Melissa Rockwell-Hopkins, FMP, FM Executive Director, and Jacquie Vargas, FMP, FM Communications Manager, received recognition from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) for outstanding achievement in facility management training and professional development.
The awards were presented by Cathy Pavick, IFMA Vice President, Professional Development, in a small recognition ceremony on campus. The awards were given in appreciation of their commitment to facility management education. Through Melissa’s and Jacquie’s direct effort, involvement, and support, 46 FM staff members have successfully earned the prestigious and rigorous IFMA Facility Management Professional (FMP) credential since November. FM is targeting a total of 65 staff members to have completed the FMP credential process by the end of 2013.
IFMA’s Facility Management Professional (FMP) designation is a knowledge-based credential for FM professionals seeking to increase the depth-of-knowledge in the foundational FM topics deemed critical by industry leaders. Attainment of the FMP credential certifies the recipient has undertaken a prescribed course of study and successfully completed a series of comprehensive exams covering four knowledge domains: operations and maintenance, project management, finance and business, and leadership and strategy.
In addition to the FMP, FM management team members are also undertaking to earn the IFMA Sustainable Facility Professional (SFP), an assessment-based certificate program for a specialized credential in sustainability.
The SFP program is intended for facility management practitioners with a baseline of FM industry knowledge and who are interested in expanding an expertise in sustainable facility management. Attainment of the SFP credential certifies the recipient has undertaken a prescribed course of study and successfully completed a series of comprehensive exams covering three focus areas: strategy and alignment for sustainable facility management, management of sustainable facilities, and operation of sustainable facilities. Team members will use this expertise as they take an active role in helping develop and implement FM sustainability initiatives. The first cohort of 12 FM management team members will have completed the instructional portion of the SFP training by the end of April and will target successful completion of all certification exams by the end of May, earning the SFP credential. FM is targeting a total of 65 staff members to have earned the SFP credential by the end of 2013.
This schedule of professional development opportunities and training is aggressive but Facilities Management is committed to preparing staff with the necessary portfolio of skills and credentials to continue to serve as a benchmark and resource for service, stewardship, and sustainability. To learn more about the programs and services of UH Facilities Management, please visit the website located at http://uh.edu/plantops/departments/fm/ or the Plant Ops Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UniversityOfHoustonPlantOperations.