AFE January/February 2012 : Page 22FACILITIES AMERICA 2011 Facilities America 2011 were able to choose from sessions on a wide range of topics and learning levels. Th ey had a chance to spend time on the Expo fl oor talking to vendors, and attending networking events like facili-ties tours and the AFE Awards Ceremony.” He continued: “Th e knowledge they gained from these formal education sessions, vendor demonstrations, and networking events helped ensure that they were able to gain or reinforce the skills and knowledge attracted the most participants. “Each year,” he said, “the education sessions and Expo address challenges and strategies that are of value to facilities professionals who operate buildings of every type, shape and size.” Leadership Meetings AFE also hosted a large number of execu-tive meetings, including the AFE board meeting, at Facilities America. “Th ese at-tracted a large number of members, and to a winner,” he said. “Th ey want to be associated with a good organization that sets standards of effi ciency and eff ective-ness for volunteer participation.” Meetings were also held to discuss professional development, marketing and sponsorship, and membership de-velopment. A leadership development seminar was led by Talisa Thomas-Hall, AFE senior director of operations and membership. AFE members enjoyed a comprehensive behind-the-scenes tour of the Bellagio, a city within a city that — in addition to the world-famous Fountains of Bellagio — includes upscale restaurants, art galleries and theaters that rival those on Broadway. AFE wishes to thank Al Bauchrowitz — lead mechani-cal engineer (pictured in upper right photo in white shirt), Robert Stowe — vice president of engineering, Gene Bowling — front feature manager (picture above, upper right) for conducting the tour, as well as the many other Bellagio employees who made this never-to-be-forgotten tour such a success. you need to operate today’s green and energy effi cient building systems.” What was most important, Nation noted, was that “at Facilities America, AFE mem-bers have told me that they consider AFE part of their extended family." Dr. Wayne Carley, executive director of AFE, noted that the education component was what helped AFE to formulate planning and strategy, and provide leadership train-ing that will benefi t the organization for years to come,” said Carley. Stephen Nicholas, president of Air Industries and an AFE board member, took part in an executive meeting at Facilities America. “People are attracted Certification Review For those who have considered becoming AFE Certifi ed as a way to enhance their career, AFE off ered a CPMM Review Course and test in conjunction with Facilities America. Larry Ross, senior director of engineering at Erickson Liv-ing and the chair of AFE Professional 22 January | February 2012 Q  Facilities Engineering Journal Q  www.AFE.org Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
