SAME’s 2021 Virtual FM Workshop, held July 26-30, offered an engaging lineup of education sessions and leadership panels, with subject matter experts discussing innovations and initiatives that will move facility management forward and meet the challenges of tomorrow.
“Information security never stops. We have to be right 100 percent of the time. The bad guys only have to be right 1 percent of the time.” – Marene Allison, Chief Information Security Officer, Johnson & Johnson, and VFMW Keynote Speaker
Day One featured a fireside chat with Marene Allison, Chief Information Security Officer for Johnson & Johnson, who sat down with former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lucian Niemeyer, F.SAME, now CEO of Building Cyber Security LLC to discuss today’s cybersecurity challenges and opportunities, while sharing key takeaways for facility managers and information security professionals. The conversation kept rolling on to Day Two, when a panel of three leaders central to the ongoing technology transformation at Tyndall AFB—Lowell Usrey, Integration Division Chief, Tyndall Program Management Office; Lance Marrano, Director of the SMS Technical Center of Expertise, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center; and Maj. Jordan Criss, USAF, Commander, 325th Security Forces Squadron—covered how they approach the base’s game-changing technologies, and takeaways for other installations looking to further embrace innovation and lean into the future.
To wrap up on Day Three and conclude the workshop, Niemeyer returned to bookend the conference along with a panel of government subject matter experts, control system suppliers, private sector assessors, and thought-leaders from the cybersecurity realm to address the quickly emerging challenge of securing operational technology and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Alongside these general sessions, attendees enjoyed more than 20 education and training sessions on such varied topics as asset management strategy and leadership; facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization; and geospatial engineering support. The educational session recordings and the virtual Exhibit Hall will stay available for attendees through the virtual event platform until September 30, 2021.
The impacts of technology adoption is having a game-altering affect on the built environment. This is especially so as it relates to smart building systems and the potential risks of cyber security. This theme was evident through VFMW, and will continue to become more of a focal point within SAME. During the closing session, Niemeyer announced that the NoVA and DC Posts are hosting an in-person IGE workshop “Improving Cybersecurity and Safety in Smart Building and Infrastructure” on September 16. This workshop follows up on the discussions from VFMW and is a kick-off to an all-encompassing IGE effort to promote cyber protection for control systems and smart devices in buildings and infrastructure. In fact, the CEO Roundtable at the 2021 SAME Federal Small Business Conference this November in Atlanta also will be examining cyber security. Click here to learn more about participating.
Looking to continue the conversation from Virtual FM Workshop? The Facility Asset Management COI is the place for you to connect with your fellow facility and asset management colleagues year-round. Join the over 600 professionals and stay up to date on industry best practices and issues, access cutting-edge educational and professional development opportunities, and have a hand in shaping the future of the industry. Best of all, membership in the COI is open to all SAME members.
Read an interview with Lisa Cooley, Vice President of Federal Solutions with Gordian, and Chair of the FAM COI in 2021, on her leadership vision for the COI, the 2021 Virtual Facilities Management Workshop, and where she see the future of facility management headed in the post-pandemic world.
