Our association headquarters at 1 East Greenway Plaza in Houston, Texas, has served us well over the years as the nexus for our international operations. 
The IFMA Foundation's purpose is to provide greater resources and educational opportunities to facility management professionals and those who support the FM industry. 
A Fortune 500 company with estimated 2009 base revenues of $6.0 - $6.3 billion, EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE: EME) is a global leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure, and facilities services.
Don Schnell
Councils
About IFMA Councils
IFMA formed councils to meet the industry-specific networking and information needs of its members. Councils provide opportunities for interaction that transcend chapter and regional boundaries, enabling members to meet other professionals who share an interest in a specific FM practice or who work in the same business sector.
Sharing information is a necessity in today’s global business community.
Truly global in nature, councils are not limited by geographic boundaries. You are able to communicate with colleagues worldwide about issues, concerns and best practices specific to your area of facility management.
See Also: Add a Council or Community of Practice
Council Benefits: Top Five Reasons to Join an IFMA Council
1. Focused Networking
Your facility is unique. You have a unique set of skills reflecting the special needs of your work environment. You possess specialized knowledge about the business you support. When you have a facility-related question, you want to confer with a peer who has shared experiences in that particular work environment.
IFMA councils unite members who have similar responsibilities and working situations. Councils direct their own programs, which are structured to meet the needs of their membership.
2. Targeted Information
Council participation is the ideal solution for facility professionals seeking highly targeted information in particular areas of expertise. Councils allow you to share work experiences and case studies with industry peers. Truly global in nature, councils are not limited by location. You are able to communicate with colleagues worldwide about issues, concerns and best practices specific to your area of facility management.
3. Community of Interest
You are a part of a community with common concerns.
4. Information Sharing
Sharing information is a necessity in today’s global business community. IFMA formed councils in order to meet the industry-specific networking and information needs of its members. Councils provide opportunities for interaction that transcend chapter and regional boundaries, enabling members to meet other professionals who share an interest in a particular FM practice or who work in the same business sector. Helping each other resolve traditional as well as new day-to-day challenges.
5. Heightens your marketability
Validates importance of position. Services offered by IFMA councils may include: newsletters, directories and other publications; online communities; teleconference meetings and discussions; benchmarking and best practices studies; council-specific websites; industry-specific seminars and conferences.
See Also: Add a Council or Community of Practice
Council benefits may include:
- Newsletters: Covering current council news and articles by members on “hot topics.”
- Directories: Membership rosters are available to all council members.
- Online Community: An online network providing instant access to the entire council membership.
- Teleconference meetings: A venue for discussing benchmarking and best practices.
- websites: Updated frequently to keep council members up to date on discussions and activities.
- Seminars and conferences: At a minimum, each council meets at IFMA’s annual conference and expo, World Workplace. Many councils host spring meetings as well.
