In an effort to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association (CEFMA) will be featuring a CEFMA Past President each month leading up to the 2018 Convention. For June, CEFMA is proud to highlight Steve Adams, associate athletics director for internal operations at Wake Forest University and CEFMA's first President.
CEFMA all began with a vision; a vision that originated with Steve Adams in June 2007. Recognizing the need for a professional organization dedicated to needs of collegiate event and facility administrators, Adams approached the NACDA leadership about the potential of forming a new affiliate association. With their blessing and the help of a small group of original Board members, the National Association of Collegiate Event Managers (NACEM) was born. Seeing as though Adams had already done the leg work to bring NACEM to fruition, he was named the Association's first President in February 2008.
Over the next few months, Adams led the leadership group through discussions to develop formal outlines for the future of the organization, including membership structure, mission statement and an eventual name change to the Associations current name, the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association (CEFMA). During the Association's first year of existence, Adams committed a great deal of time to not only leading the internal operations of CEFMA, but also the important external elements that are crucial to the growth and sustainability of a new organization. By October 2008, just one year after the original conversations began, CEFMA had reached over 200 members and was planning its inaugural Convention for June 2009 in Orlando, FL.
Adams continued to play an instrumental role in CEFMA's formative years serving as both President and Board member through June 2012.; During this time, he played an integral role in conversations to establish an affiliation with the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), led outreach efforts to build relationships with other NACDA affiliate associations, and guided strategic planning to ensure the future success of CEFMA.
While CEFMA is now just shy of 900 members and approaching its 10th annual Convention, it is only appropriate to take a few moments to pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of its forefather, Steve Adams.
Some of our members may not be familiar with you. Please provide some information on your current job position and role.
I am currently a member of our athletics department executive staff and am a secondary sport administrator for Men's Soccer. I have direct supervision of athletic facilities, turf management, information technology and multimedia/broadcasting. I am also the principle administrator on all athletic department capital projects.
How has being an event & facility professional, and a part of CEFMA, helped you in your current role?
It has helped me with networking with industry professionals, knowledge of day to day operations within our department, oversight of athletic department capital projects, growth as a leader within our profession and the discovery of my leadership style.
What is your favorite memory or moment as it relates to your involvement with CEFMA?
The formation of our original Board of Directors and our first meeting in Dallas, TX. It is amazing to think about all the great people who were in that room with really no idea why they were there and what was coming next.
This was a very special group of people who trusted a young professional from Wake Forest.They each had a great passion for collegiate athletics and I am forever grateful for their trust and unwavering dedication to getting this Association off the ground.
I am also thankful for the phenomenal staff at NACDA. Their guidance and patience through our formative years was unbelievable. Special thank you to Pat Manak and Katie Newman.....you are the best!
What have you seen change with CEFMA since you were involved?
Having been involved from the Association's inception, it has been amazing to see the growth of our group. From membership, to convention programming, the growth of our sponsorship base, to our social media presence. The addition of the regional conferences, the awards and grants program as well as the mentorship program have all been incredible changes to our group.
It has been very rewarding to see something go from an idea to what it is today through the hard work and dedication of the many event and facility professionals over the years.
Why do you feel others should be involved with CEFMA?
It truly is a platform for people in our industry to gain knowledge, network with others and grow professionally.
The ability to share ideas and concepts and have instant access to others in the industry is a significant benefit we didn't have in the past.
CEFMA is our "home base" for growth personally and professionally within the ever changing world of collegiate athletics.
I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring.....
Stay up-to-date on the 10th Anniversary celebration and all things CEFMA related by following @CEFMAFacilities on Twitter and by using the hashtag #CEFMATurns10.
About CEFMA: CEFMA is dedicated to the needs of collegiate level event and facility professionals and the challenges that exist within the scope of their responsibilities. CEFMA will seek to promote the growth, leadership, integrity and success of administrators and professional staff in collegiate athletics. For more information about CEFMA, please visit www.cefma.net. CEFMA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 53rd year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
