How to Drive Transformation in Facility Operations

Creating healthier, more sustainable schools and colleges through best-in-class facilities management requires a couple things. It involves having the right tools and technologies, but it also requires cultivating people who can drive transformation and strategically align with the regulatory, voluntary, and institutional structures that shape facilities work. 

To drive impact and create real change, institutions need a network of change champions who can sustain momentum and drive progress at every level. This involves having a top-down and bottom-up strategy aimed at not only implementing new policies, procedures, and activities, but also shifting the overall culture to drive adoption and acceptance of change initiatives.   

Change doesn’t happen just because leaders announce it. It happens because people step up to motivate their peers, translate vision into action, and keep momentum alive. Real progress is achieved when individuals at all levels of facilities management embrace roles as “Change Champions.”  

In the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC) Program, three distinct types of Change Champions are explored and cultivated as part of the process. 

1. Visionary Leaders. Senior leaders who set strategic direction and provide resources for change. They bring legitimacy to an effort, and they need proof from the ground that their vision is real. 

2. Operational Influencers. Mid-level managers who connect big-picture goals with day-to-day operations. They bridge the gap between strategy and practice and know what’s realistic and how to help people adopt new ways of working. 

3. Implementers. Ground-level doers who track execution, manage details, and follow through. They’re the ones who make sure the work actually gets done.  

These Change Champions are critical to the success of initiatives for three key reasons. 

1. Facilitate Peer-to-Peer Influence and Support. Change Champions play a crucial role in influencing their peers. They serve as role models and sources of inspiration for their colleagues. Change Champions can also provide peer-to-peer support, offer guidance and share their experiences and strategies for adapting to the new changes.  

2. Enhance Communication and Understanding. Change Champions can act as vital communicators between the school leadership and the staff. They help to convey the vision, goals, and details of the change initiative clearly.  

3. Build Momentum and Sustain Engagement. Change Champions help maintain momentum and enthusiasm for the change initiatives. They can be a role model in celebrating small victories, encouraging participation, and keeping the conversation about the change alive. Their ongoing commitment helps to keep the energy and focus on the initiative, which is essential for its long-term success. 

Las Vegas’ Champion 

Every initiative needs a mix of champions, each with a different role to play and different strengths. HGSC Program participants engage Change Champions in each of these roles who are helping to facilitate innovation and change at their institutions.  

One of the nation’s largest school districts, Clark County in Las Vegas is an HGSC Program Participant that demonstrates how visionary leadership can lead to the type of transformative change that reflects a district’s deep commitment to ensuring a healthy learning environment for all its students, teachers, and staff. 

Lori Olson-Arzaga, Clark County’s Director of Environmental Services, led the charge in Clark County becoming the first public school district in the nation to earn the UL-SafeTraces Verified Ventilation & Filtration mark for seven of the district’s Transformation Network schools. This UL program is an annual performance-based assessment and rating program for pathogen protection provided by HVAC and air cleaning systems. 

Clark County’s experience illustrates how a Change Champion’s forward-looking leadership can transform a district’s operational practices into a powerful driver of student and staff well-being.  

Influence in California 

When the University California - Riverside faced the task of opening three major facilities and a new garden in just days, Aaron Uresti, Assistant Director of Custodial Services a d Resource Management, played a pivotal role in ensuring success through operational influence. He anticipated long-term operational needs by influencing building design choices, and advocating for low-maintenance finishes that reduce future custodial burdens. At the same time, he responded to the immediate challenge by spearheading the largest custodial hiring effort in three years, adding seven new team members to cover more than 160,000 square feet of additional space. 

Beyond his own department, Uresti demonstrated the power of cross-functional influence and leadership. He coordinated with access control, electrical, landscaping, and safety teams to align efforts under tight deadlines, enabling the facilities to open on time and ready for use. His ability to balance urgent demands with forward-looking strategy showcases how operational influencers are critical to a successful change initiative, shaping both day-to-day execution and achievement of strategic priorities. 

Implementation at CPS 

Rebecca Belvisi, PMO Project Manager at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), was instrumental in the district’s achievement of gold certification under the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Standard. While the recognition highlights CPS’s commitment to healthier, more sustainable facilities, the milestone is also a testament to Belvisi’s hands-on leadership. She is not only a planner but the person ensuring that what gets mapped out on paper is executed with precision. 

Throughout CPS’ pursuit of HGSC Certification, Belvisi’s effectiveness was in her ability to marry vision with rigorous follow-through. Her day-to-day work toward HGSC certification involved building structure and consistency into how the district manages facilities through standard operating procedure development, tracking deliverables, managing timelines, and holding colleagues accountable. This could look like chasing down missing information, clarifying details others might overlook, or ensuring no step in the process slipped through the cracks. This level of discipline and persistence was critical to aligning multiple stakeholders and meeting the high bar set by the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Standard.  

Transforming facility operations and maintenance into a catalyst for healthier, greener schools and colleges is not only about policies or equipment. It’s ultimately about the people. Real change depends on leaders who can set a bold vision, influencers who can connect strategy to daily practice, and implementers who ensure no detail is left undone. When institutions cultivate and empower Change Champions at every level, they create a culture where transformation is possible.  

Sara Porter serves as both the Vice President of External Affairs at Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) and the director of Healthy Green Schools & Colleges, a program that helps K12 and higher education institutions identify and implement low- and no-cost measures that promote healthy environments.