Jaime Audette recently made an exciting career change, shifting from manager of facilities services at Rhode Island’s Brown University to a property manager at commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. She has gone from mostly overseeing older buildings to being responsible for one major new project. The juxtaposition has expanded her perspective and reinvigorated her appreciation of all things facilities.
At Cushman & Wakefield, Audette is currently managing the 150 Richmond Street project, a brand-new lab and office building under construction in Providence, R.I.
“It’s a unique role because I’m not just stepping into an existing operation—I’m helping build it from the ground up,” she says. “My work includes planning day-to-day operations, selecting and onboarding vendors, designing maintenance programs, and making sure every system and process is in place so the building is ready to run seamlessly from day one.”
While her current role is centered on this single flagship property, Audette notes she’s also excited to potentially manage additional facilities in the future.
Audette has been in the facilities management industry for about 15 years, with a career that’s spanned higher education, public K-12 schools, commercial real estate, and private property management. While at Brown University, she was part of the President’s Staff Advisory Council, where she contributed to broader conversations about employee engagement and organizational transparency. She also holds a paralegal certificate from UMass Lowell, is currently pursuing her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and has served in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
To learn more about Audette and her take on industry issues, please read the “Faces of Facilities” interview below:
How did you get your start in the field?
Like many people in facilities and real estate, I didn’t plan to end up here—I sort of backed into it by accident. After being laid off during the 2009 Bank of America cuts, I started temping to make ends meet. One of those temp jobs was covering for a tenant coordinator at CBRE. I didn’t even know what a tenant coordinator was when I started, but I figured it out quickly—and ended up being offered the position permanently. That’s how my career in real estate and facilities began—completely unplanned, but exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for. Since then, I’ve built a path across commercial real estate, public education, and higher ed, taking on roles that mix operations, customer service, contracts, and strategy. Turns out, facilities is where the real action is—and I haven’t looked back since.
Who has been your biggest influence in the industry, and why?
This might sound unconventional, but some of my biggest influences in the industry were the people who showed me exactly what not to do. Across different organizations, I’ve worked under leaders who lacked empathy, accountability, or an understanding of the people they were managing—and I learned a lot by watching what failed. Those experiences shaped my approach to leadership: Lead with clarity, treat people with respect, and never lose sight of the bigger picture.
But, the people who taught me the most were the boots-on-the-ground professionals doing the real work. I learned how to punch tubes in a chiller from a guy who probably had the entire mechanical system memorized. I’ve seen techs time a repair perfectly during a lunch break—quietly fixing what needed fixing like ninjas with tool belts. That’s the kind of expertise you can’t fake—and the kind I try to elevate every day.
What’s your best mistake, and what did you learn from it?
Early on, I underestimated how much silence can mean in facilities—and not the good kind. I was managing a large portfolio and didn’t hear any complaints for a stretch, so I assumed everything was running smoothly. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t. The issues were there, but people weren’t flagging them because they either didn’t know how, didn’t think it would help, or just didn’t think anyone would listen.
That experience completely changed how I approach communication and service follow-through. I stopped waiting for problems to surface and started building systems that proactively check in with customers and frontline teams. Now I know: No news is not good news—it’s a missed opportunity to ask better questions and catch things before they escalate.
What are some of the biggest facilities management issues at your organization? Are there any unique FM challenges (or benefits) compared to some other organizations?
At Cushman & Wakefield, my current challenge is managing 150 Richmond Street while it’s still under construction—building every system, vendor relationship, and process from the ground up so it’s ready to run from day one. It’s exciting, but every decision has long-term impact, so there’s no room for “we’ll fix it later.”
Before this, at Brown University, the challenge was almost the opposite: keeping everything running across a portfolio that ranged from centuries-old buildings to cutting-edge research labs. It was a bit like maintaining a museum, a hospital, and a tech campus all at once—on the same budget.
That mix of starting fresh and sustaining the old has given me a unique perspective on how to balance competing needs while keeping long-term goals in sight.
What’s your favorite part about working in the industry?
What I love most about working in this industry is that it’s real. There’s no fluff—just people solving problems that impact others in immediate, tangible ways. When we do our jobs well, no one notices—and honestly, I take pride in that. It means things are working exactly as they should.
Facilities is where function meets care. It’s where a warm classroom on a freezing morning or a quiet repair that prevents a major disruption speaks volumes about the people behind the scenes. I get to work alongside folks who are incredibly skilled, wildly resourceful, and rarely in the spotlight—but they’re the reason everything keeps moving.
