Facility Rockstars

Jon Crandall, the Founder and Chief Visionary of JC Grounds Management, recently authored the book Snow Removal Solutions for Property Managers. He shares his extensive 20+ years of experience in the landscape and snow removal industry, emphasizing the importance of letting his team work autonomously for better results.  The discussion covers the inspiration behind his book, the challenges he face...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert sits down with John Bochman, Director of Facilities at Biomed Realty and VP of AFE Chapter 33. John reflects on his career journey, from facility coordinator to director, highlighting the importance of learning from failures, embracing accountability, and prioritizing effective communication. He shares key experiences, such as moving strainer...

In this week’s episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Andrew DelPrete, an experienced senior facility manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance and the new president of the Boston chapter of IFMA.  Andrew shares insights from his nearly two-decade career in leadership, facilities engineering, and project management, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, hard work, and learning fr...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews John Menard, the Founder of Trailblaze Bio. John shares his insights on the critical role networking played in launching his new company. He discusses the services offered by Trailblaze Bio, which focuses on providing tailored operational support, vendor management, and real estate solutions for small biotech firms. While acknowled...

With the new year right around the corner, we’re revisiting our very first episode of Facility Rockstars to reflect on our growth as a community and reshare some great insights from Eric D'Orio, CEO of Hansen Aerospace and Managing Director of Niche Industrials at Phenna Group Holdings. In this episode, Eric shares his valuable insights and experiences from the aerospace industry, highlighting key...

In this special episode of Facility Rockstars, we are celebrating 2024 by revisiting key moments and lessons from esteemed guests in the facilities management industry. The episode highlights insights from local leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers on the importance of building the right team, navigating challenges, simplifying processes, and prioritizing people over numbers. Key themes includ...

The week's episode is a continuation of our short-form interviews from our latest Facility Rockstar event. This episode features people from various professionals in the facility management and life sciences industries. They discuss their roles, challenges, favorite aspects of their jobs, and the importance of communication, listening, and relationship-building. The interview also touches on the F...

This week's special episode highlights interviews with Kaloutas and Avalon Bay employees. Jim Kaloutas shares his passion for his work and his career journey. Sam Luna and Justin Bendzewicz discuss their roles and responsibilities as project managers, while Lauren List, Jim's executive assistant, highlights the dynamic aspects of her position. Professionals such as Chris Fender, Tim Scarpa, Ryan C...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Kim Dougherty, an experienced operations professional. She shares her insights into the use of integrated ticketing systems in operations and facilities management. Kim discusses the challenges of working in environments where ticketing systems are siloed across different departments like IT, HR, and lab groups. She emphasizes the...

In this week's episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Pete Damiano, Vice President of Facilities and Engineering at Breakthrough Properties. They discuss the importance of effective communication and understanding different communication styles in both professional and personal contexts. Pete emphasizes the generational differences in communication methods and the significance...

In this week’s episode of Facility Rockstars, we’re joined by Jeffrey Houle, John Mullen, and Matt Twerdy from Collins Aerospace. The conversation explores key principles for building a successful and safe work environment, including fostering a culture of learning and trust, moving away from a blame-and-punish mentality, and prioritizing continuous safety improvements. The team shares practical i...

In the second part of this insightful episode series, we’re bringing back Matt and Sal, both of whom work for BlueBean and are former Navy SEALs. Matt and Sal discuss strategies to optimize team performance based on insights from Navy SEAL operations and business experiences. They emphasize the importance of stacking high performers in critical teams rather than spreading them thinly, thus maximiz...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews former Navy SEALs Sal DeFranco and Matt Anthony, who draw on their military experiences to discuss leadership, teamwork, and innovation.  They emphasize the importance of surrounding oneself with motivated and trustworthy team members to maintain focus on the mission. Matt highlights the value of taking bold, audacious steps and ov...

This week's episodes of Facility Rockstars features experts Harvey Handy, David Vansteenburgh, and Tony Burke! They discuss key aspects of facilities management, emphasizing the importance of communication, honesty, teamwork, and respect.  Key topics include technician training, planning and scheduling, team culture, cross-functional learning, building automation, asset management, and safety prot...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host, Jay Culbert interviews Paul Donhauser, Vice President of Global Real Estate Facilities Operations, Environment, Health, Safety, and Aviation at Boston Scientific. Paul shares insights from his 30-year career, highlighting the importance of embracing opportunities, building strong networks, and achieving success in various aspects of facilities managemen...

In this episode host Jay Culbert interviews Matthew Twerdy, Director of Environment, Health, and Safety at Collins Aerospace. With over 25 years of experience, Matt highlights the importance of humility and listening in leadership, discussing the 'HOP' (Human and Organizational Performance) philosophy. They cover HOP principles like human fallibility, the futility of blame, the importance of conte...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Drew Rees, the Director of Facilities at Dutch Bros Coffee. Drew shares his insights on servant leadership, emphasizing its true meaning of setting conditions for success rather than doing everything for others. He discusses his approach to facilities management, including prioritizing quality, speed, and pricing based on circumsta...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Mike Temple, Director of Facilities and Engineering at Recipharm. With over a decade of experience in biotech and pharma, Mike shares his journey from a young engineer to a thought leader who challenges norms in highly regulated industries. He emphasizes the importance of questioning standard practices, effective time management, a...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Ray Theberge, VP of Hub Office Installations. Ray shares key lessons from his experience as a facilities manager and one that stood out was that challenges are rarely unique, and seeking support from peers and mentors is invaluable. He emphasizes the importance of building a professional network for career growth, utilizing data to...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Curtis Moulton II, a Facility Engineering Manager at Pratt Whitney. They discuss the importance of effective communication in achieving team objectives and managing a large facility.  Curtis emphasizes the crucial role of listening to team members and fostering a collaborative environment. He shares insights about bridging communic...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Jeff Kaminski, an EH&S expert with 25 years of experience. Jeff shares insights from his career, including roles at Biogen and Sanofi, and his current position as Associate Director and Head of EH&S at EyePoint Pharmaceuticals.  He discusses key lessons learned, such as the value of diverse perspectives, effective communica...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Justin Frazier, a Senior Facilities Engineer at BAE Systems with a background as an Operations Manager in the U.S. Army. Justin shares his extensive experience in construction and facility management, emphasizing the importance of proactive communication, maintaining safety standards, and effective project management. He stresses t...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Bill Cherry, a project manager at Lawton Welding. Bill, with his extensive experience in the iron and steelworks industry, discusses the significance of open communication, meticulous planning, and early project involvement.  Bill highlighted the importance of minimizing facility downtime through precise task coordination, ensuring...

In this episode of 'Facility Rockstars,' host Jay Culbert interviews Cory Pouliot, Senior Facilities Manager at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Corey emphasizes the critical role of team collaboration in overcoming daily challenges in facility management across industries like healthcare and higher education.  He shares insights on his strategies for fostering open communication and empowering team m...

In this episode of Facility Rockstars , host Jay Culbert interviews Tim Romer, a manufacturing engineering manager with over 13 years of experience. Tim reveals his key takeaway from his career: the vital role of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. He stresses the importance of tackling weaknesses, leveraging strengths, and seeking guidance from mentors. Tim also talks about the benefits...