October 1, 2007

Dear Chapter Members

September started a new year for our chapter. I’m writing this letter because the chapter belongs to all of us. Participation levels are growing but we want more people to get involved, attend meetings and attend learning events. We’re fortunate that there has been a recent surge of support for board activities but we always welcome more. Twice as many people are involved with the Board and the various Chairs as there were just two years ago.

The old Board of Directors and the newly elected Board have crafted a new year of programs and events based on your thoughts and feedback.

So what’s new? We kicked off the year with a plant tour of Firmenich, Inc. in Princeton. If you weren’t there, you missed out on an inside glimpse into fragrances and their development. The 50+ people who came all agreed that it was a place worth seeing. Facility tours, by the way, are one of the most popular requests by members. It’s a great time to gather ideas, meet other Facility Managers (FM’s) and see what other FM’s have in terms of challenges and accommodations.

In addition to our monthly programs, we decided to hold our 1st annual golf outing this year. If you haven’t played at the NJ National Golf Club, you’re in for a real treat. The course is both beautiful and challenging. We realize that many FM’s never get to leave the office once they get into the building so we’ve tried to avert that by holding the event in the morning. We’ll have breakfast before and lunch after.

The new initiatives are not just social. Joel Orton, our past president, organized a CFM review class that took place earlier in the summer. The course received great feedback. One chapter member, Steve Baumgartner, has recently passed the CFM exam and we expect many others to follow him throughout the year. Feel free to contact Joel about our CFM study group that meets monthly. This is another great way to get ready for the FMP and CFM exams

The new Board, elected this past June, is comprised of the following:

  • President-Paul Maloney
  • 1st Vice President-Steven Wehner
  • 2ndt Vice President-Al Mairle
  • Treasurer-Dan Beck
  • Secretary-Caroline Shelly

Finally, because this is your chapter and we’d like more of your thoughts, we’re asking for some more feedback. Please take a few minutes to answer a survey that will help us plan more programs for our members.
Click here for survey

Best Regards and I'll see you at the golf outing.

Paul Maloney

President

NJ Chapter of IFMA