FACILITY PROFESSIONAL SPOTHLIGHT
John Nearman
How did you get into FM/ Accidental FM?
Working in various commercial service roles after college, I learned how to consistently deliver high quality services, and most important, how to set and exceed customer expectations.
Soon after managing a successful $132k, complex 5 day move of a 300c person company into a new 83k sf building for one of my favorite clients, I was offered the newly created position as Facilities Manager at Timber line Software Corporation (now Sage). Today continue to specialize in managing owner-occupied facilities today.
Though I fall under the accidental facility manager, each of the roles I held early in my career, positioned me well to make the jump from service provider to facility manager.
One challenging experience in my industry
I had a challenging experience as administrator of an access control system on which we were standardizing all sites in the United States and Canada covering 5000c employees. In a hurry late one day, I made a programming change to a new site and inadvertently unchecked a box which prevented anyone in our largest site in Atlanta from enter the building.
The next morning, I was awakened at 3:30 am, from a panicked colleague in Atlanta describing the hundreds of employees milling about outside, waiting to enter our buildings. No coffee required this morning, I was going solely on adrenaline! I logged in and figured out the problem in short order and made a point to never rush the access control programming again. Needless to say, it took quite some time for my colleagues to let me live that one down.
Highlight of your current operation or role as an FM
Today I work for a small, privately held employer, Vernier Science Education, in a dual role as facilities manager and member of the Operations management team. We are located in an owner-occupied LEED Gold EB: O+M site with a strong focus on susteintable operations.
I truly appreciate the opportunity to work for an organization with a long term financial outlook and an unwavering commitment of a company leadership to reducing our impact on the environment.
