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FLORIDA FACILITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION |
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Behind the Scenes is the bi-annual newsletter published by FFMA.
Archived newsletters:
President's Corner | More From The President | Annual Meeting Update
Lobbyist Update | Scholarship Program | On The Move | News from Around the State 2007 FFMA Sponsors | FFMA Board of Directors President's CornerGreetings from Your President: “Building on Past Successes” What a tremendous honor it has been to serve as your president. It’s difficult to believe how quickly these past two years have flown by. I am pleased to report that we have continued to build on our previous successes:
Our Board of Directors, Executive Director Cherie Worley and Lobbyist Wayne Malaney, Esq. have all worked exceptionally hard for us. We are grateful to them for their perseverance and guidance. During my presidency I have tried to keep in mind the words of internationally respected leadership authority Stephen R. Covey, who said, “Leadership is everybody’s business. It is the business of choice, of making things happen and of making a difference.” Both Rick Hamilton and Judy Joseph have done just that with the many hours they’ve put in creating a powerful and enjoyable program for our June 17-19 Annual Conference at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach. I do hope you will show your support by attending while at the same time reaping the many benefits from the wonderful educational and networking opportunities that are provided during this exciting occasion. Please remember that active participation and leadership from all of our members will remain vital to our association; together we can be strong and continue “building on past successes.” Make the choice to stay involved…..it will make a difference! Thank you sincerely for all of the fond memories. Lionel J. Dubay, More From The President...LAKE NAMED FOR FFMA'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "Lake Cherie" at Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club (Gainesville, FL) Some of you might recall Cherie’s “blow by blow” or should I say “stroke by stroke” story of my nine holes of golf during what she described as one of my brief “slump” periods last year. I therefore thought it only appropriate to share with you that as a result of an incident taking place there last November Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club has recently named the body of water bordering holes #14 and #17 “Lake Cherie” in honor of our illustrious Executive Director. Details of what actually happened that evening would undoubtedly take too much space in this newsletter, thus I’ll let Cherie present her account of it at our upcoming Annual Meeting…….believe me, the story in itself will make it worth your while to attend! In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Cherie for this well-deserved, prestigious tribute. FFMA Annual Meeting UpdateFor conference information including tentative schedule agenda, please visit the FFMA Annual Conference web page. Legislative Updates from FFMA Lobbyist, Wayne Malaney, Esq.This was a frustrating year in the legislature. The primary FFMA legislative package found support in the
Senate. The bill, which would make permanent the remaining tax exemption which are due to sunset in
2009, was filed by the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. He has pledged to file it again. In
the House the VChair of the Economic Expansion and Infrastructure Council had hoped to run the bill as a Of course, everyone has been following the property tax issues. Property taxes permeated virtually everything that had the word tax tied to it, except the hurricane tax holiday, or so it seemed. I had amendments drafted and filed to a bill two times in the House. The Speaker required it be withdrawn from committee and didn't allow the bill to come to the floor on the other amendment. As is so often the case, the Legislature makes the rules as it goes along. Case in point is the passage of a rental tax exemption for vendors renting space at FL. Turnpike Plazas. Because, they have never paid these taxes they were granted an exemption. Go figure. I guess when a state agency is impacted it's different. I point this out because when we lobby our issue next session, I want all of you to be able to use this example for why FFMA's legislation deserves passage, among other better reasons. A number of other bills, including modifications to handicapped parking (which passed) were monitored. I sent an email out on this particular bill but received no responses. It should not negatively impact any buildings. Of course, the sports franchise bills received a lot of attention, but did not pass, in these tough economic times. And the sponsors, were unwilling to attach the FFMA tax exemption language. More detail on these and other bills will be included in my annual legislative report. Scholarship ProgramThe FFMA Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the annual scholarships offered by the association have been awarded. The scholarships and recipients are: • $500 IAAM UVMC Scholarship. Daniel Larson, Brevard Community College. Dan is an intern at the King Center in Melbourne. • $500 College Scholarship. Dean Easterling, University of Central Florida. Dean has been working at the UCF Arena as an event staff supervisor. • $500 FFMA Annual Meeting Scholarship. Noelle Nardello, Florida Gulf Coast University. Noelle works at the
Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers as an event coordinator. Please remember that scholarships for this year’s Operation Seminar will be available soon. For questions pertaining to these or other scholarship opportunities, please feel free to contact the Scholarship Committee. Thanks. Mark Striffler, mstriffler@admin.fsu.edu On The MovePalm Beach County Convention Center Mike Brodnicki who is originally from Buffalo, NY received his Bachelor degree in Finance, summa cum laude, from Cainsius College May 1996 and Masters degree in Sports Administration, summa cum laude, from Canisius College May 2000. Brodnicki joined Global Spectrum in May 2000 as a Business Manager at the James L Knight International Center in Miami. In February of 2003 he transferred to Palm Beach County Convention Center which at the time was still under construction. Prior to joining Global Spectrum Brodnicki was an intern with Walt Disney World Sports and Recreation – Event Finance department and Director of Accounting and Merchandise Operations for former Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League. Mike Brodnicki and his wife of nearly six years have a two year old son name Tyler. Father and son share the same birthday on April 19. News from Around the StateOrange County Convention Center Becomes First Convention Center in the United States to Receive ISO 14001:2004 Certification ORLANDO, Fla. (March 7, 2007) – The Orange County Convention Center's (OCCC) Building Services section recently received ISO 14001:2004 certification for its Environmental Management System (EMS). It is the first convention center in the United States to ever receive the certification. As a participant in the national Environmental Management System initiative (2003-2005), the convention center was able to accomplish a number of achievements through initial implementation of an EMS in Building Services' recycling program. Prior to the EMS, the convention center recycled less than one percent of its total waste stream. Through EMS, the OCCC's accomplishments included: • 80 percent of all dry waste with 40 percent recovery on all waste in 2006 "We are extremely proud to become the first convention center to obtain certification for our recycling efforts," said Kathie Canning, Deputy General Manager of the Orange County Convention Center."Being the first to receive this registration sets us apart from other convention centers and positions us to even better serve our clients, employees, and the community at large. By obtaining this registration, the Orange County Convention Center reaffirms its commitment to protecting the environment for future generations." ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the source of the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards and some 15,000 International Standards for business, government and society. ISO is a network of national standards institutes from 146 countries working in partnership with international organizations, governments, industry, business and consumer representatives. About the Orange County Convention Center The Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention facility in the country. Each year OCCC brings more than 300 events to the Central Florida area. As a result, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $1.4 billion to the area's economic impact each year. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center visit our Web site at occc.net. GOODWILL RECEIVES MORE THAN $350,000 IN PRODUCTS DONATIONS FROM EXHIBITORS AT ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER. ORLANDO, Fla. (May 16, 2007) – Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc., received 14 tractor trailers full of product last week from exhibitors participating in the Orange County Convention Center's largest event ever that encompassed all 2.1 million square feet of the Center. Numerous companies that exhibited at the National Hardware Show, Lawn & Garden World, Homewares Show, The Gourmet Housewares Show and Global Home Textiles opted to donate their samples and display items used during the event to Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. Items donated ranged from lawn furniture to hardware to cooking supplies to fabric. Some of the specific contributions made from exhibitors included: • Teak wood outdoor furniture The donated supplies will be sold through the 23 retail locations of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties. Revenue raised from the sale of donated goods is channeled directly into employment and training programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment so they may gain long-term employment, improve their lives and become full participating members of our community. BankUnited Center UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S BANKUNITED CENTER CLAIMS LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN SOUTHFLORIDA.COM POLL FOR BEST VENUE IN SOUTH FLORIDA (CORAL GABLES, FL---April 27, 2007) According to a recent poll published on Global Spectrum, operators of the BankUnited Center, couldn’t be happier with the results. “It is truly an honor to receive such a great outpouring of support from the community”, said Global Spectrum’s Patrick L. McGrew, General Manager of the BankUnited Center. Since the venue opened in 2003, the Global Spectrum staff at the BankUnited Center has worked diligently to provide quality entertainment, top-notch customer service and an overall enjoyable event experience for all residents and visitors in South Florida’s