Brian Terry’s name has been in every Building Operating Management magazine over the last three decades, but chances are you don’t know who he is.
We’ve never asked him to be a subject matter expert for an article, even though he’s one of the most trusted voices in our office on facility management issues. He has never written a column either, despite his ability to talk about the ins and outs of building systems with the best of them. And you won’t see him as an onscreen talking head, despite guiding the content direction of countless BOM webcasts.
To our readers, Brian is one of the behind-the-scenes players that helps bring our products to your inboxes and mailboxes. Our team finds him indispensable.
This issue marks the last time you see Brian’s name in our publications, because as of this month, he is retiring from Trade Press Media Group after 34 years as a lead facilities salesman and publisher.
His pending departure has prompted me to think about all the changes that have taken place in the facilities industry over the last three decades. The electrification of buildings and the impact of artificial intelligence are just two of the more recent technological developments.
On the business side of things, Brian helped our company survive a dot-com bust, more than a few recessions and COVID-19, when nobody could confidently predict what the world – much less our publications – would look like after the world reopened.
Brian also helped shepherd the transition to the internet. He was our early adapter, selling online articles, webcasts, video presentations and podcasts, contributing to a robust mix of print and digital information that reflected our changing readership.
When Brian told me a while back that he was considering retirement, he told me he would prefer to have an Irish goodbye and fade away without anyone making a fuss.
Sorry Brian, you’ve meant too much to us – and me personally – to allow that to happen.
Thanks for everything – and enjoy your well-earned time with your family.
Dave Lubach is chief editor of the facilities market. He has a decade’s worth of experience covering facilities management and maintenance issues and is a regular attendee of industry trade shows and events across the country. He regularly interviews industry leaders on the trends affecting facility executives and managers on a regular basis.