And let’s be honest: It’s never boring. Every day brings a new challenge, a new puzzle, or a small fire (sometimes literal) to put out. You learn quickly, adapt often, and if you’re lucky, laugh a lot along the way.
What changes would you like to see in the FM industry?
One of the most important changes I’d like to see in the FM industry is a stronger, more intentional focus on inclusion—particularly for women. Facilities management remains a male-dominated field, and while progress has been made in some areas, there’s still a long way to go. Often, women are underestimated, dismissed, or even penalized for doing the exact things that get celebrated in our male counterparts. Assertiveness is called aggression. Expertise is second-guessed. I’ve been told to “play dumb” to make others feel more comfortable. I’ve been called names for being assertive. And unfortunately, those moments aren’t rare.
That’s part of why I’ve taken a strong interest in organizational leadership. Creating workplaces where everyone is heard, respected, and valued shouldn’t be a luxury—it should be the standard. If we want to build workplaces that truly support their people, we have to be willing to name what isn’t working, call out the uncomfortable parts—and work toward something better.
How can company leaders make facilities management a value within their organization?
The first step to making facilities management a true organizational value is recognizing it as a strategic asset—not just a reactive service. Facilities teams don’t just fix things when they break; they manage some of the most significant costs and risks within an organization. From energy use to capital repairs to space utilization, we’re talking about systems that directly impact the bottom line every single day.
In this era of sustainability and climate accountability, facilities should be front and center. Whether it’s reducing energy consumption, improving building efficiency, or supporting green initiatives, facilities teams are the ones turning policy into action. But to do that effectively, they need to be included in the conversations that happen before decisions are made—not just called in afterward.
Leaders should be bringing FM to the table during forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning. The people who understand what needs to be done, how long it will take, and what it will truly cost shouldn’t be an afterthought. Respect the expertise, include the voices, and value the impact—and the returns will follow.
Where do you see the industry heading in five years? Are you noticing any major trends?
In the next five years, I see facilities management leaning even further into AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making. Smart building systems, predictive maintenance, and real-time diagnostics are already reshaping how we track performance and manage assets. The tech is exciting, but it’s only half the story.
The other half—the more urgent half—is people. We’re staring down a massive generational shift in the skilled trades, and the pipeline just isn’t keeping up. Younger adults aren’t entering the trades at the rate we need to replace a retiring workforce, and that’s not just a facilities problem—it’s a national infrastructure problem.
We need to rebrand this work, plain and simple. These are essential, high-skill careers where people can make an excellent living, build meaningful expertise, and have a direct, visible impact every day. But we can’t just hope people stumble into it—we need intentional outreach, better visibility, and real investment in training and apprenticeship programs.
Facilities can’t run on smart tech alone. We need to value the hands that keep it all moving—and create an industry culture that makes people want to stay.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the moments where I’ve been able to build something meaningful from the ground up—especially in environments where things were unclear, siloed, or just plain stuck. Whether it’s restructuring a team, streamlining communication, or launching new systems, I take a lot of pride in bringing order and direction to complex, messy situations.
One of the projects I’m especially proud of is leading a culture shift around customer service and accountability. When I worked at Brown University, I helped design and implement a customer feedback initiative that gave campus partners a real voice and allowed our facilities team to track, measure, and respond to service trends in a way we hadn’t done before. It wasn’t just about data—it was about building trust and improving how we show up for the community we serve.
I’m also proud that I’ve stayed committed to doing the right thing, even when it meant being the only one saying it. Driving change in an industry that isn’t always quick to evolve takes persistence, and I’m proud to be someone who doesn’t back down when something needs fixing.
Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?
My biggest piece of advice to anyone entering a new role is to know your worth—and advocate for it. Facilities work is constant. There’s always going to be more to do. The buildings don’t sleep, and the systems don’t pause. That’s why it’s so important to recognize your own stopping point and protect your boundaries. There’s always an emergency looming around the corner, so when the pace slows—even for a moment—you have to let yourself take the break. Rest isn’t optional. It’s how you stay in the game.
Stay grounded in your values. Whether it’s how you lead, how you manage conflict, or how you balance work and life—don’t lose yourself trying to fit into a version of professionalism that demands burnout. You can be direct and still be respected. You can deliver results without being available 24/7. You can do excellent work without sacrificing your sanity.
And find your people, the ones who get it. Facilities is a team sport, and having even a few trusted peers can make all the difference.
Are you or a colleague an FM professional interested in being profiled for the “Faces of Facilities” series? Please contact Editor Joe Bebon at JBebon@BLR.com.