by Brianna Crandall — January 30, 2019 — The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and BOMI International, the Independent Institute for Property and Facility Management Education, have just announced plans to create a new “early-career” certification for commercial property managers and to partner together to produce and market online education for the commercial real estate industry. The announcement was made at BOMA International’s Winter Business Meeting in Miami on January 21.
The two organizations formed an independent certification institute to develop and administer a certification exam for early career commercial property managers, and entered into a separate partnership to jointly develop industry education to support the certification and other industry training needs. The certification and the first product offering under the new partnership will launch this summer.
According to BOMI Chair Howard Arndt, RPA, president and CEO of Fieldstone Management:
Over the past couple of years, BOMA and BOMI completed extensive research and industry outreach that confirm the need for early-career certification and timely, topical education. Our two new initiatives establish skill-competency standards that represent the voice and needs of the property management profession while supporting a coordinated business model for developing and delivering industry education.
BOMA International Chair and Chief Elected Officer Brian Cappelli, BOMA Fellow, RPA, vice president of Asset Management for GBX Group LLC, reports that the BOMA and BOMI boards have enthusiastically endorsed these initiatives and have committed financial and other resources to support the work, including an online learning platform. “This is a top priority for both organizations,” Cappelli remarked.
The certification exam addresses key knowledge, skills and abilities based on a competency model for property managers recently completed by BOMA and BOMI. The certification institute’s Board of Managers will oversee the certification program and is finalizing exam eligibility and other requirements. The online exam will be offered at testing centers throughout the US and internationally.
The second initiative, BOMA and BOMI’s education partnership, builds on a strong history of providing timely, high-quality education to commercial real estate professionals through BOMI’s designations and certificate programs and BOMA’s topical education on important industry issues and trends. Scheduled to be released this summer, the first program under the new partnership will prepare candidates for the new property management certification. Four additional learning products will follow over the next four to five years to support industry training needs and demands.
Courses will be delivered online through a career portal and learning platform, jointly supported by BOMA and BOMI. The two organizations will continue to produce and offer other education independently, including BOMI’s suite of designation and certificate programs and BOMA’s conferences and webinars, while taking advantages of opportunities to cooperate where it makes sense.
“We see this collaboration as a critical move for BOMA and BOMI as we respond strategically to changes in market demand for lifelong learning,” Cappelli noted. Arndt and Cappelli agree the new initiatives between the two organizations will result in greater efficiency in their operations, ensure competitive pricing and greatly improve speed-to-market, while enhancing the learner experience through online education.
To learn more about the new program, visit the BOMA or BOMI website.
BOMA International is a federation of 88 BOMA US associations and 18 international affiliates. Founded in 1907, BOMA represents the owners and managers of all commercial property types including nearly 10.5 billion square feet of US office space that supports 1.7 million jobs and contributes $234.9 billion to the US GOP. Its mission is to advance a vibrant commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence and knowledge.
The nonprofit BOMI International has provided critical education and expertise to industry personnel with property, facilities, and building systems management responsibilities since 1970. BOMI delivers courses, certificate programs, and industry-standard designations — Real Property Administrator (RPA), Facilities Management Administrator (FMA), Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA), High-Performance Sustainable Buildings (BOMI-HP), and Systems Maintenance Technician (SMT). More than 28,000 industry professionals are said to hold one or more BOMI designations, and over 90,000 property and FM professionals have utilized the education or training programs.
