UC Irvine Extension Participates In Southern California Facilities Expo On May 15-16

IRVINE, Calif., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- University of California, Irvine Extension announces the school's participation in the upcoming Southern California Facilities Expo on May 15 and 16 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. The school will have an exhibit booth (#117) at this broad-based facilities event that emphasizes green buildings management. Among the break-out sessions is a presentation by UC Irvine Extension course instructor, Phyllis Meng, B.S., CFM, International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Fellow, on the subject of evaluating sustainable products. The session will take place on May 15 from 11 a.m. to noon.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130215/LA60869LOGO)

"Connecting with facilities experts and learning about industry advancements is a great educational opportunity for facilities management professionals. It also allows us to grow our program content to meet the evolving educational needs of our students," said Dave Dimas, Ph.D., director of engineering, sciences, and information technology at UC Irvine Extension. "Expo attendees interested in further professional development opportunities or a new career in facilities management will be able to speak to UC Irvine Extension representatives about the UC Irvine Extension Facilities Management Certificate Program."

The conference sessions provide an outstanding platform for sharing and disseminating current trends influencing the field of facilities management. Conference session presenter and UC Irvine Extension course instructor, Meng will share how to evaluate the sustainability of products, calculate cost-benefit analysis, and determine the expense of running a sustainable organization. Through simple capital budgeting techniques such as payback and return on investment, participants will learn to ensure that products and services are truly sustainable.

Meng has more than 25 years of experience in facilities management and is the deputy executive officer of general services for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In addition to managing the 28 story high-rise, Meng also oversees the agency's records, library, mail service, and copy center. Meng has led many workshops and courses in finance, and her award-winning articles have been published in various facilities magazines. Her involvement in the local IFMA chapter, Public Sector Council, IFMA Foundation, and IFMA Board of Directors has brought her many honors and provided unique insight and experiences for her to share with others.

"With the new trend of utilizing environmentally friendly products or services, it's important that facilities managers are educated on obtaining products for their buildings that are actually sustainable," said Meng. "The Facilities Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine Extension equips facility management professionals with the tools necessary to make confident and strategic decisions not only related to sustainability but on all aspects of facilities management for their organization."

UC Irvine Extension provides a unique industry-leading certificate program in facilities management. The program furthers the understanding of this diverse field with an innovative series of courses focusing on design and management of facilities, from concept to installation, to long-term efficient use. To learn more about the program, visit http://unex.uci.edu/certificates/facilities/facilities_mgmt/.

The first 20 conference attendees to stop by UC Irvine Extension's booth (#117) will receive a free lunch cooler. For more information on the expo, visit http://facilitiesexpo.com/FESC/.

About UC Irvine Extension: University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine. Through thousands of courses and programs offered on campus, online and on site, UC Irvine Extension helps adult learners reach their career advancement and personal enrichment goals by providing universally accessible, university-level learning to local, regional, and global communities. Learn more at extension.uci.edu, or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/uciextension.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County's largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit www.today.uci.edu. 

Contact: Vivian C. Slater, +1-714-573-0899 ext. 235, [email protected]

SOURCE University of California, Irvine Extension