The Fellowship program was established by the International Facility Management Association in 1992 to recognize members who have distinguished themselves by a lifetime of achievement in and around IFMA and the field of facility management.  The first class of Fellows included Founders of the Association and the IFMA Foundation, early IFMA leaders, facility management researchers who defined the profession, luminaries, authors, industry giants and a prominent journalist/publisher.  Subsequent classes of Fellows have been equally diverse and significant.  Fellowship is the highest honor bestowed by the Association.  Because IFMA is the world’s largest network of facility management professionals and the recognized leader, IFMA Fellowship is unparalleled and unmatched among workplace-related recognitions.   

The cumulative impact IFMA Fellows have had on the profession and the Association is immeasurable.  Fellows’ talents also often are quite diverse.  Though no single activity advances a Fellows candidate, some of the individual accomplishments have included:

• Exhibiting outstanding leadership and service to a chapter, council, committee, task force or IFMA’s Board of Directors.
• Work on important IFMA and industry initiatives like the Certified Facility Manager designation and Recognized Programs.
• Writing facility management related articles or books for trade, national, or international publications.
• Being recognized in the trade or business press and using the opportunity to advance the profession or further awareness of the Association.
• Establishing a medium or publication for sharing facility management knowledge.
• Developing facility management related continuing education materials, promoting facility management education, and/or serving as an instructor for facility management-related programs on a college or university level.
• Serving as a certified IFMA instructor in professional development programs and courses.
• Conducting ground-breaking facility management research.
• Initiating or assisting in the establishment of alliances or ongoing relationships between IFMA and other facility management-related professional organizations, both in North America and globally.
• Forming and supporting IFMA chapters using complementary personal or company resources.
• Serving in leadership roles within other facility management-related associations.
• Mentoring students or young facility management professionals.
• Furthering the expansion, recognition, and influence of the facility management profession through personal facility management-related achievements or recognition, such as being recognized by his/her employer or customers for outstanding work. 

Thus far only 75 individuals have been recognized as IFMA Fellows and Fellows are added each year only if there are qualified, distinguished candidates.

Fellows form a core of respected leaders, advisors and ambassadors for the Association who are frequently called upon for their unmatched knowledge of the facility management profession.  Collectively the elite core of Fellows represents the most esteemed facility management professionals, distinguished authors, prolific academicians and leading facility management visionaries.

A Nominating Committee consisting of Fellows is charged with identifying qualified candidates annually and assists those who wish to write a nomination submittal.  The Nominating Committee for 2008 is headed by Mary D. Gauer, CFM, IFMA Fellow.  Past Chair, Teena Shouse, CFM has executive oversight for the Fellow’s program and senior staff liaison is Linda Beverly, CAE.   

A Jury is selected each year with three members being selected from the Fellows by majority ballot.  The IFMA Chair and President/CEO also serve on the Jury.  The Jury uses a standardized evaluation form when judging nominations to ensure fairness and uniformity.

A nomination form is required for each candidate.  A sample submission form is available from the IFMA Web site at www.ifma.org.  The official form may be obtained by contacting the staff liaison at linda.beverly@ifma.org or by calling the IFMA office at 713-623-4362, x110. 

The submission form details degrees and certifications, work history, identification of significant facilities-related work accomplishments and leadership and major contributions to the profession.  The candidate’s publication history as well as teaching experience is also considered.   IFMA involvement is required to be documented and all levels of participation and leadership are considered.  Service to other facility management-related societies and associations along with leadership roles and achievements in these organizations are reviewed.  Special recognition and significant awards or honors bestowed by IFMA and other organizations are also considered.   In addition to the completed form, three letters of testimony are required to endorse the nomination. 

For additional information regarding IFMA Fellows contact:
Linda Beverly, CAE
Vice President of Administration
International Facility Management Association
1 East Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100
Houston, Texas  77046-0197
713-623-4362, phone
713-623-6124, fax
linda.beverly@ifma.org

The most prestigious title bestowed by the Association is that of IFMA Fellow. Fellowship recognizes outstanding contribution and services rendered to the Association. Fellowship creates an elite core of respected leaders who can be called upon to act as advisors to and ambassadors for the Association.

2008 Fellows Program Nomination Data Form:

• Word Doc Version
• Adobe PDF Version