James P. Whittaker

Jim Whittaker is President and CEO of Facility Engineering Associates (FEA) a firm specializing in total asset management of facilities. Mr. Whittaker’s specialization is in the optimization and measurement of facility management (FM) operations and maintenance of high-performance facilities. During his 25 years in the facilities industry, Jim has managed hundreds of facility management consulting projects throughout the United States, in the UK, and Central and South America. He has both bachelor and master’s degrees in engineering and is a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania, state of Maryland, and the District of Columbia. He is credentialed through IFMA and APPA as a certified facility manager (CFM) and certified educational facilities professional (CEFP), respectively. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS) and a member of ASHRAE, ASCE, ASHE, ASTD, IFMA, and APPA.

Mr. Whittaker is an accomplished speaker and author of dozens of journal articles, white papers, and book contributions on critical issues facing the facility management profession. He has served as a subject matter expert in the development of IFMA’s FMP Learning System and teaches courses in IFMA’s Professional Development program, the APPA Institute, and in George Mason University’s (GMU) Facility Management program. His subject matter teaching experience includes: facilities O&M, FM technologies, building systems and technologies, project management, real estate management, leadership and strategy, and codes and regulations for FMs.

Mr. Whittaker is currently 1st Vice Chair of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). In 2011 he was also appointed to the National Academies of Sciences’ National Research Council Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (BICE). He is currently Chair of the ANSI US/TAG for the ISO TC/267 FM Standard. He also serves on the BYU F&PM program Industry Advisory Committee, the U.S. Department of State OBO Industry Advisory Group, and served on the Board of Directors of APPA Professional Certification Board.