FM SPOTLIGHT

Colleen Teears

Colleen is currently Vice President and prior to that Co-Chair of the Sponsorship committee for IFMA Philadelphia. Colleen has been a CFM for over ten years and been active with IFMA Philly for the last 10 years. Colleen has also been involved in the planning of the 2019 Holiday Party and helps with the Annual Golf event.

Colleen currently is a Senior Vice President for Radian Group Inc overseeing Facility Management, Safety, Security and Resilience  (Business Continuity), and  Data Center Infrastructure,  Colleen has been with Radian for 25 years. Colleen has sat on many residential boards for home owner associations.

How did you get into Facility Management?
As most old-time facility managers know, back in the day you didn’t select to be in facilities management.  Somewhere in the organization someone saw a need for something as simple as calling someone in to fix the HVAC and they asked me to do it.  I did it!  Did it well! And, POOF, I was now the facility manager.  Then along the way, others saw needs that didn’t have a place in the organization and said “Hey, Let’s give it to Colleen!”.  And so, my 40-year career in facilities management and corporate real estate began.

What is your greatest success story?
Let me start out by saying that I have had the most wonderful time meeting so many great people in all walks of life and careers.  I have become lifelong friends with these people and can’t imagine that this 40-year journey could have been any better without each of them.  I have learned so much along the way.  I probably shouldn’t, but I do consider myself an architect, engineer, designer, psychologist, disciplinarian, teacher, public speaker, judge, jury and so on and so forth.  In this line of work you do it all and if you do it well, your successes will be many.

Tell us about a favorite project.
I have three favorite projects that I worked on during my career.  My first, and we are going wayyyy back, was when Meridian Bank installed the first ATM machine in a Giant food store in Exton.  I don’t recall many of the details, but I do remember thinking, OMG, you can get money from a machine!  My second favorite project was the relocation of the Meridian employees whose offices were destroyed during the Meridian Building fire.  (by the way, for those that didn’t know, Meridian did not own that building, they were one of the largest tenants and we negotiated the rights to have our name on the building). Over one weekend, my team and I set up new space for some of the employees who were displaced.  They were able to come into the Wayne PA office and work without skipping a beat.  Since they were used to working in the city, and would now be in the suburbs, we even had maps prepared for them of local restaurants, bus routes, shopping and coupons to local restaurants.  This was a huge undertaking but went smoothly because of the team I had in place.  The last and probably my favorite was the Radian relocation project from 1601 to 1500 Market Street.  That was 5 years in the making.  We started with site selection and then went on to space planning and design to furniture selection to artwork and then build.  I had the best in the business internal and external associates.  We moved 150,000 square feet in record time without skipping a beat.  Our employees loved the new space, and we received the Philadelphia Business Journals “Coolest Places to Work!”

What is something that most people do not know about you?
What is something that most people don’t know about me…. Hmmm… I’m pretty much an open book so I would be surprised if people didn’t know everything about me.  I have travelled extensively and have been to all but four states… Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Mexico.  I have been to eight Caribbean Islands and 4 countries.  I love to spend time with my children and all seven of my grandsons (no granddaughters yet)!  I love music and dancing and love being around people!

What learning experience would you pass onto future FM’s?
My final parting words to all the new FM’s out there is this… Due to COVID, Facility managers are now being recognized as essential to organizations.  Management didn’t stop to think how the HVAC systems were working,  or if people had a place to work, or guests were greeted properly or if the groundskeeper showed up and cut the grass.  They knew it was taken care of and didn’t give it a passing thought.  Over the last 2 years we have shown them that FM’s are more than supplies, equipment and keeping the lights on.  They are a critical part of the new work from home environment and helped their companies successfully transfer from in office to virtual.  Us old FM’s have laid the path for you all.  Now, go out there and make us proud and remember this –   Always be willing to accept new opportunities and challenges and take on not just the fun stuff but the tedious work too!  It will help you stay balanced and appreciative.

