New EFMA member profiles

Two new MeMbeRS join THe FaMily A spotlight of two new EFMA MEMbErs By TARyN RITTBERG

The ways in which the members of the Educational Facilities Managers’ Association of B.C. (EFMA) make it possible for students to learn in a safe and secure environment are innumerable. With a strong membership of facility managers across the province, the EFMA is more a community than association, providing members support and encouragement, and allowing members to source information from those with similar experience and knowledge. Here’s a look at two members who joined the family this year.

Don Lee Manager, Maintenance Services and Trades for SD#41 Don Lee was born and raised in “good old east Vancouver”, British Columbia. He graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in the electrical field, specializing in telecommunications. He is married and has two children who both attended public school in Burnaby and now are attending Simon Fraser University. Lee is proud to have called Burnaby his home for the past 20 years.

Lee spent the first half of his career in the high-tech private sector, and worked for a variety of companies including Nice Systems, Creo, Kodak GCG, and Honeywell Business Solutions. Initially, Lee worked in engineering, design, and production, eventually transitioning to a more managerial position later on in his career. Having spent two decades in the private high-tech sector, Lee decided to go back to school and complete the Sustainable Energy Management Advanced Certificate program at BCIT.

While Lee rejoined the private sector for a short time after completing the certificate program, he soon was afforded the opportunity to work with the Burnaby Facilities and Maintenance Department to manage the HVAC division. From there he created a policy to re-integrate and re-establish an internal HVAC team. Lee credits this opportunity to good timing and has since been with the Burnaby School District, where he is now one of the managers within the facility team and is responsible for the trades groups within the Burnaby school.

“I really enjoy going out and meeting the folks in our schools and doing our best to address any issues they have with their sites. There is a lot of satisfaction working with all the trades professionals to provide a consistent level of service to the schools and allowing the education staff to focus on teaching the kids in the best possible environment.”

Lee finds a great deal of satisfaction in having the opportunity to address schools’ issues and hopefully resolving any problems they have. Like most public sector organizations, Lee notes they are always trying to do more with less and to find ways to use taxpayer dollars in the best way possible. There are constant struggles with flat or decreasing budgets and increasing costs, which are difficult to overcome.

“With buildings continuing to age and the costs to maintain and repair continuing to escalate, it can become a frustrating situation,” says Lee.

In 2018 Lee joined the EFMA and attended his first EFMA conference this past June. He found that there was an outstanding amount of knowledge and a wealth of experience to help him with issues that sometimes felt solely his own. The EFMA provided “a whole world of support and expertise across the province that members can take advantage of”.

After working in both the private and public sectors, Lee has a unique view on the importance of jobs within the public field.

“I’m really happy to be back working in the education sector and proud to work for the Burnaby school district,” says Lee. “The ability to give something back and provide a service that makes a small difference is very satisfying.”

Justin Taylor Manager, Building Maintenance for SD#61 Justin Taylor was born on what he refers to with love as the “frozen tundra of Fort McMurray”. From playing road hockey and building forts in the woods, to ice hockey and sledding, Taylor fondly remembers his childhood years.

After moving to Edmonton for his postsecondary education, he returned home and eventually met his wife to be, Maegan, on a road trip to Vancouver Island to visit family. He now lives in Duncan

B.C. with his wife and four children,

Willow, Asa, William, and Jace.

Taylor started his career as a warehouse worker at a wholesale distributor of plumbing and other waterworks products in Fort McMurray. He was then promoted to counter sales, but recalls that sales just wasn’t what he was looking for. With a passion for building and working on projects, Taylor jumped at the opportunity when a friend offered him a plumbing apprenticeship. Four year later, he received his Red Seal Journeyman ticket and began working in the Alberta construction industry. Ten years after that, Taylor moved to Vancouver Island and began working for the School District #61, an opportunity he feels very lucky to have received. After a few years, Taylor was promoted to mechanical foreman,and then to assistant manager of building maintenance. He now holds the position of manager of building maintenance, a job which he feels honoured to have.

As the manager of building maintenance for SD#61, Taylor’s responsibilities include a vast array of facility oversight, ranging from electrical and HVAC maintenance to building structure and plumbing operation. Taylor is responsible for making sure district schools run smoothly without incident. In addition to these responsibilities, he also maintains the grounds surrounding district schools, maintaining the grass, pathways and roads on school property. While Taylor is new to the job,and knows he has a lot to learn, he also knows that he has an extremely talented and knowledgeable team assisting him, who he can lean on for advice and support.

There are many aspects of his job that Taylor enjoys, but two in particular stand out to him. One of which is he loves the people that he works with.

“It’s very rare to work in a place where every single person is trying to do things to the best of their ability, while at the same time do things better,” he says.

Even in the midst of introducing new technology, with the potential to cause chaos, employees rallied and embraced new changes and the organization improved as such. Taylor also appreciates that through his job, he gets to ensure that the taxpayer dollars that are allocated to his sector are used responsibly and as effectively as possible. He has encouraged the push for more transparency with all interest holders, and improved communication and collaboration throughout the entire organization. He is also proud of the quality of informed decisions when handling both large projects, as well as day-to-day maintenance.

It was just this year that Taylor became a member of the EFMA, when he was promoted to assistant manager of building maintenance, and he clearly holds this membership in high regard.

“Having access to [the] massive knowledge base which EFMA holds is priceless,” says Taylor. “Being able to send a communication out asking for advice on an issue and getting to tap into so many highly skilled and experienced people makes solving problems faster and more efficient.” n

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