BSCAI President Jason Lee on Certifications, AI, and Culture in Cleaning

By Jake Meister, Managing Editor

In an interview with Managing Editor Jake Meister, newly elected BSCAI President Jason Lee emphasizes the growing importance of professional certifications, innovation, and employee culture in the building service contracting (BSC) industry.

Lee, who has spent more than 20 years in the industry and nearly 11 years leading his current company, highlights three key BSCAI credentials: the Cleaning Site Supervisor certification, Registered Building Service Manager (RBSM), and Certified Building Service Executive (CBSE). He says these certifications help contractors stand out in competitive bid environments while improving operational knowledge in areas such as finance, workload management, green cleaning, and company procedures.

Lee notes that earning his CBSE certification exposed gaps in his own business practices and led to meaningful policy improvements. He encourages BSCs to pursue certifications despite the time commitment, saying they ultimately make both leaders and companies stronger.

For facility managers, Lee stresses that working with credentialed contractors provides confidence in a company’s systems, infrastructure, and expertise. He believes certifications should become a standard part of bid evaluations.

Beyond credentials, Lee discusses industry challenges including labor shortages, automation, and AI adoption. He says successful companies are leveraging robotics, autonomous equipment, and AI tools while prioritizing employee training to increase buy-in and efficiency.

Lee also underscores the importance of empathy and workplace culture in employee retention. By understanding workers’ backgrounds, respecting cultural traditions, and genuinely caring for employees, contractors can improve retention and recruitment.

Closing the interview, Lee encourages all BSC professionals to become more involved in BSCAI, calling for fresh ideas and stronger industry participation.

Jake Meister is the Managing Editor for Trade Press Media Group's Cleaning Group of brands. He works on three magazines: Sanitary Maintenance, Contracting Profits, and Facility Cleaning Decisions, as well as on Cleanlink.com, the home of all three publications. Jake has over five years of experience covering the commercial cleaning industry as an employee of Trade Press Media Group, but also spent time as a freelance journalist for the company.
Jake has attended many commercial cleaning events where he enjoys connecting and networking with representatives from all corners of the industry. This often lays the groundwork for profile articles featured across the group. He excels at identifying outstanding individuals and/or programs that showcase the great things the commercial cleaning industry represents.
In addition to writing, Jake moderates many of CleanLink's educational webcasts, and he is the voice behind much of the social posts.

Follow Jake on LinkedIn here.

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posted on 6/4/2026