30 Years of Empowering Facility Managers
They say the mighty oak grows from a single acorn. Well, the St. Louis chapter grew thanks to the
efforts of two St. Louisans.
Its humble beginnings started in 1984 when Ken Klousek and Sylvia Efken attended a conference
hosted by the Facilities Management Institute (FMI) at Herman Miller in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Tami
Martens of Herman Miller was instrumental in connecting Ken and Sylvia, who, ironically, didn’t
call themselves facility managers. But the connection and conference not only exposed them to
what ultimately became IFMA, it planted the seed to form a network of professionals in our region.
After a year of planning, the first meeting took place on Feb. 13, 1985, when 50 prospective
members gathered at the Engineers Club. That seed sprouted our chapter and within five years the
chapter doubled in size from 89 to 190 members.
The Chapter celebrated its five-year anniversary in 1990 by also proudly introducing the 1st edition
of IFMA News. The publication kept members informed with articles focused on facility management
issues, welcoming new members and sharing upcoming events.
Equally important, the chapter covered the hot topics of the day at its programs, a tradition that
remains today. Then and now, many of those topics remain just as relevant. Here’s a look back at
some of the programs, events and news that shaped – and continue to grow – this mighty
organization thanks to the seed planted by Ken and Sylvia.
The nineties ….
1990 – 1995
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“Recycling, Challenges of the Nineties,” hosted by Ralston Purina
Cultural Institutions Make Membership Impact
Boatmen’s Real Estate Group Meets Acquisition Challenges
Mayor Schoemehl Shares His Vision of the Future of St. Louis
MetroLink Light Rail Comes to St. Louis
Chapter Membership Directory Arrives
Chapter forms a Career and Professional Development Committee
The Air Your Breathe . . . Indoor Air Quality becomes a “hot” topic
Southwestern Bell Corporation relocates to San Antonia, Texas
Facility Leadership . . . When All the Rules Are Changing
Downsizing, rightsizing, outsourcing – the words for the nineties!
Home Offices - As with most of corporate America, the bottom line takes center stage: reduce
rental space; reduce lost productive days; increase employee satisfaction
Milestones and Major Events
Chapter announces first Certified Facility Manager (CFM), Bill Heisserer, formally with Maritz.
St. Louis continues as one of the nation’s most attractive corporate business sites, ranking fifth in
Corporate Headquarters while only 15th in population.
Missouri Botanical Garden announces a new research center that will serve as a showcase of
environmentally sensitive or “green” architecture when it is completed around early 1997. The
building will require minimal energy to operate for its expected lifespan of 100 years.
Meet Me in St. Louis – St. Louis Chapter hosts IFMA’s National Convention with 4,594 attendees.
Chapter membership breaks 200!
1996 - 2000
Major News
Expect buildings designed for the year 2001 to have reduced infrastructure requirements compared
to today’s buildings. This should be good news for facility managers. We will see an 80% reduction
in office equipment power needs; a 50% reduction in office lighting power needs; a 40% reduction in
HVAC power needs; less data wiring doing more work.
Ergonomics in Today’s Workplace . . . the physical reaction between the human body and specific
activities performed over a period of time.
St. Louis Chapter Achieves MEGA Status – welcomes its 251st member!
Chapter Awards are introduced.
Technology …are facility managers prepared for the next Millennium?
The New Millennium –
2000 - 2010
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Chip Cards, the New Technology in Smart Cards . . . catching up to the rest of the world
Business Interruptions – Natural Disasters
Cyber Crime and Disaster Recovery
The recent assaults on high-profile, business to consumer web sites such as Yahoo, e-Bay,
CNN.com, E-trade and others
Commissioning – don’t you dare start-up your building without it
Bioterrorism Planning Post 9/11: Now More Than Ever!
LEED™ – Green Basic for Facility Managers
St. Louis’ Regional Redevelopment Initiatives Chouteau Lake Greenway Presentation
Generations at Work . . . U.S. Challenges: Plummeting morale, skyrocketing turnover rates,
communication conundrums, motivation, hiring challenges, retaining, recruiting . . .
St. Louis’ Sustainability Cooperative: A Call to Action
Building the River Ring: A Citizens Driven Regional Plan
Keeping the Wolves from Your Door, Doing a Great FM Job – measuring it and telling the
right people
Tour - CSI – STL, tour of the St. Louis Metro Police Department Forensic Lab
Tour - Washington University Earth & Planetary Science Building – the first LEED™ Certified
building in the St. Louis Area
The New 1-64 Project Update
Behind the Scenes Tour & Project Overview of Busch Stadium
Utility Rates and How They Impact Facilities
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Tour of Nestle Purina’s Learning Center and St. Louis Community College Wildwood Campus
Designing and Managing Sustainable Landscapes
Genome Sequencing Data Center Tour
Ensuring Quality Custodial Services
Energy Incentives for a Greener Future
Roof Asset Management – A Financial Perspective and ROI
Distributed Work – What Works and What Doesn’t in Today’s Corporate Facilities
2011 – Present
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Ethical Issue in a Changing World
How Will the New ADA Requirements Impact Your Facility
Disaster Planning & Management
Fear of Public Speaking
Sustainability and Conservation Initiatives
Managing Risk in Your Data Center: Recipe for a Good Night’s Sleep
St. Louis’ Public Library Renovation – Challenges, Surprises and Wins!
24/7 Food Service
OHSA – As it Relates to You!
As you can see, IFMA St. Louis has achieved so much over the past 30 years, serving as a powerful
resource for the facility management community by hosting countless educational programs,
outstanding golf tournaments, joint trade shows, new member socials, holiday gatherings and social
events for family and friends at the various cultural institutions in the St. Louis region.
Along the way, the chapter always gives back to the community it so richly calls home. We have
supported such organizations as Make A Wish Foundation, Heat Up & Cool Down St. Louis,
Emmaus Homes, Toys for Tots, Food Drives, Shelters for the underprivileged and Habitat for
Humanity.
We also support this great industry. We provided funds to the IFMA Foundation’s scholarship
program to ensure that the next generation of facilities managers can be trained at various colleges
nationwide. And education and advancement remain critical to our mission and our members. Our
chapter awards scholarships to members interested in earning their Certified Facility Manager,
Facility Management Professional or Sustainable Facility Manager designation.
Sure, the times have changed over these past 30 years. One thing remains constant: IFMA St. Louis
still serves as the vital connection that empowers facility managers . . . yesterday, today and
tomorrow.