All the best my fellow Facility Managers

FM SPOTLIGHT

Colleen Teears

Colleen is currently Vice President and prior to that Co-Chair of the Sponsorship committee for IFMA Philadelphia. Colleen has been a CFM for over ten years and been active with IFMA Philly for the last 10 years. Colleen has also been involved in the planning of the 2019 Holiday Party and helps with the Annual Golf event.

Colleen currently is a Senior Vice President for Radian Group Inc overseeing Facility Management, Safety, Security and Resilience  (Business Continuity), and  Data Center Infrastructure,  Colleen has been with Radian for 25 years. Colleen has sat on many residential boards for home owner associations.

How did you get into Facility Management?
As most old-time facility managers know, back in the day you didn’t select to be in facilities management.  Somewhere in the organization someone saw a need for something as simple as calling someone in to fix the HVAC and they asked me to do it.  I did it!  Did it well! And, POOF, I was now the facility manager.  Then along the way, others saw needs that didn’t have a place in the organization and said “Hey, Let’s give it to Colleen!”.  And so, my 40-year career in facilities management and corporate real estate began.

What is your greatest success story?
Let me start out by saying that I have had the most wonderful time meeting so many great people in all walks of life and careers.  I have become lifelong friends with these people and can’t imagine that this 40-year journey could have been any better without each of them.  I have learned so much along the way.  I probably shouldn’t, but I do consider myself an architect, engineer, designer, psychologist, disciplinarian, teacher, public speaker, judge, jury and so on and so forth.  In this line of work you do it all and if you do it well, your successes will be many.

Tell us about a favorite project.
I have three favorite projects that I worked on during my career.  My first, and we are going wayyyy back, was when Meridian Bank installed the first ATM machine in a Giant food store in Exton.  I don’t recall many of the details, but I do remember thinking, OMG, you can get money from a machine!  My second favorite project was the relocation of the Meridian employees whose offices were destroyed during the Meridian Building fire.  (by the way, for those that didn’t know, Meridian did not own that building, they were one of the largest tenants and we negotiated the rights to have our name on the building). Over one weekend, my team and I set up new space for some of the employees who were displaced.  They were able to come into the Wayne PA office and work without skipping a beat.  Since they were used to working in the city, and would now be in the suburbs, we even had maps prepared for them of local restaurants, bus routes, shopping and coupons to local restaurants.  This was a huge undertaking but went smoothly because of the team I had in place.  The last and probably my favorite was the Radian relocation project from 1601 to 1500 Market Street.  That was 5 years in the making.  We started with site selection and then went on to space planning and design to furniture selection to artwork and then build.  I had the best in the business internal and external associates.  We moved 150,000 square feet in record time without skipping a beat.  Our employees loved the new space, and we received the Philadelphia Business Journals “Coolest Places to Work!”

What is something that most people do not know about you?
What is something that most people don’t know about me…. Hmmm… I’m pretty much an open book so I would be surprised if people didn’t know everything about me.  I have travelled extensively and have been to all but four states… Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Mexico.  I have been to eight Caribbean Islands and 4 countries.  I love to spend time with my children and all seven of my grandsons (no granddaughters yet)!  I love music and dancing and love being around people!

What learning experience would you pass onto future FM’s?
My final parting words to all the new FM’s out there is this… Due to COVID, Facility managers are now being recognized as essential to organizations.  Management didn’t stop to think how the HVAC systems were working,  or if people had a place to work, or guests were greeted properly or if the groundskeeper showed up and cut the grass.  They knew it was taken care of and didn’t give it a passing thought.  Over the last 2 years we have shown them that FM’s are more than supplies, equipment and keeping the lights on.  They are a critical part of the new work from home environment and helped their companies successfully transfer from in office to virtual.  Us old FM’s have laid the path for you all.  Now, go out there and make us proud and remember this –   Always be willing to accept new opportunities and challenges and take on not just the fun stuff but the tedious work too!  It will help you stay balanced and appreciative.

All the best my fellow Facility Managers

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