Les is currently an Assistant Vice President and Facilities Manager with Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union in Chadds Ford, Pa. He has over 30 years of experience in the Facilities field. In his career, Les has provided leadership and Facilities skills to various fields including senior living facilities, apartment complexes, residential facilities for adjudicated youths, and currently for financial institutions.
Les has achieved the CFM, FMP, and SFP certifications from IFMA within the past two years. He is also on course to acquire the PMP designation from PMI.
Les has lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for close to 50 years. Spending time in Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware counties. He is a lifelong Pittsburgh sports fan and loves to travel and spend time with his wife and four children.
How did I get into Facility Management?
I kind of fell into the world of facilities. I had always done handyman work on the side, then one day an opportunity came up and I said, “why not?” I started at the bottom and worked my way up the ladder so to speak.
Tell us about a favorite project.
Years ago, I worked in the healthcare field and helped open a new senior living community. It was the first time that I was really able to sink my teeth into project management and see how things are run on the construction side of facilities. I’d say that was the most rewarding project, but anything that I work on now in my current field is much more beneficial.
What is your greatest success story?
I’d have to say coming from “ground zero” in facilities and working my way up to where I am now, working for a fantastic company, and achieving my Certified Facility Manager certification from IFMA. That last one was always a personal goal of mine.
Tell us about a challenge or obstacle that you faced in the Facilities field and how you overcame it.
I’m going to paint with a broad brush here. Meeting project deadlines. Everyone knows what it’s like when a project is delayed (for whatever reason) and, for example, a location cannot open on time. This leads to lost revenue, stakeholders being upset, etc. I’ve dealt with this quite a few times in my career. The best way to overcome this issue is to have a great support team…whether that’s your coworkers or vendors and also to make sure to communicate constantly. This is invaluable information and has helped me many times in the past. Being up front and honest in your communications with stakeholders is vital.
What is something that most people do not know about you?
I am an avid horror movie and audiobook fan. Horror movies are exhilarating. There is nothing like getting that skin crawling feeling when you’re watching a really good one. Audiobooks are great too. One of my favorite activities is taking long walks with my son while listening to a good book.
What learning experience would you pass onto future FM’s?
I touched on this previously, but have a great support system in place. Having a good and reliable assistant is so incredibly helpful to your sanity. The other thing is to communicate, communicate, COMMUNICATE! It is always better to over communicate than under communicate. No matter what the issue is.
Les is currently an Assistant Vice President and Facilities Manager with Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union in Chadds Ford, Pa. He has over 30 years of experience in the Facilities field. In his career, Les has provided leadership and Facilities skills to various fields including senior living facilities, apartment complexes, residential facilities for adjudicated youths, and currently for financial institutions.
Les has achieved the CFM, FMP, and SFP certifications from IFMA within the past two years. He is also on course to acquire the PMP designation from PMI.
Les has lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for close to 50 years. Spending time in Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware counties. He is a lifelong Pittsburgh sports fan and loves to travel and spend time with his wife and four children.
How did I get into Facility Management?
I kind of fell into the world of facilities. I had always done handyman work on the side, then one day an opportunity came up and I said, “why not?” I started at the bottom and worked my way up the ladder so to speak.
Tell us about a favorite project.
Years ago, I worked in the healthcare field and helped open a new senior living community. It was the first time that I was really able to sink my teeth into project management and see how things are run on the construction side of facilities. I’d say that was the most rewarding project, but anything that I work on now in my current field is much more beneficial.
What is your greatest success story?
I’d have to say coming from “ground zero” in facilities and working my way up to where I am now, working for a fantastic company, and achieving my Certified Facility Manager certification from IFMA. That last one was always a personal goal of mine.
Tell us about a challenge or obstacle that you faced in the Facilities field and how you overcame it.
I’m going to paint with a broad brush here. Meeting project deadlines. Everyone knows what it’s like when a project is delayed (for whatever reason) and, for example, a location cannot open on time. This leads to lost revenue, stakeholders being upset, etc. I’ve dealt with this quite a few times in my career. The best way to overcome this issue is to have a great support team…whether that’s your coworkers or vendors and also to make sure to communicate constantly. This is invaluable information and has helped me many times in the past. Being up front and honest in your communications with stakeholders is vital.
What is something that most people do not know about you?
I am an avid horror movie and audiobook fan. Horror movies are exhilarating. There is nothing like getting that skin crawling feeling when you’re watching a really good one. Audiobooks are great too. One of my favorite activities is taking long walks with my son while listening to a good book.
What learning experience would you pass onto future FM’s?
I touched on this previously, but have a great support system in place. Having a good and reliable assistant is so incredibly helpful to your sanity. The other thing is to communicate, communicate, COMMUNICATE! It is always better to over communicate than under communicate. No matter what the issue is.
IFMA Philly Newsletter Spring 2025 Upcoming Events, Past Event Highlights, New Members, and much, much more! Click on the image below to view newsletter.
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IFMA Philly Newsletter Fall 2024 Past Event Highlights, Upcoming Events, Learning Opportunities, FM Spotlight Highlights, and much, much more! Click on image to view newsletter!
