University of St. Thomas-Houston Facilities Operations Assistant Vice President Edgar Moctezuma is the recipient of The Professional of the Year award from the International Facilities Management Association - Houston Chapter (IFMA) for his work with the IFMA Foundation's Global Workforce initiative.

Nominated by his peers and chosen by the selection committee, Moctezuma said, "My role is to engage employers in hiring graduates of our Essentials of Facility Management Course. Our partner, Goodwill, recruited students from underprivileged neighborhoods, and IFMA provided training to become entry-level facilities professionals."

IFMA is one of many organizations that notices Moctezuma's leadership abilities. His boss, UST's Spencer Conroy, Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs, congratulates him on his recognition by IFMA and praises his work ethic. 

"This award highlights the excellence and dedication Edgar brings to work every day," Conroy said. "Through his leadership and team's hard work, the Facilities Department is reaching new levels of excellence. I am excited to see what the future holds, and I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment. They could not have found a more deserving recipient."

Moctezuma joined UST in the summer of 2021. His leadership style centers on team building. "As a leader in Facilities, it is important to surround yourself with like-minded people who align with the strategy. This tactic also includes outside contractors," he said. "At UST, I need to be a transformational leader and a coach who inspires and motivates. My team is very talented and far more skilled than I was in the field. They do not need me to teach them how to do their job but to empower and give them the resources they need to perform at a high level."

Moctezuma's career background involves years in sports facilities management. Recently, he moved to higher education facilities management "to grow as a leader," he said. "I was intrigued by the faith-based culture at UST."

With the new challenge in front of him, he knew that his success rested on many things. Networking with other facilities professionals was important. He also leans into continuing education through associations such as IFMA to polish his skill set.

To date, Moctezuma says his most significant accomplishment at UST has been solving previously unsolvable issues, with the team

"I'm grateful to the UST community for accepting me as part of the family," Moctezuma said. "Special thanks to Spencer Conroy and Dr. Ludwick and the Facilities Ops team for the confidence they show in me day in and day out."