tri-county area. The venue’s intimate sightlines, great acoustics and abundance of convenient parking are also factors that contribute to its continued success. McGrew added, “We are extremely proud of the accolades and accomplishments we have achieved over the years including hosting a Presidential Debate, the Dalai Lama, Univision and Telemundo award shows, and several sold out concerts such as Green Day, John Mayer, Coldplay, Andre Rieu and The Fray. Our goal now is to continue to strive for bigger and better shows that demonstrate why we are “The Best Mid-Size Venue In The World!” The BankUnited Center, a 7,000+ seat multipurpose entertainment facility located on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, sporting events and the University men’s and women’s basketball teams. For more information call 305-284- 8686 or online visit www.BankUnitedCenter.com. Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with
more than 65 facilities throughout the United States and Canada, manages the facility. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world's largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia
76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey
League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, BankUnited Center BankUnited Center GLOBAL SPECTRUM'S BANKUNITED CENTER ROLLED OUT THE “GREEN” CARPET FOR HEINEKEN SPONSORED BILLBOARD LATIN MUSIC AWARDS LIVE BROADCAST (CORAL GABLES, FL---April 27, 2007) Global Spectrum, operator of the BankUnited “On the heels of two previous award shows, it’s a great honor that another major television network entrusted us to host the Billboard Latin Music Awards”, said Global Spectrum’s Patrick L. McGrew, General Manager of the BankUnited Center. The Billboard Latin Music Awards honored the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music, as determined by the actual sales and radio airplay data that informs Billboard’s weekly charts during a one-year period from the issue dated February 11, 2006 through this year’s February 3 issue. McGrew added, “This award show is the culmination of an extraordinary run of top-notch events and it is a true testament to all of our Global Spectrum staff that we are able to plan and execute successful events one after another at The Best Mid-Size Venue In The World.” The BankUnited Center, a 7,000+ seat multipurpose entertainment facility located on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, sporting events and the University men’s and women’s basketball teams. For more information call 305-284-8686 or online visit www.BankUnitedCenter.com. University of Central Florida Arena IF YOU BUILD IT... WHAT IS THE UCF CONVOCATION CENTER? THE FUTURE Ocean Center Volusia County Manager Jim Dineen and members of OCORP Inc., (the construction representative for the project) report that progress on this $75+ million expansion is moving right on schedule. “The county's relationship with OCORP has been an effective business partnership,” said Dineen, “I'm pleased that things are moving in the right direction.” Surrounding the Ocean Center are 16,000 hotel rooms located on or near the beach, entertainment, shopping, dining, attractions, and recreational activities, all within walking distance. Recreation choices include swimming, beachcombing, fishing, a family entertainment center with a water park, and a 10-screen cinema. The Ladies Professional Golf Association with two championship golf courses, and the United States Tennis Association with 24 clay hydro-courts are both only 15 minutes away. Year-round warm tropical breezes make this the perfect place to meet, any time of the year. Palm Beach County Convention Center MOST PBC GRADUATIONS ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE All in an effort to keep ceremonies running smoothly — and on time. Over the next week, all but a handful of the district's high schools will hold their graduation ceremonies in downtown West Palm Beach, attracting tens of thousands of people to one of the city's busiest corridors. Thirty-two of them are scheduled for the Palm Beach County Convention Center, In some
cases, the ceremonies are back-to-back-to-back, an effort by the school district to
graduate as many students in as short a time as possible. Some start as early as 8 a.m.
Some won't end until after 8 p.m. About 10,000 seniors are expected to bring tens of thousands of relatives and friends and several thousands of cars to graduation, tying up traffic during rush hour and causing a shortage of parking from morning to night. But with at least 3 1/2 hours between each ceremony, Pearson expects students and For Pearson, a former band director, the challenge of coordinating 25 of the district's graduations isn't keeping everything on schedule. He doesn't worry about that. It's being able to see them all. To do it, he'll also have to dart across Okeechobee Boulevard. But it's worth it, he said. "This is why we're in the business," he said. "To see them get to this point is very rewarding." 2007 FFMA Annual Meeting Conference Sponsors
FFMA Board of DirectorsLionel J. Dubay, President Rick Hamilton, Vice President Mickey Farrell, Secretary/Treasurer Mary Bensel, Immediate Past President Dave Anderson, Member-at-Large Judy Joseph, Member-at-Large Rose Rundle, Member-at-Large Mike LaPan, Past President Roger Englert, Past President Allen Johnson, Past President Ron Spencer, Past President Cherie Worley, Executive Director, FFMA Wayne Malaney, P.A., Florida Lobbyist, FFMA |
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