A Profile of Beth Fasching

Beth Fasching’s dad was a hotel manager in the Twin Cities, and he brought his daughter to work when she was growing up. He managed his properties best by walking around so Beth went along too, to the boiler room, the kitchen, the laundry room, up on the roof, and other places most people don’t see.

Here, she received early exposure to the built environment, and interactions with the people behind the scenes who create welcoming and wonderful experiences for guests, both as the manager’s daughter as well as an employee, where she also worked to pay her way through college.

While Beth has always excelled at building relationships and developed as a leader across several sales and account management positions in several industries throughout her career, she felt most comfortable in the world of facility management while employed with Holmes Corporation.

Beth worked closely with IFMA for almost a decade in corporate sales, developing a “face” for IFMA credential programs, working closely with individuals and corporate groups interested in expanding FM skills and earning a professional credential. Later, she also played a key role in business development and establishing industry partnerships for ProFMI, an organization specializing in the ProFM credential for the facility management industry. It was in these roles that Beth was able to support professional development that positively impacted customers’ livelihood and career trajectories.

A passion for people and support for women in all industries has led Beth to her current role as Director of Strategic Partnerships and “industry connector” at NextUp, a non-profit networking organization of 17,000 women, men, allies, and corporate partners in 21 Regions working together to eliminate barriers for women in the workplace. Here, Beth sees an opportunity to combine her passion for developing people with creating opportunities for gender equity across industries.

Across her 15 years working with women in the built environment, she has heard their stories and seen their needs for leadership development and allyship support, and maintains a soft spot for this industry.

"As the built environment evolves, the talent gap expands, hybrid work environments influence building spaces and employee needs, and more sophisticated technology is being introduced every day to manage building, perhaps the term facility management is a limiting description and poses a potential obstacle in attracting new talent for an industry that’s so vibrant and vital,” said Beth.

"The people who run our buildings or provide products and services are the true drivers of success. Investing in leadership development and power skills such as communication and emotional intelligence, on top of necessary technical skills, is critical to success for all, especially women and other under-represented groups,” she added.

Beth is seeing the impact of women in business through the experiences of her own three daughters, Jordan, Kendal, and Lauren who are empowered and achieving great things in fields such as industrial engineering, window manufacturing, and residential sales, while still early in their careers.

Beth continues to promote facility management opportunities to students and her network of peers that are looking to pivot in their careers. "While this field is often misunderstood, I am continually impressed by the opportunities as well as the breadth of experiences offered within the facilities management industry,” said Beth. "I have tremendous respect for those in this industry who balance constant curve balls, problem-solving needs, leadership challenges, relationship management, and the day-to-day management of physical assets.”

Beth is also seeing a positive trend at industry events – the growing interest in learning more about emotional intelligence and the importance and capacity for leaders to be empathetic. This movement opens the door for more diversity in the workforce and more leadership roles that have been traditionally filled by men.

For the facilities industry to attract a more diverse workforce, there’s a need to share the personal stories and faces of industry professionals that are relatable and show students they belong in this industry. Serving as a volunteer board member with The FM Pipeline Team, a 501c3 non-profit organization whose ultimate mission is developing a pipeline for the next gen of FM, and as a judge for Facilithon competitions for high school and post-secondary students, Beth witnesses the benefits of providing relatable scenarios so students can begin to see themselves in similar roles.  It is also important to show the next gen that there is a place for them in the FM industry by showing diversity in the professionals themselves, and the different roles and areas of expertise.

Beth feels strongly that future facility managers can succeed as generalists if they like a career where every day is different and have good problem-solving and communication skills because there’s so much learning on the job, along with educational resources provided by industry associations and other resources.  Beth earned her FMP credential when she worked with IFMA so she could better understand the role of a facility manager and the broad knowledge required to be successful as she worked with her clients.

In addition to her family, her career, and her curiosity about the changing world of business and behavior, Beth likes being outside and hiking.

Influential books include The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. She’s also a big fan of podcasts and books by Brene Brown, including Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead. Playing Big by Tara Mohr is another book that helped Beth over the years, one she has gifted to each of her three daughters and many friends to support their personal and career development.

She also has some cool ideas about personal growth and development like having your own personal board of directors – friends, mentors, advisors – to coach, encourage, and serve as a sounding board. She stays connected with her board members through scheduled coffee breaks and video chats. 

For women curious about the facilities management industry, Beth advises, "Don’t put yourself in a box or rule out opportunities. Think about what you like to do, embrace your natural talents, envision what looks interesting and exciting and what kind of environment suits you. Finally, if you have the opportunity, walk in the footsteps of other women’s journeys. Many trailblazers have endured much to make it easier on those who follow.”