Member Spotlight: Karina Hernandez Earns Her CFM

Member Spotlight: Karina Hernandez, CFM

Celebrating a Commitment to Excellence in Facility Management

IFMA Houston is proud to recognize Karina Hernandez, CFM, for earning the prestigious Certified Facility Manager® credential.

Karina currently serves as a Regional Facilities & Consumables Coordinator with Eurofins Environment Testing South Central, LLC, supporting multiple laboratory facilities across the South Central region. Her responsibilities span facility operations, safety compliance, vendor management, purchasing, and process improvement.

For Karina, the variety and problem-solving involved in facility management are what make the profession especially rewarding.

“No two days are ever the same. Every day brings a new opportunity to solve problems, improve processes, and create environments where people can do their best work.” 

Investing in Professional Growth

After earning her Master of Science in Facilities Management, Karina began looking for another opportunity to challenge herself and continue developing professionally.

She viewed the CFM as more than an additional credential. It represented an opportunity to strengthen her knowledge, build confidence across the many disciplines within facility management, and demonstrate her commitment to lifelong learning.

“I wanted to invest in myself and demonstrate my commitment to lifelong learning and excellence in facilities management.”

Overcoming the Challenge

Like many professionals pursuing the CFM, Karina’s greatest challenge was finding time to prepare while maintaining the responsibilities of a full-time career.

The certification exam covers a broad range of facility management competencies and requires candidates to apply their knowledge to realistic workplace scenarios rather than relying solely on memorization.

Although the preparation process was demanding, Karina believes it helped her become a more knowledgeable and well-rounded facility professional.

Advice for Future CFM Candidates

Karina encourages other facility professionals not to postpone pursuing the certification because they feel they need to know everything first.

“Don’t wait until you feel like you know everything—you probably never will, and that’s okay. Trust your experience, stay consistent with your preparation, and remember that every challenge you face in your career is helping prepare you for the exam. The journey is absolutely worth it.”

Looking Ahead

Karina hopes earning the CFM will help her continue growing as a leader and create new opportunities to contribute to the facility management profession.

She is passionate about continuous improvement and creating workplaces that are safe, efficient, compliant, and well managed. As her career progresses, she looks forward to taking on new challenges and making an even greater impact within the facilities she supports.

Education and Professional Background

Karina has approximately four years of facility management experience, primarily supporting laboratory environments where safety, compliance, and operational excellence are essential.

Her educational accomplishments include:

• Certified Facility Manager®, IFMA

• Master of Science in Facilities Management, The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Bachelor of Arts in Biology, University of St. Thomas

• Minors in Theology and Psychology

Beyond Facility Management

Outside of work, Karina describes herself as the silly sister who is always ready for karaoke, a devoted dog mom who enjoys visits to Pucci Café in LaCenterra, and a loving fiancée and stepmother. She especially enjoys planning summer adventures with her family before the school year begins.

Congratulations, Karina!

Please join IFMA Houston in congratulating Karina Hernandez, CFM, on this outstanding professional achievement. Her dedication to professional development, operational excellence, and continuous improvement represents the values of both IFMA and the facility management profession.

We look forward to seeing everything she accomplishes next.

Connect with Karina

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