Facility Voices

In this episode of Facility Voices , David Pettit, Director of Facilities for Joplin Schools, shares the career journey that took him from district carpenter to facilities leader over more than three decades of service. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of supporting a growing school district before recounting the events of the devastating 2011 EF5 tornado that forever changed Joplin. Davi...

In this episode of Facility Voices , David Trask sits down with Skip Vaughn, Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management at American University, to explore a career that spans construction, military service, federal facilities, and higher education. From starting on construction sites alongside his father to serving as a Coast Guard civil engineer and leading facilities operations for organi...

In this episode of Facility Voices , David Trask sits down with Dave Lubach, Chief Editor for Facilities at Trade Press Media Group, to explore the trends shaping the future of facilities management. Drawing from conversations with facility leaders across industries, Dave shares insights into the workforce challenges facing the profession, the growing demand for skilled trades, and the importance...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with Samantha Green, Director of Operations and Systems at Baylor School, to discuss her unconventional journey from classroom teacher to facilities and operations leader. A Baylor alumna with a deep connection to the institution, Samantha shares how her passion for education evolved into a mission to improve the systems and infrastructure...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with Brian Miller, Director of Facilities at the Mariners’ Museum, to discuss his unique journey from a 24-year career in the U.S. Navy to leading facilities operations for one of the nation’s premier maritime museums. Drawing on his experience in the submarine force and overseeing complex shipyard work on nuclear vessels, Brian shares how...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with Trey Adams, Director of Physical Plant at the Southern College of Optometry, to talk about the lessons learned from a career built in the electrical trade and shaped through years in facilities management. Trey shares how his background running service trucks and troubleshooting in the field prepared him for the people-first side of fa...

Andrew Williams, Director of Facilities Management at University of South Alabama Health, joins Facility Voices to share his journey from biomedical technician to healthcare facilities leader. In this episode, Andrew reflects on how hands-on technical experience and years of operational growth prepared him to step into a leadership role overseeing a large and complex healthcare environment. He dis...

In this episode of Facility Voices , Yanet Vega, Director of Facilities and Environmental Services at El Rio Health, shares a deeply personal and determined journey into facilities management. From growing up in Los Angeles to moving to Arizona as a single mother, Yanet carved her path through architecture school with relentless focus, balancing long commutes, late nights, and hands-on learning ex...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask welcomes Kevin Buckles, Manager of Facilities Engineering at Cook Medical, for a conversation grounded in hands-on experience and a passion for continuous improvement. Kevin shares how his journey began in a high school trades program, building a home from the ground up, and evolved through roles across multiple manufacturing industries before landin...

In this episode of Facility Voices, Kevin Fernandes, Director of Facilities at Seasons Corner Market, shares his journey from apprentice plumber to leading a multi-state facilities operation. Kevin reflects on how hands-on experience in the trades shaped his problem-solving mindset and opened doors to leadership roles across maintenance and property management. Now overseeing a growing portfolio a...

Albert Kahalehoi II, Vice President of Facilities and Engineering at Pechanga Resort and Casino, joins the Facility Voices conversation to share a journey shaped by culture, service, and hands-on experience. From his upbringing in Hawaii, where the Aloha spirit instilled values of respect and humility, to his early days in the U.S. Army and technical training in electrical engineering, Albert’s pa...

In this episode of Facility Voices , Ben Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Systems Support Services Facilities at AdventHealth, reflects on a career that began in the skilled trades and evolved into leading large-scale healthcare facility initiatives. With nearly three decades of experience spanning electrical work, building automation, and energy management, Ben brings a grounded, practical lens...

In this episode of Facility Voices , Geoff Kilbourn, Regional Area Maintenance Manager at CBRE, reflects on a career built through experience, resilience, and a people-first approach to leadership. Starting from hands-on construction work and evolving into leadership roles across athletic facilities, county operations, and large-scale commercial environments, Geoff’s journey highlights the many pa...

David Trask marks a major milestone for Facility Voices with the podcast’s 100th episode, featuring a conversation with two respected voices in the facilities management community: Kim Jackson, Executive Director of Business Development at IFMA, and Jeff Williams, Principal Owner of GDW Facility Management Consulting. Kim reflects on more than two decades at IFMA and how her career has been shaped...

In this episode of Facility Voices , host David Trask sits down with Greg Christensen, host of the CMMS Radio podcast and a longtime voice in the maintenance and reliability community. Greg shares his journey from working alongside building engineers and facilities teams to entering the computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) space in the early 2000s. After helping grow and eventually...

On this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with Robin Cowie, Chief Executive Officer of Skillmaker, to explore how immersive technology is reshaping the future of skilled trades. Robin’s journey begins in South Africa, where his father, an industrial psychologist, used film to train gold miners who couldn’t read or write—an early lesson in meeting people where they are. That philoso...

On this episode of Facility Voices, host David Trask sits down with Geoffrey Boss, Director of Property Management at Carnegie Management and Development, to explore a facilities career shaped by adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn on the job. Geoffrey’s path into facilities management wasn’t linear. With undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, he began his career far fro...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with Jeff O’Neill, Vice President of Plant Operations at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, for a thoughtful conversation about bridging design and operations in complex healthcare environments. An architect by training, Jeff began his career at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before moving into healthcare consulting and later...

In this episode of Facility Voices, host David Trask speaks with Burke Jones, Director of Operations at Derby Public Schools, about a professional journey that moves from architecture into the realities of school operations. After more than 26 years in design, Burke explains what drew him to K–12 facilities leadership and how his architectural background helps him think strategically about mainten...

In this episode of Facility Voices , Eric Krause, Director of Regional Facilities Hospital Operations at Allina Health, shares a career journey that began in the trades and grew into system-level leadership. Eric reflects on starting as a plumber, building deep hands-on experience in healthcare environments, and how that foundation continues to shape his approach to facilities operations today. Th...

In this episode of Facility Voices , the conversation turns to sustainability, resilience, and innovation in healthcare facilities with Richie Stever, Vice President of Real Estate and Construction at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Richie’s career path into facilities management is anything but traditional, moving from finance to hands-on HVAC work before stepping into leadership roles...

In this episode of Facility Voices , Brian Dodge, Director of Facilities at Scottsdale Community College, shares a career journey shaped by planning, mentorship, and a willingness to embrace change. Brian didn’t enter facilities management through the traditional trades path. Instead, his experience spans military service, construction, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles that taught him the va...

In this episode of Facility Voices , David Trask sits down with Stephen F. James , founder and principal of Digital Facilities Corporation , to explore the often-overlooked world of roof management and why it plays such a critical role in an organization’s long-term success. Stephen traces his journey from leading a thermoplastic roofing division to launching Digital Facilities in 2002, where he b...

In this episode of Facility Voices , David Trask sits down with Charlie Thiel, Chief Revenue Officer at IOTACOM, for a candid conversation about how sensor technology is reshaping the daily reality of facilities teams. Charlie shares his wide-ranging career journey—from years in security technology to consulting across North America—and explains how those experiences led him to IOTACOM’s mission o...

In this episode of Facility Voices, David Trask sits down with John D’Angelo, Vice President of Capital Planning and Facilities at Indiana University, to explore the real challenges and opportunities behind an effective preventive maintenance program. John reflects on his career journey—from two decades as a U.S. Naval officer to leading facilities at Cleveland Clinic, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northw...