Facilities Managers Outline Evolving Challenges and Priorities for 2026

Staffing, compliance, and integrating new facilities top the list of concerns for editorial advisory board members.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 12:00am

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FMD editorial advisory board members outline the challenges facing their departments in 2026 and priorities they have set to successfully address those issues. Ongoing issues — staffing tops everyone's list — are becoming more entrenched and stubborn, while new issues — incorporating technology advances, for example — seem to crop up weekly. The true complexity of tackling challenges and setting priorities in 2026 is that no issue stands alone.

Why it matters

Facilities management departments play a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of institutional and commercial buildings. As these departments face an evolving set of challenges, understanding their priorities and strategies for 2026 provides valuable insights into the future of the facilities management industry.

The details

The challenges facing facilities departments include ongoing staffing issues, ensuring compliance with an array of codes and regulations, managing the integration of newly acquired facilities, and addressing the evolving role of campus landscapes and outdoor areas. To address these challenges, facilities managers are implementing strategies such as strengthening workforce development, embedding compliance into daily operations, and leveraging technology to standardize processes. They are also rethinking staffing models, aligning capital improvements with sustainability and resiliency goals, and collaborating across departments to address the interconnected nature of these issues.

  • In recent years, Polk County has supported the expansion and upgrade of public safety facilities, including the construction of nine new fire rescue stations and a new sheriff's office district command station and training facility.
  • Over the next five years, Polk County expects to complete the design for a new mental health campus, reflecting a national movement to address growing mental health needs.

The players

Matthew Belasco

Director of maintenance, operations and transportation for the Pittsburg Unified School District in California.

Terrel Chesson

Deputy director of the department of general services for the city of Baltimore.

Joe Kovolyan

Director of landscape services, arboretum and botanical gardens, at the University of Missouri.

Joe Brothman

Director of general services for UCI Health in Irvine, California.

Keith Tate

Facilities management director for Polk County, Florida.

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What they’re saying

“These challenges are interconnected. Staffing impacts compliance. Compliance affects project timelines. Capital planning influences workforce demands and ongoing maintenance costs. Addressing them in silos is no longer effective. Success in 2026 requires integration and collaboration — aligning people, processes and infrastructure under a shared strategic vision.”

— Matthew Belasco, Director of maintenance, operations and transportation

“Rather than simply filling vacancies, we are restructuring our staffing model to better align with system growth and asset complexity. Our strategy includes adjusting supervisory ratios, creating specialized technical roles for critical systems, aligning systemwide resources with existing positions and strengthening succession planning.”

— Joe Brothman, Director of general services

“The mindset is to hire entry-level employees and have them go through an industry certified training program, which requires them to pass a test to gain a certificate or credential over a pre-determined timeline. They will continue through the program until they have completed all levels. The expected benefit to the employee is gaining experience while progressing up the salary level, thereby reducing the need to switch jobs to make more money.”

— Keith Tate, Facilities management director

What’s next

Over the next five years, Polk County expects to complete the design for a new mental health campus, reflecting a national movement to address growing mental health needs.

The takeaway

Facilities management departments are facing a complex and evolving set of challenges, from staffing and compliance to integrating new facilities and addressing the changing role of campus landscapes. To successfully navigate these issues, facilities managers are implementing strategic, collaborative, and technology-driven approaches that align people, processes, and infrastructure under a shared vision for the future.