The Difference Maker

FEATURE

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by R.V. Baugus

On a university campus where “Hook ’Em Horns is a familiar battle cry, Jimmy Earl is, well, hooked.

Earl recognizes that he is hooked as he looks in the mirror, preparing to go to work each day as the associate director of the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He hears it in the reflection of his own voice as he speaks with industry colleagues. And as president of IAAM, Earl flat out knows it as he leads an army of volunteers who also give their time and efforts on behalf of the Association and the industry.

Jimmy Earl is hooked on the public assembly facility management industry.

“The thing I enjoy the most is the variety. Every day is something new, says Earl from his office inside the Erwin Center. “It’s another opportunity to learn something or to interact in a different way. I have met interesting people, and then the activity … being a part of something that entertains, or is educational and enlightening. Being a part of that is special.

As the days dwindle on Earl’s term as IAAM president, it is easy for him to wax nostalgic on a storybook career that has taken him from the Amarillo Civic Center south to Austin and one of the nation’s most high-profile universities. Yet while Earl savors the past experiences and people who have played significant roles in his life, he also recognizes his presidency is but a link connecting the work of his predecessors with the tasks set before future IAAM presidents.

“I hope that I am leaving it (IAAM presidency) a little better than I found it, he says, “and that whatever success we might be having continues.

Changing Course
Jimmy Earl grew up in Amarillo, in the Panhandle region of Texas. After graduating from Palo Duro High School, he set sail on an engineering degree, first attending Amarillo College and then moving on to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, where he earned his degree.

Following graduation, Earl returned home and worked in his field of study. For a while …

EARL’S PEARLS

On David DeWald: He made it clear to me that this was an industry. I had no clue that there was a facility management industry. David was very generous not only with his time but his knowledge in explaining to me about IAAM and how to get and apply information. He actually taught me how to manage.

On leadership: Leadership means different things to me at different times. Many times leadership is an example of how you conduct yourself. Leadership and management are figuring out how to motivate your team to accomplish a common goal with the resources that you have available, whether personnel, human resources or other resources. You have to have some credibility and some ability. You have to prove that you are worthy. I think it is something that you earn. You earn respect from people by demonstrating your ability on certain tasks.

On the CFE designation, which he carries: I feel very strongly that it demonstrates that someone is interested in improving what they do. The CFE covers the operation of every venue we can think of, from a small theater to a large stadium. This is a very mobile profession, and the CFE demonstrates one’s commitment to excellence and growth in the field, wherever they manage.

On practicing the ancient martial art of Tai Chi: That has been important for me. I’ve practiced Tai Chi for about 17 years now and in fact just received my first brown sash. While we may be limited physically by what we do, our minds are endless or boundless. Tai Chi is about improving that.

On favorite memories: There have been so many. How many jobs do you have where you can ride an elephant? Or where you can meet B.B. King, Bill Cosby, KISS, and Neil Diamond? It is hard for me to pick one over the other. That’s like asking, “Which child do you love best?”

“A neighbor was telling me about a part-time position at the Amarillo Civic Center, Earl recalls. “I didn’t think much about it at first but he mentioned it to me again and so I went out and talked to David DeWald, the man who hired me and who to this day is someone I consider a friend and mentor. David took me under his wing and taught me everything about facility management.

(Aside: If the public assembly facility management industry was an object, what would it be? A magnet, because once an individual gets a taste of the business there is such an attraction that more often than not there is no turning back to a previous career.)

It was early 1977 and Earl was a fresh-faced, 21-yearold just out of college. “I started at the bottom and worked in every department and learned a little bit about how a facility ran, he says. “Then he made me his executive assistant in about a month’s time.

Earl admits the title was fancier than the job description. “Yeah, it was a fancy word for ‘gopher,’ he says with a laugh.

It was also a time when you might say that Earl was indirectly introduced to IAAM. DeWald (a Retired Member who joined IAAM in 1953) was attending a District VI meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and mentioned to his young protégé that he had a friend who was opening a facility in Austin. DeWald saw an opportunity of growth for Earl and shared Earl’s resume with Dean Justice, the first director of the new Erwin Center that opened in November 1977.

