Facilities @ Management

2.8 My 40-Year Odyssey in Facilities Management

Phyllis Meng

My facility career spans over 40 years, and there have been many changes and perceptions of facilities during that time. I started out to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) but ended up “falling” into facilities which is a whole lot more interesting than sitting behind the desk working with numbers. When I fell into facilities, it was perceived as strap on the tool-belt. In some cases, facilities management is still perceived as maintenance rather than management.

When I graduated from high school in 1961, I wanted to be a CPA. At that time, females were not CPAs, but I am hard-headed so I went in that direction. Life took many twists and turns, I never made it to CPA but did make it to Certified Facility Manager (CFM) in 1993. I was one of the first to obtain my CFM when it was offered. The questionnaire was grueling because it asked about my education and experience in various facets of facilities management.

I was hired at the County of Ventura, California, where I recorded transactions in full sets of manual bookkeeping books. The department I worked in obtained and utilized CETA youth employment grants from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The county reported their financial results on a cash basis. But to request reimbursement funding form DOJ the reports had to be in the accrual reporting format. After years, I applied for a position of Inventory Control Clerk for the County. This position was to locate ...