IFMA Welcomes Global Board of Directors

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is pleased to announce the member-elected Executive Committee and appointees to the Global Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Luis R. Viña began his term as Board Chair on July 1, 2026. He was joined by First Vice Chair Wayne Whitzell and Second Vice Chair Nick Heibein. Members of the Executive Committee serve one-year terms.

“Luis has spent years influencing the facility management industry in Latin America, raising awareness, growth, and collaboration,” says IFMA President and CEO Michael V. Geary. “His global experiences will help IFMA continue to connect professionals and further our ability to guide our members to be positive forces for the organizations and people they serve.”

Viña, a native of Madrid, has lived in Mexico City since 2013. He has an MBA, as well as degrees in philosophy and theology. He has built his career around real estate, integrated facility management, and workplace services for global portfolios. Viña has served on IFMA’s Global Board of Directors since 2022 and was the Second Vice Chair in 2024 before becoming First Vice Chair in 2025. Since 2019, he has participated in IFMA’s development in Latin America through a variety of initiatives.
 
“I am very grateful to IFMA’s membership and Global Board of Directors for entrusting me with the leadership of the association for the 2026-2027 term,” shares Viña. “IFMA has come a long way since 1980. We want our association to continue being the North Star, pointing the way for leaders and professionals in the built environment across the globe for the next 45 years. How do we lead in a fast-paced, AI-enhanced world? How do we serve as a global organization? These are questions I intend to address during this term with the support of our membership and Board of Directors.”

Returning board members Tariq Chauhan (UAE), Ted Cohen (Canada), Giselle Holder (Trinidad and Tobago), Frank Ngoh (Singapore), Bobby R. LaRon (USA), and Darin Rose (USA) are joined by newly appointed board members Andrew DePriest (USA), Alexandra Liz (USA), and Maria O’Callaghan-Cassidy (USA). These individuals bring a broad range of subject matter expertise to the organization, including emerging technologies, real estate and accommodations, change management, tactical execution, stakeholder management, and client relations.

IFMA thanks outgoing Chair Christa Dodoo for her steady leadership over the last 12 months. Dodoo has been a visible and vocal advocate for facility management and IFMA, speaking to industry and aligned building professionals around the world. She is a frequent contributor to IFMA's Connected FM Podcast, bringing her vast expertise on critical facility management topics—sustainability, circular economy, climate challenges, technology adoption, and expanding workforce skills—to a global audience.

During Dodoo’s term, IFMA:
• Increased its membership to more than 26,000 global members, including a 10 percent increase in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
• Expanded IFMA’s job board to include global facility management career and internship opportunities
• Unveiled IFMA’s Top Global FM Influencers, a list of visionaries driving change and innovation across the built environment
• Reactivated IFMA’s Young Professionals network
• Launched chapters in Indonesia, Uganda, and Rwanda, as well as reorganized the formation of the Caribbean Chapter
• Published the Strategic Playbook for Scalable FM Training
• Updated IFMA’s Self-Assessment tool to assess skills and take a more strategic approach to professional growth
• Introduced IFMA’s inaugural FM Index/Pulse Report, delivering data-driven insights on global facility management workload trends, budgets, staffing, and risk
• Published regional white papers on circular economy—North America, Africa, and Europe—along with groundbreaking reports such as The Rise of the FM Analyst
• Secured participation in the United Nations Commission on Indoor Air Quality, provided facility management recommendations and testimonials to the United Kingdom's Parliament, and joined the Renovate Europe campaign

“IFMA and its diverse, global membership worked as one unit to accomplish so much this year,” says Dodoo. “We set new benchmarks for what stewardship and advocacy can achieve in the facilities management profession and strengthened IFMA’s position as a true global partner across various sectors within the built environment. Thank you, IFMA, for a wonderful year. I’m excited to see Luis’ positive influence in the year to come.”