Message from the president of EFMA, Rick Delorme

As we start another year, I would like to thank the membership for giving me the opportunity to be president of EFMA. EFMA is an association of hardworking, dedicated, and highly skilled professionals whose sole purpose is to make educational facilities efficient, safe, and fun. The amount of knowledge and expertise within our association is outstanding and the sharing of that knowledge is a big part of what this organization is all about.

My career has taken many turns as I have been in maintenance for over 39 years and have been working for School District #42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows as the director of maintenance for the last 13. I originally came from private industry starting in pulp and paper as an instrument mechanic. I then moved to the petrochemical industry where I was an instrument/electrical technician, then as a coordinator. Following that, I worked as an electronic technologist for a large grain terminal before moving back to pulp and paper as an instrumentation foreman and then became the instrument-electrical superintendent. I then took on the role of maintenance superintendent-project manager for a large wood manufacturing company for 10 years in three different mills, the last being a total rebuild. If someone had told me when I graduated from college that I would eventually be working in a school district I would not have believed it. In saying that, I have to say that these last 13 years have been some of the most rewarding and challenging times in my career, and EFMA has been a big part of that.

This association is all about its membership and support of each other. When I started in the school district, EFMA was there to support me and help guide me as my learning curve was straight up. The interaction with other members and the Ministry of Education has been a key to my success. I encourage every member to get involved in the association, the zone meetings, the conference, the executive, and the professional development sessions we put on. We now have over 39 new members and it is important that we support them in their new roles.

This year’s theme for the conference is “Pride and Excellence – Raising the Bar”. I believe this theme represents what our members are all about. We take pride in our work, we strive to excel, and we are continuously looking for a better way to do things. We recently finished a new elementary school in our district, and as I watched the students and staff enter the building for the first time I was overwhelmed by the excitement and positive comments. It made the long days and hard work all worthwhile. It is a beautiful facility and I don’t know how I will top it, but I will try.

I look forward to working with you all in the coming months, and remember, this association is for you, so please get involved and let us know what you need and how we can help you. n