by Brianna Crandall — September 2, 2015—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is saddened to mark the passing of its first president and one of its original founders, George Graves, IFMA Fellow. Graves was an integral part of the birth of IFMA and the advancement of the FM profession. FMLink joins the association in mourning the loss of this highly regarded leader in the industry.
“We all strive to leave this world better off than we found it, and George Graves achieved this more fully than most,” commented IFMA president and CEO Tony Keane. “George’s legacy is everywhere around us, and while we will miss his influential presence, we will always be inspired by the lasting impression he left on those whose lives he enriched. The IFMA family has lost a founding father, and while no one can replace him, we can celebrate his life and accomplishments by continuing to advance the industry to which he was so devoted.”
Peter Kimmel, IFMA Fellow, publisher of FMLink and a principal of FM BENCHMARKING, a facilities management benchmarking firm, first met Graves when Kimmel was the founding president of IFMA’s Capital Chapter in Washington, DC. In the words of Kimmel, “George was not only one of the most influential figures in this profession, but a most amazing and wonderful, kind person. Without his passion and drive, IFMA would have had a difficult time getting off the ground. Even after retirement, George stayed involved, making sure that he came to IFMA’s World Workplace every year until he no longer was able. I will miss him.”
George Graves was born September 13, 1924, in Alfalfa, Louisiana. He served in World War II as a canine handler. After his service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and went to work for Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. in Shreveport, Louisiana.
In May 1980, Graves hosted a meeting in Houston, Texas, to establish a formal organizational base for a facility management association. By the end of the meeting, the National Facility Management Association (NFMA) had a constitution, bylaws, temporary offices and plans to expand nationally.
At the first NFMA meeting in October 1980, there were 47 participants — 25 were direct members of the association. The attendees from Houston helped establish the first chapter and committed to host the second annual national conference. Shortly after the 1981 conference, the name was changed to the International Facility Management Association to accommodate a growing Canadian membership.
In 1983, the first IFMA Awards of Excellence were handed out, and Graves received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was in the first class of prestigious IFMA Fellows (the highest honor bestowed upon association members) in 1992. In cooperation with the Houston Chapter, the IFMA Foundation created an endowed scholarship in Graves’ name in honor of his support of the FM profession.
Even after he moved on from IFMA, Graves still attended IFMA’s annual World Workplace conference and expo and kept close ties with IFMA staff and members. He frequently visited IFMA headquarters, bringing with him a box of chocolates for the office.
Graves is survived by his wife Joan Graves, his daughters Carolyn Graves and Jane Ellen Graves Voisard, and his son Michael Wade Graves.
In lieu of flowers, the Graves family has requested that donations be made to the George Graves Endowed Scholarship Fund, which awards deserving students studying the field of facilities management, through the IFMA Foundation Web site. Physical checks for scholarship donations can be mailed to the IFMA Foundation at 800 Gessner Road, Suite 900, Houston, Texas 77024. IFMA requests that “George Graves” be designated on the check or on a note.
Today, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is considered the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for FM professionals, supporting 24,000 members in 105 countries. The association’s members, represented in 134 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than U.S.$100 billion in products and services.
