AFE January/February 2012 : Page 23Development, said AFE Certifi cation is becoming essential, especially as workers search for ways to demonstrate their skills and knowledge, and employers look for ways to identify candidates which possess those important skills. “With new, more energy effi cient and sustainable buildings systems and techniques available every day,” he said, “it is increasingly important for facilities engineers, operations and maintenance professional to demonstrate they have the skills, education and training necessary to successfully operate or manage today’s high tech facilities.” DC in 2012 Although the past two year’s confer-ences in Las Vegas have been, in Carley’s words, “extremely successful,” AFE leadership has decided to hold Facilities America 2012 in the Washington, DC area. “One of the most important roles of AFE is in helping to promote legislation that will benefi t the facilities engineer-ing and operations professionals,” said Carley. “As a result, we thought it was important to hold this year’s Facilities America in the DC area.” While the format of the conference in DC will be much the same as the confer-ences in Las Vegas — with dozens of educational sessions, a Chapter Awards Ceremony, and a behind-the-scenes tour of a world famous facility — hosting the conference in DC will allow AFE to spon-sor “Hill visits” to members’ legislators in the nation’s Capitol. “Our members are the best advocates for legislation that af-fects them,” Carley noted, “because their legislators know that they vote.” FEJ Richard Stukey is senior editor of the Facilties Engineering Journal and busi-ness development director for the Associ-ation for Facilities Engineering. The AFE Foundation: Committed to the Future T he AFE Foundation is committed to the future of facilities engineering. Some examples of our commitment are awarding scholarships for AFE certifi cation programs and to attend our annual conference, Facilities America. In the current economy, it is not just the young that have to determine their career path. Each of us, every day, has to determine what path we are on and fi nd ways to add value and take pride in our work—and the AFE Foundation is committed to helping you and other thousands of other facilities professionals do just that. Today, the composition of the AFE Foundation board represents a broad range of professional expertise and knowledge from within our organization and beyond, providing wide ranging insight. Th is insight allows us to leverage best-of-breed solutions practiced by other foundations and apply them to new projects, and to create a strong position for future opportunities. Th e scholarships awarded by the AFE Foundation allow more individuals to gain the skills necessary to help them operate and maintain facilities in a more effi cient and environmen-tally friendly manner, adding value for both their employers and the overall economy. For those of us who are lucky enough to contribute to these scholarships there is a sense of pride in knowing that we are making a diff erence in our profession and the careers of our fellow facilities professionals. While we are still relatively new to granting scholarships, we are indeed making a diff erence. For every scholarship granted, as many as 10 times that many lives may be touched. Certifi cation is not about a piece of paper, but the study and application of the principles involved. Facilities America is not about one individual learning, it is about all of us sharing and net-working with each other. No facility engineer stands alone. We all must be able to lean on each other both for knowledge sharing and for advice and support. Th ese principles and connections are especially important when inevitable frustrations occur while operating and maintaining a facility, due to inclement weather, equipment failure, or other unforeseen events. Over the coming 10 years, the AFE Foundation is committed to expanding its role in promoting education and training for underrepresented groups in the facilities engineer-Dale Stagner, CPMM (far right, top photo) ing profession. We are also determined to grow our volunteer programs that help to serve the and Leslie Lentz receiving scholarship awards (far right, bottom photo). needs of the larger community Please join me in the commitment of the AFE Foundation to the future. Learn more about our mission and support us in any way you can. Contrib-ute to the future either through participating in our volunteer programs or with a donation. Encourage and promote the applications of future scholar-ship participants in your chapter meetings. Th ank you for your help in the past, and for working with us to build our future. Together we will make a diff erence in how the facility engi-neering profession adds value to the lives of people throughout the world. Kate Kerrigan Chair of the AFE Foundation January | February 2012 Q  Facilities Engineering Journal Q  www.AFE.org 23 Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
