO. Moss also provides administrative supervision of IFMA's internal and external operations, supports the association's strategic plan, and services the needs of the organization's members and stakeholders. Additionally, Moss is the co-leader of IFMA's strategic leadership team, which implements the strategies set by the association's board of directors.
Moss came to IFMA from NACE International, where he served as the senior director of operations and education. At NACE, Moss grew education and training revenue by US$4.5 million over four years, while also increasing the association's membership by 15 percent in his final year.
Before NACE, Moss held leadership positions with the Warehousing Education and Research Council, YesTrader Inc. and the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. He holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and public administration from Indiana University, and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives.
Catherine Pavick
Vice President of Education
Cathy Pavick is the vice president of education for the Houston-based International Facility Management Association (IFMA). She has 14 years of association management experience and joined IFMA in 2008 as the director of education.
Pavick is responsible for the global expansion of IFMA’s educational programs and credential offerings and also plays a significant role in implementing IFMA’s strategic plan. She works directly with facility management professionals, IFMA Foundation Accredited Degree Programs, IFMA members and stakeholders, academic institutions, and students.
Prior to joining IFMA, Pavick served as executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, where she established business partnerships with major Fortune 500 companies and worked closely with federal and state legislators and regulatory agencies.
Pavick has a strong background in education and association management. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania.
Cheryl White
Director of Corporate Connections
Cheryl White is director of corporate connections at the Houston-based International Facility Management Association where she is responsible for IFMA's Corporate Sustaining Partner program, sponsorships, expositions, advertising and event logistics. Her involvement in event planning ranges from concept to site selection, contracting, marketing and beyond. Her team works closely with all associate members to ensure these product and service providers stay connected with practicing facility management professionals who are looking for workplace solutions or enhancements.
Prior to her eight years at IFMA, White worked in various customer service and sales capacities for 15 years at the Houston affiliate of the National Association of Credit Management. Before NACM, she worked in banking for seven years.
Christeen Seymour, CPA
Sr. Director of Finance & Administration
Christeen Seymour is senior director of finance and administration at the Houston-based International Facility Management Association, where she joined the staff in 2010. At IFMA, she oversees a wide variety of finance-related duties, including budgeting, payables/receivables, banking and reporting, annual audit and tax return preparation. Seymour also provides leadership and direction for the Member Services staff and oversees risk management and contracts for the association. She is the staff liaison for the audit committee and also works closely with IFMA's finance committee in the stewardship of the association's long-term investments.
Prior to joining IFMA, Seymour served as director of finance at Writers in the Schools, a Houston nonprofit organization promoting writing and literacy in schools. Additionally, she served as assistant controller and as accountant for USA Today in Orlando, Fla.
Seymour holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and human resources management from Florida Southern College in Orlando, Fla. and is a CPA.
Andrea Sanchez
Director of Communications
Editor-in-Chief, Facility Management Journal
Andrea Sanchez is the director of communications and editor-in-chief of the Facility Management Journal at the Houston-based International Facility Management Association (IFMA). She has over 12 years of journalism and public relations experience.
Sanchez joined IFMA in 2007 and has overseen the association's public relations efforts, social media initiatives, website redesign, as well as the production and printing process of IFMA's award-winning FMJ. She currently serves as the staff liaison for the board's social media task force.
Prior to joining IFMA, she worked in various public relations and editorial capacities—ranging from writing at the Houston Chronicle, editing/designing a private school magazine to leading public relations initiatives at an independent film company.
Sanchez has a strong interest in both internal and external communications. She holds a master's degree in public relations/mass media studies from The University of Houston and a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of St. Thomas.
Lowell M. Aplebaum, CAE
Director, Membership & Councils
Lowell M. Aplebaum, CAE, is director of membership & councils for of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). In his role at IFMA he oversees all membership recruitment & retention efforts. He directs the development and strategy for Councils and Communities of Practice and plays a significant role in the direction of Chapter growth and planning. Aplebaum is responsible for growing IFMA's alliance network, the IFMA community in India and building global strategic partnerships.
Prior to joining IFMA, Aplebaum worked with membership and components for the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, where he grew student membership from 3,300 to 13,000 members.
Aplebaum is a certified association executive who holds a Masters Degree in Informal Education from the Davidson School of Education and Bachelors Degree in Sociology from Columbia University . He is a member and currently serves as membership track chair for the Council of Engineering and Science Society Executives. He is a member and serves as Vice-Chair of the Component Relations Council for the American Society of Association Executives.