International Facility Management Association, U.S. Green Building Council Tour BNL
November 8, 2011
Sure, many of the buildings on site are less exciting than the spectacular science happening inside, but as 100 facility managers and other professionals from the tri-state area found last month, some buildings here are fantastic facilities.
Assistant Laboratory Director for Facilities & Operations Lanny Bates welcomes to BNL attendees from the International Facility Management Association and U.S. Green Building Council.
On October 6, Brookhaven’s Facilities & Operations Directorate (F&O) hosted the monthly meetings for two major organizations — the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
IFMA is the world’s largest international association for professional facility managers, with more than 20,000 members in 78 countries. IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, and provides educational programs for facility professionals. The Laboratory’s facility complex managers under its Integrated Facility Management program (IFM) — a Blueprint initiative — are members and certified facility managers through the IFMA.
The USGBC is a nonprofit organization that recognizes energy-saving buildings through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. Several of the new buildings on site, including the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Research Support Building, and the future Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB) and National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) are LEED certified. BNL has more LEED certified facilities than any other organization on Long Island.
“These events are excellent opportunities for F&O staff to meet with their counterpart professionals in industry and elsewhere to discuss best practices in facility management and environmental sustainability,” said Assistant Laboratory Director for F&O Lanny Bates. “By sharing our challenges and experiences, we can learn a lot from each other and that will help us improve F&O services here at Brookhaven.”
As the event began, Bates and Facility Complex Manager Leo Somma welcomed the attendees. F&O staff and attendees networked in the lobby of Berkner Hall discussing major projects on site, including ISB and NSLS-II construction. Participants were then shuttled to tour NSLS-II and the CFN — both of which adhere to LEED green building specifications. Tours of the NSLS-II were given by Marty Fallier, Photon Sciences Facilities Division manager, and tours of the CFN were given by Mike Schaeffer, manager of the Modernization Project Office.
BNL’s Peggy Caradonna, project manager for the Interdisciplinary Science Building, speaks with attendees about the Laboratory’s state-of-the-art science facility currently under construction.
“When facility managers talk shop, there are a lot of important, common elements to discuss — from healthy workstation guidelines to electrical safety, emergency access systems, and sustainable practices,” said Facility Complex Manager Tom Roza, who helped organize the event at Brookhaven.
“‘What an awesome tour and knowledgeable facility managers!’ is all I’ve been hearing from our attendees,” said John Maiolo, chair of the IFMA Long Island Program. “The facilities at Brookhaven Lab are world class and a great environmental success story right here in our backyard.”
“The research at Brookhaven is both mind-boggling and inspiring. I felt a surge of pride seeing and hearing of the work being done,” said Vince Capogna, executive director of the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, after the event. “In addition to the many comments praising the knowledge of the presenters, the most common chord heard was how passionate about their work each and every BNL employee was,” he said.
A common chord overheard among attendees was their eagerness to return and learn more about Brookhaven — at open house events such as Summer Sundays, and also to see the ISB and the NSLS-II after they are completed.
2011-2672 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
