Chairman’s Blog July-Aug 2021

 

Hello ESUS Community Members,

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer season.

It’s an honor and privilege to serve as the new Environmental Stewardship, Utilities, and Sustainability Community (ESUS) Chair. I know I have big shoes to fill and only hope I can serve the community, as well as, my predecessors who laid the cornerstone and built a community to facilitate IFMA’s performance as a sustainable organization, developing a community that provides a means to obtain information and knowledge.

First and foremost, I want to thank Dean Stanberry for his outstanding leadership, especially during this past year with the challenges of the pandemic. He kept our community alive and committed to addressing pertinent environmental issues. Dean’s dedication and contributions to the ESUS Community, as well as, IFMA, are innumerable. I am thankful that Dean will have a continued presence in ESUS as the Past Chair while maintaining his role as 2nd Vice-Chair of IFMA’s Global Board of Directors and I am grateful for Dean’s support as I assume the role of Chair.

The ESUS Community is growing and in efforts to enhance the benefits of membership, the Board is implementing changes. We invite you to get involved and join one of our newly formed Committees:

  • Membership, Out Reach & Partnership’s
  • Newsletter
  • Programs
  • Publications
  • Public Relations

Email us at SUSTAINABILITY@IFMA.org to sign-up for a committee and while you’re at it, tell us:

  • What are you working on?
  • What are your sustainability challenges?
  • What are do you want to learn more about?

ESUS’ success is counting on your participation, we know our community is comprised of a plethora of subject-matter experts and we are looking to you to; share your knowledge, attend or speak at an ESUS webinar, join us at World Workplace, write an article for the FMJ Sustainability issue, publish a white paper or let us highlight your sustainability accomplishments. We have so much to learn from one another.

One of the challenges facing facility managers is a lack of funding for their sustainability initiatives. In the United States, many state and local governments provide financial assistance and offer rebates for sustainable projects, utility companies have a variety of programs, as well. In addition, the Department of Energy offers the Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs), which promote and assists in transforming the market for CHP, waste heat to power, and district energy technologies/concepts throughout the United States. Combined Heat and Power (CHP), if you are not familiar, is also known as cogeneration. For a CHP partner in your area visit the Better Buildings website:

CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs) | Better Buildings Initiative (energy.gov)

If you are aware of programs offering funding and rebates in your local area, state, country or region, whether sponsored by the government, utility providers or other entities, we want to hear from you. This information would be of great interest and value to our community. If we are going to meet our net zero emissions goals, all facility managers can use some assistance, so let’s work together, building our network and sharing our resources, to show the value and impact that IFMA and the ESUS Community can make to preserve the earth for future generations.

Looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you.

Debbie

Debbie Jaslow Shatz, CFM, LEED AP