Our association headquarters at 1 East Greenway Plaza in Houston, Texas, has served us well over the years as the nexus for our international operations. 
The IFMA Foundation's purpose is to provide greater resources and educational opportunities to facility management professionals and those who support the FM industry. 
A Fortune 500 company with estimated 2009 base revenues of $6.0 - $6.3 billion, EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE: EME) is a global leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure, and facilities services.
Don Schnell
Constitution
International Facility Management Association
Adopted April 1984
as amended December 13, 1996
and as amended January 1, 2000
and as amended December 31, 2011
Foreword
The National Facility Management Association was founded in October 1980 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America, by a group of 40 professional facility managers. In 1982, the formation of a chapter in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, led to changing the name to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) to reflect the international makeup, scope and membership of the association.
Preamble
To associate facility managers and affiliated disciplines into an organized profession and to assist the members in acquiring knowledge and the recognition of the integrative influence of facilities on human behavior, productivity and organizational goals; and to advance the standards of facility management by fostering a professional code of ethics and standards of certification, thus increasing its value as an association to organizations and for the public good, we do hereby establish and ordain this Constitution of the International Facility Management Association.
Article 1: Name
Section 1.
Name
The name of this incorporated professional, not-for-profit organization shall be the International Facility Management Association (hereinafter referred to as the "association").
Article II: Purpose and Objectives
Section 1.
Purpose
IFMA is a member-centric association that exists to guide and develop facility management professionals by providing exceptional services, products, resources and opportunities. In support of its members, IFMA promotes the facility management profession through education, credentialing, government relations, leadership opportunities, publishing, recognizing excellence, research and standards development.
Article III: Officers
Section 1.
The officers of the association shall be the Chair, First Vice Chair and Second Vice Chair. The Chair shall be the chief elected officer of the association and serve as Chair of both the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
Article IV: Executive Committee
Section 1.
The Executive Committee of the association shall consist of the officers of the association and the President and Chief Executive Officer (Ex-Officio).
Article V: Board of Directors
Section 1.
Authority and Responsibility
The governing body of the association shall be the Board of Directors.
Section 2.
Composition
The Board of Directors shall consist of no fewer than 10 directors, including the officers of the association.
Article VI: House of Delegates and Meetings of the Members
Section 1.
The House of Delegates shall be the representative body of the organization. Its powers and composition shall be general and subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. It shall meet at least annually.
Section 2.
Annual Meeting
The association shall be required to hold a minimum of one annual business meeting and this meeting shall be held at such place and on such date(s) as determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 3.
Rules of Order
The meetings and proceedings of the association shall be regulated and controlled according to the current version of "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised" for parliamentary procedure, except as may be otherwise provided in this Constitution and the association Bylaws.
Article VII: Association Components
Section 1.
Association components may be permitted to be formed and chartered in accordance with the requirements stated in the association Bylaws and upon the approval of the Board of Directors.
Article VIII: Amendment of the Constitution
Section 1.
Amendment
An amendment must be proposed to and approved by the House of Delegates before submission of the amendment to all members qualified to vote. This Constitution may be amended by a ballot provided to all members qualified to vote. A simple majority of at least 5 percent of the qualified membership participating is required for approval of the amendment(s).
Article IX: General Policies
Section 1.
The association may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, engage in limited political activities including the use of staff time and administrative support. No association funds may be contributed directly to any candidate for public office.
Section 2.
The association will monitor workplace issues, and, if deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, may take positions in support of or in opposition to various legislation or regulatory issues.
Article X: Non-Discrimination
Section 1.
The association prohibits discrimination in membership selection, nomination for officers, appointment to committees, programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact IFMA headquarters.
Article XI: Numbering of Articles of Sections and Administration
Section 1.
The Board of Directors is authorized to number the articles and sections of this Constitution to correspond with any changes that may be approved.
Section 2.
The Board of Directors has the authority to change or update terminology and titles within this Constitution given that such changes are not material to the spirit or intent of the Constitution.
