Carlos Molina, CFM Facility Manager NBA

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a native New Yorker, but moved to New Jersey 18 years ago.  I have been married for 26 years and we have two sons.  I love traveling, fishing, and swimming.

How and when did you get your start in Facilities Management?

As an electrician by trade in the military, I started a real estate company in my late 20s, buying and selling residential/commercial properties.  That lead me to go to school for HVAC/R to advance my knowledge further and be able to repair equipment instead of paying a contractor.

What does your role at the NBA entail?

I pretty much do the whole facility gambit here.  I maintain day-to-day operations of our facilities.  I am also in charge of delegating maintenance requests from team members, scheduling routine inspections and emergency repairs with outside vendors, and ensuring the mission-critical and broadcast systems are up 100% at all times for game operations.

How long have you been  involved with IFMA?

I’ve been involved on and off with IFMA for five years.

At what point in your career did you begin taking facilities management classes and receive your designation?

I took classes around 15 years ago on energy efficiency practices and building automation systems.  I always love the control side of how things work.  My process was if you can learn the control side, you will have in-depth knowledge of any system.

I received my CFM in 2017 while working as a critical facility Lead IT consultant for PSEG company.

Tell us about a challenge or obstacle that you face (or faced) in the Facilities world.

The CFM designation led me into the facility management and construction division, where I oversaw the operations of electric transmission and gas buildings in 31 buildings.  The assigned facilities totaled over 2.1 million sq. ft. of office space.  I managed all service contracts including custodial, life-safety, grounds, general maintenance, and all MEPS.  The biggest challenge was not providing 100% customer satisfaction due to cost or budget restraints within the different departments.

How do you define success?

My success is measured in a healthy work and home balance.  I have been the guy answering his phone 7 days a week nonstop.  I am very proactive and try to do more work on the front end in order to avoid reacting to issues after they’ve already happened.

What advice do you have for someone new coming into the industry?

Learn as much as possible.  The facilities world is fast-moving with growing technologies for improving the world we live in.