In the fall of 1990, Carl Smith of Security Benefit Group gathered together an informal group in response to what was perceived to be overly-restrictive interpretations of building code by the City Building Inspection Department. This group of facility managers organized to voice their opinions to City of Topeka officials.

In the process of responding to the city, this group realized it had a lot in common and decided an organization should be created to allow the members to network, share information, and discuss how to solve similar problems. As a result, the Topeka Facility Managers’ Association (TFMA) was officially organized in the winter and spring of 1991. By May of 1991, TFMA had quickly grown to 22 charter member organizations.

There appeared to be a lot of excitement and interest in the new group during its first year. By the time Carl Smith, TFMA’s first president retired in October of 1992 the organization had matured to close to 40 member businesses. The structure and format of TFMA has essentially stayed the same through the years.