For the last five years, Robin VanDuzen has been the facilities department manager for GLE, an integrated full-service facilities consulting and construction firm located in Southpoint.
WHAT DOES HER COMPANY DO?
GLE handles property consulting services including environmental services, building science services, architecture/ engineering, facilities management and remediation.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
“I take projects from beginning to end. For example, companies call in requesting an asbestos survey at a certain facility. I take it, schedule it, read the results when they come in and produce a report to send to the client at the end. I basically manage these projects and these clients. I take care of everything that they need. I also do invoicing and scheduling. If someone needs an environmental or facilities issue taken care of, they come to me.”
WHAT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING INDUSTRY INTERESTED YOU?
“I got into it by accident. I originally went to college for medical technology where I would be working in a lab.” The shifts for that job start at midnight but VanDuzen could not work that shift as a single mom. “A friend of mine worked for Emcon, another environmental consulting firm, and she said there was an opening for a field technician. So, I got it and worked my way up.” She worked there for five years before joining GLE.
DEALING WITH CLIENTS?
VanDuzen focuses on client retention and growth. “I grow the clients that we have and give them good service. We give them one point of contact and they really love that.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“I like the craziness of it and how busy it gets. I handle a lot of different clients and different jobs at once. I run a lot of different projects at once and multitask like you would not believe.”
Where’d she go to COLLEGE
She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Jacksonville University.
HOW DID SHE GET THE JOB AT GLE?
While she was with Emcon, her main client was Duval County Schools. When GLE got the contract, she came to them and said she had the experience and could come right in and manage them, so they hired her.
HOW DID YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU NOW?
“When you are out doing the work, collecting the samples, writing all the field paperwork and dealing with the clients out in the field, you can come in and be a much more appreciative project manager because you know what they do. I can read all that field paperwork and I know exactly what I am looking at because I did it when I was out in the field. Knowing what they are doing in the field makes writing the reports and talking to clients a whole lot easier.”
BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE EVER RECEIVED?
“Delegate, delegate, delegate!”
PET PEEVES?
“People that are not detail-oriented.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Patience is important. You have to have patience with the field people, clients and fellow employees.”
ADVICE FOR THOSE NEW TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING?
“You have to like moving from project to project. Every project is different. I like that I am not working on the same thing every day. Though several projects may be an asbestos survey, the buildings are completely different and the clients and what they want out of it are completely different. I like the diversity.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville.
-by Michele Newbern Gillis