“I went to Austin and originally interviewed for the maintenance supervisor position because David had told Dean about some of my technical abilities, says Earl. “I didn’t get that position and was kind of crushed because they hired someone who had a lot more maintenance experience.

“He told me the position had been filled and asked if I would be interested in being an events manager. I had no clue what an events manager did, but I said, ‘Yeah!’ It helped that while I was there I worked for Larry Fontana, who was very instrumental in my growth.

Earl credits that position early in his career with teaching him much about the inner workings at a facility. “It was really good because I was in charge of all the front of house for the facility, he says. “It gave me the opportunity to work with every department…maintenance supervisors, staging, ticketing, police. So I actually learned so much more by being an events manager.

Everyone at the venue benefited from the tutelage of Dean Justice, the facility director, and one of the most innovative people in the industry. “Oh, he was very revolutionary for the time, says Earl. “The Erwin Center was one of the first facilities to be a one-stop, all-inclusive shopping type of facility. We produced our own events and managed our own operation. Everything was internal. The catering, ticketing, security, ushering and technical services were all inclusive and in-house.

“To be a part of that was a very exciting time. We had internal control and could manage our cost centers. We could buy talent directly. For a facility to promote or co-promote was very new at the time. It wasn’t unusual for us to buy a show and promote it ourselves. We had our own marketing, sales, group sales and so forth.

Growth Spurt
After 10 years at the Erwin Center, Earl moved north up I-35 and managed the Fort Worth Convention Center from 1987-1990. “I wanted to learn a different side of the business, he says. “Fort Worth had the convention center and large exhibit space and theater and was known for its arena. It was a growth opportunity for me at the time that I took advantage of.

Earl returned to the Erwin Center in 1990 and since that time has served as associate director. His leadership skills since that time blossomed even more as he was part of a team overseeing an arena renovation and expansion in 2003 and as his volunteer service within IAAM ascended and culminated with his presidency.

Earl suggests for those undergoing any type of renovation or expansion that coordination and communication with the parties involved are critical. “Activities like that require an incredible amount of coordination between architects, construction teams and others, he says. “I’ll tell you what it’s like: just imagine you are driving your car at 150 miles per hour and you have to change your oil. It takes coordination and a lot of planning because you are doing things on the fly and while the building is open. We didn’t have the luxury of being able to shut down. It’s not uncommon to do that, but it just requires some effort and coordination.

As far as his involvement in IAAM, Earl cites Bob Mayer, a past IAAM president, as a shining example. “Years ago Bob said to me that when you get involved in IAAM, you get back more than you ever give. When he first said that, I didn’t really understand the meaning. But the more I worked and became involved in this association and the other things I do in the community, I see that I do get more knowledge and experience in return than I am able to give.

Earl will soon be celebrating his 20th anniversary as an IAAM member and cannot fathom that he would not be actively involved.

“We are an association of members that provide education and learning in the area of public assembly facility management, he says. “As such, I believe it is important for us to interact with other managers in similar venues – or different venues, for that matter – to further our expertise in operating more efficiently and providing the best level of service that we can for our guests. I think this association for me has been exactly that. It has given me the tools to work with to improve my proficiency at my work.

Plenty Accomplished
When Earl accepted the IAAM presidential gavel from outgoing president Mike Kelly at last year’s annual conference in Reno, he was quick to introduce his theme of “Out of Many, We Are One.

Less than one month into the presidency, Earl got to see the theme put into action when IAAM hosted its first Academy for Venue Safety & Security. The events of September 11, 2001, caused the dynamics of venue safety and security to shift even more, and the academy created a bond of “oneness amongst the hundreds of facility and law enforcement personnel in attendance.

“So much of what you do as president in your particular year begins many, many months and sometimes years before you actually take office, says Earl. “This goes back to Lionel Dubay and Frank Poe. We all know the significance of these types of events and the origins of why they are important. They date to 9/11, of course.

R.V. Baugus is editor of Facility Manager magazine.

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