The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) has announced that Chief Executive Officer Douglas S. Erickson, FASHE, will be retiring on December 31, 2023. FGI has been working on a carefully thought-out leadership transition plan for several years. That transition plan has been formalized by the FGI Board of Directors and is now being implemented.
Doug is a founding board member of FGI. He has held a leadership role in revising the Guidelines for Design and Construction documents since 1985 and been a member of the Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC) since 1978. Doug served as Chair of the 2010, 2014, and 2018 editions of the Guidelines and Vice-Chair of the 1987, 1992–93, 1996–97, 2001, and 2006 editions. Over the course of his career, Doug has been a healthcare facility manager, consultant, an authority having jurisdiction, and the principal advocate representing the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) membership on national codes, standards, and built environment committees. Doug represented ASHE membership on more than 15 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) technical committees and served as chair of the NFPA 99 and NFPA 110 committees and the clinical subcommittee of American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 170. He also served on the Joint Commission’s committee on healthcare safety for more than 10 years.
During Doug’s time as chair of the HGRC and CEO of FGI, the Guidelines documents have become the most respected consensus-based standard in healthcare. Under his gifted leadership, Doug recruited thousands of subject matter experts to work on the Guidelines and transformed what’s often believed to be a very dry code development process into one marked by irreverent fun, a passion for health and residential care built environments, and a relentless commitment to excellence. Doug will continue to work with staff and the board of directors to ensure a smooth transition and will serve as CEO Emeritus through December 31, 2023.
Heather Livingston, MSL, was promoted from Chief Operating Officer and Managing Editor to CEO on July 1, 2023. Heather began working for FGI as a part-time editor in 2011. In 2018, she was promoted to Director of Operations and Managing Editor. In her role as Director of Operations, she instituted business development improvements and processes that proved critical to helping FGI boost revenues and gain financial independence. As Managing Editor, she oversaw the publication of the 2022 Guidelines and the white paper “Guidance for Designing Health and Residential Care Facilities that Respond and Adapt to Emergency Conditions,” which was created to provide practical guidance on setting up temporary facilities and adapting existing health and residential care facilities to meet the needs of various emergency conditions.
In 2021, Heather became FGI’s Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she led the effort to create FGI’s digital library and e-commerce site, a project that enabled users of the Guidelines to access all FGI content from one location. Heather holds a Master of Studies in Law from Wake Forest University. As CEO, she will continue to develop and direct strategic initiatives to ensure the organization’s financial and operational excellence.
Also on July 1, 2023, John L. Williams took on the new role of Vice President, Content and Outreach. John brings 30 years of experience in healthcare design and regulation to FGI. As Executive Director of Construction Review Services for the Washington State Department of Health, John assures healthcare facilities are built to state licensing, federal certification, and building code requirements. In his new part-time position with FGI, John will serve as technical content expert and industry and government liaison and will lead efforts to educate various groups on the importance of healthcare design standards. This position will be key in supporting FGI’s mission to establish and promote consensus-based Guidelines and publications, advised by research, to advance quality healthcare.
Changes to the FGI Board
Tina Duncan, AIA, ACHA, CBO, Principal and Director of Codes and Standards, HKS Inc. in Dallas, has been named President-Elect of the FGI board. Tina has 22 years of experience as a project architect and healthcare planner. She currently chairs the Codes and Standards Committee for the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health (AIA/AAH) and the Dallas AIA Codes and Standards Council. Tina will assume the mantle of President on January 1, 2024. FGI board President Kenneth N. Cates, SASHE, CHC, CEO of Northstar Management Inc. in St. Louis, will continue to serve on the board as immediate Past President.
Five new members have recently been appointed to the FGI board of directors: Brian Adams, AIA; Heather Livingston; D. Paul “Shack” Shackelford Jr., MD, FACOG; Michael P. Sheerin, PE, LEED AP; and John Williams. Brian is the Manager of Facility Planning at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa and is currently leading a $550 million strategic master facility planning campaign that includes a 144-bed surgical/inpatient tower expansion and a behavioral and mental health hospital. Shack, a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, has been a member of the HGRC since 2007. Michael is CEO of TLC Engineering Solutions Inc. in Orlando, Florida and has served as chair of the ASHRAE Standard 170 and Standard 189.3 committees and the NFPA 99 mechanical subcommittee. Brian, Paul, and Michael fill positions that will be vacated at the end of the year by Julie Benezet, MSc; Doug Erickson; and James R. “Skip” Gregory, NCARB. Heather joins the board as CEO and John joins as the Chair of the 2026 HGRC.
Learn about FGI’s new board members at fgiguidelines.org/about-fgi.
Source: Facility Guidelines Institute
