FACILITY PROFESSIONAL SPOTHLIGHT
LISA SPENCER
How did you get into facilities management?
I was in the travel industry for many years, and when I moved to CA from FL, I worked for a Hawaiian wholesale tour operator in Inside Sales, working on coordinating trade shows. From there I went to a solar panel manufacturer as a trade show/event coordinator, moved to Oregon, and my next job was working for a software developer as a Workplace Operations Coordinator. When they were bought out by another company, I was given the title of Facility Coordinator. Another buyout, and our offices were closed. QTS Data Centers reached out to me on Linkedln and I’ve been in Facilities ever since, and all because of a random title change.
What is one unusual or memorable experience
you’ve had in the industry?
While working as a Facility Coordinator, our office underwent a huge remodel for several months. This was during the early days of COVID and everybody was working from home at that point. Except for me. I went into the office almost every day. I had always joked that somebody needed to make sure the place wasn’t flooded or on fire. One morning I went in after the long Memorial weekend, and water was cascading down the wall, and along with it, the new paint. First time I had ever seen paint slide off a wall. There was a leak in the ceiling pipes. The wall had to be repaired and repainted, and the new carpet replaced.
What is a highlight from your facilities or operations career?
Serving others is a Core Value of QTS Data Centers and part of the reason we exist as a company. Our core values guide and shape our culture. They ensure we are aligned as a team and are also how we look at the world and seek to impact our industry and the communities in which we live, work, and operate. Some of our volunteer commitments are to our local foodbanks, Veterans programs, Walk for Alzheimer’s, Friends of Trees, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and Habitat for Humanity just to name a few. I’ve never worked for a company that is so dedicated to helping those in need, giving back to our communities, and that truly cares so much about their employees.
