“Students First” Program Earns 2014 FMXcellence Award

Students First, the school building renovation and improvement plan for Des Moines Public Schools, has been recognized for excellence by a top building publication. Building Operating Management, a magazine for building owners and managers, selected DMPS as one of six recipients in the nation of its annual FMXcellence Recognition award. The award recognizes facilities management teams that add significant value to their organizations broader goals. Students First was recognized for its proven track record of improving school buildings to create better learning environments while at the same time improving safety and security, implementing technology upgrades, replacing obsolete equipment with efficient systems, and realizing operational cost savings.

DMPS and the other award winners will be recognized at the National Facilities Management & Training Conference this March in Baltimore.

To learn more about Students First, visit StudentsFirst.dmschools.org.

Below is a copy of a press release from Building Operating Management announcing the winners of this year’s FMXcellence Recognition Award.


Building Operating Management magazine, the leading magazine for  non-residential building owners and facility managers, today announced the honorees selected for this year’s FMXcellence Recognition Program. The annual award recognizes facilities management teams that add significant value to their organizations by helping to achieve broader goals. The honorees will be celebrated at a special event held at the NFMT Conference & Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center March 4, 2014.

The 2014 honorees are:

  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Des Moines Public Schools
  • The George Washington University
  • Leon County Department of Facilities Management
  • Ohio Department of Transportation
  • The Westminster Schools

The winning projects represent progress in the facilities management industry and run the gamut of best practices. Some winning project highlights include:

  • The U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities management team drove a massive modernization effort for land entry points into the country from Canada and Mexico.
  • Leon County Department of Facilities Management developed a mission critical public safety complex by consolidating city and county emergency functions in an innovative facility, which is now considered to be a benchmark for facilities of this type.

This year’s honorees were judged by the editorial staff of Building Operating Management magazine. All of the winning projects will be covered in the August issue of Building Operating Management and presented at the NFMT Conference & Expo in March.

“Each year, we are delighted by the new and innovative accomplishments submitted by FMXcellence applicants. The competition was tight this year and I’m pleased to say selecting the winners forced us to make some difficult choices,” said Building Operating Management Editor Edward Sullivan. “It is an honor to be a part of the FMXcellence judging team as it represents the best in our industry. It is so important that we publicly recognize successful FM teams as strategic partners that benefit our nation’s buildings, campuses and institutions – we all benefit from their shared success.”

For further program information, visit www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/fmxcellence

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About Building Operating Management Magazine

Building Operating Management is the leading magazine for building owners and facility executives in commercial and institutional buildings. Readers are executives who own or manage high-rise office buildings, college campuses, school districts, hospitals, medical clinics, retail chains, hotels and government buildings. Building Operating Management‘s editorial coverage explores timely topics such as: energy efficiency and strategies, facility technology, executive management, safety and security, facility management, and ‘green’ buildings. Building Operating Management reaches circulation of 73,000 and has been recognized as a Neal Award finalist for editorial excellence.