Davida Dean

Some careers stay linear. Others come together through chance, hard work, and a curiosity that sees stories hiding inside floor plans.

For Davida Dean, Facilities Manager, North America, with Impec Group, embedded at Rambus Inc., the turning point came when her VP, Jeff Knight, challenged her to see herself as more than “just an admin.” He encouraged her to envision a career, not just a job—and that changed everything. Co-workers helped her learn the technical side of facilities and supported her as she stepped confidently into a male-dominated field. Their mentorship helped her build a career rooted in capability, not titles.

Davida’s leadership is grounded in stewardship and proactive care. “Facilities management isn’t glamorous—it’s discipline, preparation, and creating environments where people feel safe and productive,” she said.

Her core values—protection, empowerment, integrity, and adaptability—shape every decision, from capital planning to crisis response. “My promise is simple: deliver operational excellence with integrity and foster spaces where teams can thrive.”

Training and education quickly became central to Davida’s growth. She earned her FMP through IFMA, took full advantage of every training opportunity, and often says that curiosity—and a library card—can take you further than you think. After raising three sons, she returned to school and is on track to finish her associate degree this summer and her bachelor’s by 2027. Her leadership style draws on the EDGE method she learned as a scout master: explain, demonstrate, guide, and enable. “I want my team to understand the ‘why’ behind the work,” she said. “That’s how you build capability and credibility.”

Before entering facilities management, Davida held roles that shaped her perspective. As an Executive Assistant, she learned how decisions get made and how to lead without direct authority. At Onyx, she managed admins for the first time, gaining early leadership experience. Her time in Government Affairs at HP taught her how policy moves behind the scenes. Even early work in call centers and retail taught her resilience and adaptability. Watching her mother and sister succeed in the military and law enforcement showed her what it takes to thrive in tough, male-dominated environments.

Her day starts early—often before 6:00 AM—so she can walk the building before employees arrive. She checks every floor every floor and reviews overall building health at least once a week, checking every door handle, turnstile, light switch, and spot checking the thermostats to ensure they read the proper temperature. While her maintenance team has this task assigned to them weekly, ensuring operational efficiency ultimately is her responsibility. While others work from home, facilities teams keep the operational backbone running. Her days blend long-term strategy with real-time problem-solving, often in partnership with IT and Security because physical and digital systems now operate as one.

Even the best-planned day can shift instantly. Equipment failures, safety concerns, or leadership requests can reset priorities before mid-morning. Davida jokingly called herself the “Mom of the building,” the person who will stop a spreadsheet review to help locate a missing oscilloscope or check room temperatures with her pocket thermometer. “Comfort drives productivity,” she said. And if she’s still buried in a spreadsheet after 5 PM, her team knows to tap her on the shoulder and remind her to go home.

When friends ask what she does, she tells them she’s the one who makes sure the building works. If the lights are on, the HVAC is steady, and the space feels safe and welcoming, she and her team made that possible. It’s about responsibility, care, and creating environments where people can do their best work.

For women considering facilities management, Davida’s advice is simple: don’t fear the technical side—you can learn it. Curiosity, communication, and problem-solving matter more. When she joined the field after two decades as an executive assistant, she dove into as-builts, shadowed technicians, and asked every question she could think of. That curiosity has been her superpower. Facilities management is evolving rapidly with automation, new technologies, and AI-driven systems. Davida believes women are positioned to guide that future with logic, empathy, and purpose.