Welcome back to Facilities in Focus! After wrapping up our first season on emergency preparedness, we’re diving headfirst into season two, and this time it’s all about technology and its impact on the facilities management industry.  

Before we jump into the new season, we’ve got a special tech horror story special for you! 

Host Mackenna Moralez is joined by Michael Kashuba, Shawn Black and Alex Carlson as they share their most embarrassing and horrifying encounters with technology. 

You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp and you might even just feel better about your own tech failures. So, grab your headphones and get ready for a fun preview of what’s to come. Because as we know – in facilities management, nothing ever goes according to plan. 

The second season of Facilities in Focus premieres on June 4 and will publish episodes bi-weekly. 

To comment or to be a guest on Facilities in Focus, please email Mackenna at [email protected]. 

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In the season finale of Facilities in Focus, Mackenna Moralez talks with Brian Forde Jr., the chief operating officer for Boston Public Schools about the unprecedented operational challenges schools faced during the early days of the COVID-19. He describes the measures that were taken to maintain safety for all students and their facilities and whether or not education facilities are ready for the next pandemic.  

"It wasn’t just about responding to COVID; it was about setting a new standard for resilience and preparedness across our schools," Forde says during the podcast. 

This concludes the first season of Facilities in Focus, but don't worry, we have a few bonus episodes premiering in the next few weeks. The second season will debut in June and will cover technology within the facilities management space.

For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please contact Mackenna Moralez at [email protected] 

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In this episode of Facilities in Focus, Mackenna Moralez speaks with Maureen Roskoski, Vice President of FEA about her first-hand experience in the Maui wildfires of 2023. Maureen recounts how she was stranded without communication or clear evacuation routes, and how she relied on emergency preparedness practices from her professional expertise in facilities management. Throughout the discussion Maureen offers actionable advice for facility managers to enhance resilience, emphasizing the growing importance of disaster planning amid climate change. 

"Facility managers are often the first responders before the fire and police arrive,” Maureen says during the podcast. “They need to be ready to tackle challenges, from evacuations to managing critical infrastructure." 

To read Maureen’s first-hand account of the Maui wildfires: https://www.facilitiesnet.com/emergencypreparedness/article/Maui-Wildfire-A-First-hand-Account--20148

The Facilities in Focus podcast will publish bi-weekly episodes. The first season will cover emergency preparedness. 

For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please contact Mackenna Moralez at [email protected] 

Follow us on social media:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/facilitiesnetnfmt

Youtube: @FacilitiesNet

X: @FacilitiesNet_NFMT

Facebook: Facebook.com/FacilitiesNetNFMT

In this episode of Facilities in Focus, Mackenna Moralez talks with cybersecurity expert and former FBI operative Eric O’Neill. Eric shares insights of his career and why it is important for facility managers to have strong cybersecurity practices within their operations. 

“Cybersecurity may seem esoteric and mystical, but it’s really just the new battleground between attackers and defenders,” O’Neill says during the podcast. 

The Facilities in Focus podcast publishes bi-weekly episodes. The first season will cover emergency preparedness. 

For comments or to be a guest on Facilities in Focus, please reach out to Mackenna at [email protected] 

In the spring of 2024, the Mount Horeb Area School District in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin prevented an active shooter incident with security processes that they had in place. In this episode of the Facilities in Focus podcast, Mackenna Moralez speaks with Dr. Steve Salerno, superintendent of the Mount Horeb Area School District about the district’s response to the incident, highlighting the importance of preparation and proactive security measures.   

“It’s about being proactive instead of reactive because not having a system in place can lead to unnecessary tragedy,” Salerno says during the podcast. 

To reach out to Salerno about bolstering your emergency preparedness plans, please email him at [email protected] 

The Facilities in Focus podcast will publish bi-weekly episodes. The first season will cover emergency preparedness. 

For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please contact Mackenna Moralez at [email protected] 

2025 marks the 20th anniversary since Hurricane Katrina left a devastating impact on the city of New Orleans. In this episode of Facilities in Focus, Mackenna Moralez interviews Doug Thornton, executive VP of stadiums and arenas at ASM Global, which oversees the New Orleans Superdome. Thornton recounts his experience being at the forefront of opening the Superdome as a place of shelter during the hurricane and reflects on how the community came together to rebuild after the storm had passed.  

“Everybody was impacted, and they were in the proverbial same boat,” Thornton says during the podcast. “For once, it didn’t matter if you were rich or poor, black or white—this tragedy united us."  

The Facilities in Focus podcast will publishes bi-weekly episodes. The first season will cover emergency preparedness. 

For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please contact Mackenna Moralez at [email protected] 

In this episode Facilities in Focus, Mackenna Moralez speaks with Dave Pettit, director of facilities of Joplin Schools about the community’s journey of resiliency and recovery following the devastating 2011 tornado that ravished the town and killed 158 people. In the episode, Pettit reflects on the emotional and physical scars left behind and describes lessons that were learned in the aftermath of the natural disaster.  

“What defines us is not the tornado, but the resiliency of the human spirit,” Pettit says in the episode. “It's about how our community came together to rebuild—new schools, businesses, and lives. We can't choose what happens to us, but we can choose our response, and I couldn't be prouder of Joplin for how we overcame.” 

The Facilities in Focus podcast will publishes bi-weekly episodes. The first season will cover emergency preparedness.

For comments, or if you would like to be a guest on Facilities in Focus, please email [email protected]

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The Facilities in Focus podcast, brought to you by FacilitiesNet, covers all aspects of facilities management. Host Mackenna Moralez engages with a wide range of guests, including facility managers, delving into the lessons they learned from these events and what advice they have for fellow managers who may be experiencing similar challenges.  

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For comments or to be a guest on Facilities in Focus please email [email protected]