When Jane Davis, facility manager for Nielsen/JLL, first had her daughter she faced the dilemma that most working women face: return to work or stay at home with the baby. Not ready to give up her career, she knew that she needed to find something that allowed her the flexibility of raising her child while also growing professionally. It was only then that she stumbled upon facilities management.
“I discovered a floater position in facilities management that rotated through various functions across the department,” Davis says. “What started as a practical decision quickly became a passion. I learned every position within facilities — walking the building to ensure everything was well-maintained, coordinating with vendors, setting up rooms for events and directly helping people throughout their workday. That floater position gave me comprehensive exposure to facilities operations and revealed my true calling: a career where I could combine problem-solving, people skills and operational excellence to create positive impacts every single day.”
Davis is one of eight facility professionals to be named to FacilitiesNet’s fifth annual Facility Champion award. The Champions play a critical role in ensuring the efficient and effective operation of buildings across the country, all while exhibiting strong leadership and pride within the industry.
“Being named a Facility Champion means everything to me,” Davis says. “It validates the journey from that floater position where I was just learning, to where I stand today — proof that growth, dedication and learning from mistakes really do matter. I'll carry this honor with pride — not just for what I've accomplished, but as a reminder to keep growing, keep serving and keep being the foundation others can count on.”
In her role as a facility manager, Davis enjoys seeing how a building can operate like an interconnected machine. But what truly captivates her is the human element of the job. To her, facilities management is about creating a safe, comfortable space where people can truly thrive. She takes pride in her building, calling it her “home away from home” and wants to ensure that everyone who walks through the doors feels the same sense of comfort that she does.
“Facilities management is the foundation of every successful organization,” Davis says. “Without it, operations falter, productivity drops and the workplace suffers. We're the invisible force — when we excel, nobody notices because everything just works. Great facilities management is strategic, not reactive. We don't just fix problems — we build the infrastructure that allows organizations to thrive.”
Expectations for facility managers have transformed in recent years. Rather than being looked at as just “fix-it” workers, they are now viewed as strategic business leaders, often being responsible for cost optimization, workplace safety and data-driven decision making. This all came to a head for Davis during the COVID-19 pandemic when people began returning to the office. During these weeks, Davis felt that everything was on the line safety wise. She led the return to office strategy by securing PPE supplies, implementing safety protocols, redesigning spaces for social distancing and ensuring strict compliance. For Davis, it was not just about the navigation and the logistics of building operations; she needed to make people feel safe enough to return to their jobs.
“My leadership made the difference through trust,” she says. “Employees came back because they knew we’d prioritize their safety above all else. That’s when I learned crisis leadership means taking decisive action while keeping people at the center of every decision.”
Still, Davis learns from every project she works on. She asks questions and studies how other facilities solve problems differently. By treating her curiosity as a professional discipline, she has quickly become a leader in her space by always striving to find the solution to problems.
“I hope to leave a legacy showing that facilities management is where you grow, learn from mistakes and make real differences in people's lives,” Davis says. “Most importantly, I want my mentees to carry forward what I've learned: Stay proactive. Master the basics. Stay calm under pressure. Be the foundation others count on. If they become better leaders than I am, that's my greatest legacy.”
Davis is one of eight 2026 Facility Champions who will be profiled on FacilitiesNet leading up to the webcast, “What Great Facility Leaders Do: Lessons from the Field” that will honor the recipients. The webcast will air on November 24 at 12 p.m. CST on FacilitiesNet. You can register to view the webcast here.
Mackenna Moralez is the managing editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.
