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President's Message - Have A Passion

By John P. Morris, RMA President
Director of Operations, University of Colorado-Boulder

I have asked myself “how can I contribute as an RMA President”?  The thought that comes to mind is that I have a passion.  I have a passion for my department, for my university, for the facilities management profession, for higher education, for RMA and for APPA.

My passion drives me to be the best that I can be.  As with many of you, I find the effort and contribution I put forth to be both rewarding and fulfilling.  My passion is what I can offer to RMA.

As RMA President I hope to build on our organization’s strengths, and encourage membership involvement.  The following are a few of RMA’s strengths.

  1. Training opportunities – these are great opportunities to "sharpen your saw".

    1. Scholarships to the APPA Institute
    2. Scholarships to the APPA Professional Development Academy
    3. Funding support for the Supervisor Toolkit
    4. RMA Annual Educational Forums

  2. Comradeship – I have made many friends through my years with RMA and always look forward to interacting with my peers.  Through these friendships I have received mentoring (formal and informal), networking opportunities, and have learned more than I possibly could have on my own.

  3. Mentorship – The new 14ers Club is aimed at creating formal mentorship opportunities, although informal mentoring occurs on a regular basis. I continue to learn something new every time I interact with others from within our region.

  4. Networking – I have often been asked by my superiors to find out about what others are doing on various topics, and through my involvement with RMA I feel I can ask friends in the business for assistance. By sharing ideas with my peers I have found numerous opportunities to apply what I have learned.

  5. Partnerships – Competition is great on the football field, but in the facilities management arena we all need to partner together for our mutual success.

  6. We offer a continuum through your career - Early in your career, RMA provides value by providing training, networking and learning. Later in your career, RMA fulfills a need to share your wisdom and experience through mentoring.

  7. Overall - RMA is a conduit to transfer knowledge and wisdom, provides an opportunity for fellowship, and is a venue for melding the science and the art of facilities management.

As RMA President I would like to:

  1. Encourage involvement.

    1. Engage with your peers. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain personal enrichment and professional development.
    2. Participate in your professional organization’s leadership to ensure your needs are fulfilled.
    3. RMA can help you make connections in the profession and the region.
    4. Be open and welcoming to our new members.
    5. We are a volunteer organization and the success of RMA is a result of membership participation and leadership.

  2. Encourage support for our State and Student Chapters.

  3. Encourage participation in the new 14ers Club. The 14ers Club offers an excellent opportunity to recognize the successes and involvement of those in our region, and provides a format to encourage mentoring.

  4. Investigate additional opportunities to support training in our region. Other possibilities besides those already in place could include scholarships to attend RMA and APPA annual educational forums, or APPA certification preparatory courses.

  5. Continue to improve our website so that it is up to date, informative, technologically current, and meets the needs of multiple work force generations.

  6. Continue to encourage and seek partnerships that, with regional joint cooperation, could enhance opportunities for institutional benefits, such as grants or cooperative ventures.

  7. Continue to seek opportunities to attract and retain young professionals in order to enhance succession planning in our organization and our profession.

  8. Encourage APPA to continue to promote and actively send the message to those above us of the importance of investing in our campus facilities.

  9. Continue to support the APPA CFaR program in order that we all benefit from the professional talent that is abundant within our region and the organization.

I have a passion, and I am honored, as your president, to focus that passion for the benefit of RMA.