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Wayne Whitzell will represent IFMA and the facility management profession at the 2026 Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C.
Facility management is often most visible when something goes wrong. Yet the profession’s greatest value is found in everything that goes right each day: buildings remain safe, workplaces stay productive, infrastructure performs as intended and organizations can focus on their core missions.
That work is shaped not only inside facilities, but also in the public-policy decisions that influence how buildings are funded, operated, maintained and improved. This September, SOLID Surface Care Senior Vice President Wayne Whitzell will help bring the facility management perspective to those conversations in Washington, D.C.
On September 15 and 16, Wayne will represent the International Facility Management Association at the 2026 IFMA Advocacy Forum. The two-day event brings facility management leaders together for advocacy training, policy briefings and meetings with congressional offices.
Why facility management needs a voice
IFMA defines facility management as the organizational function that integrates people, place and process within the built environment to improve quality of life and the productivity of the core business. That broad responsibility gives facility professionals a practical view of how policy decisions affect real buildings and the people who depend on them.
The Advocacy Forum will focus on issues with direct implications for facility owners, operators and service partners, including indoor air quality, federal building funding and maintenance, workforce development, terrorism risk insurance and federal appropriations. Participants will hear from federal leaders before meeting with congressional offices on Capitol Hill.
The scale of the built environment makes those conversations consequential. The U.S. General Services Administration reports that it manages a nationwide real estate portfolio of approximately 360 million rentable square feet. Across public and private portfolios alike, decisions about maintenance, workforce capacity and building performance ultimately influence operating costs, occupant experience and long-term asset stewardship.
Leadership grounded in the profession
Wayne’s participation reflects a long-standing commitment to advancing facility management. In addition to his role leading strategic accounts for SOLID across millions of square feet of corporate space, he serves as First Vice Chair of IFMA’s Global Board of Directors.
An IFMA member since 2001 and an IFMA Fellow, Wayne has served in numerous leadership positions, including president of IFMA’s Corporate Facilities Council and president of the East Bay Chapter. He has also developed and presented more than 140 presentations, articles and webinars for facility management and built-environment audiences.
That combination of field experience, client perspective and professional service is especially valuable in an advocacy setting. Effective policy conversations need input from people who understand what it takes to operate facilities across regions, portfolios and changing workplace demands.
Supporting the people responsible for the built environment
SOLID works alongside facility management teams every day to help protect surfaces, preserve capital assets and maintain the environments people experience. Our clients are responsible for far more than the appearance of a building. They balance safety, budgets, operations, sustainability, resilience and the expectations of every person who enters their facilities.
For SOLID, supporting those clients also means supporting the profession itself. Participation in the Advocacy Forum is an opportunity to listen, contribute practical perspective and help policymakers understand the essential role facility management plays in organizational performance and the stewardship of the built environment.
We are proud to have Wayne representing IFMA in Washington and proud to stand alongside the facility management professionals SOLID serves nationwide.
Serving the FM profession means more than maintaining facilities. It means helping strengthen the profession responsible for them.
About SOLID Surface Care
SOLID Surface Care is a nationwide specialty surface care company helping organizations protect, restore and extend the life of the surfaces throughout their facilities. With more than 30 years of experience, 40+ offices and self-performing teams across the country, SOLID provides consistent care for stone, terrazzo, concrete, metal, carpet, tile and grout, exterior surfaces and more.