IEHA recently announced an updated brand identity. This includes a new name and logo to reflect its growth and reach into the health care and hospitality industries.

Formerly known as the International Executive Housekeepers Association, IEHA will now be known as the Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association, a division of ISSA.

The new name reflects IEHA’s commitment and focuses on bringing health care environmental services (EVS) employees—also known as indoor environmental health care workers—to the forefront.

Over the years, much of IEHA’s training initiatives have evolved and become invaluable to the indoor environmental health care industry. The association continues to serve and develop its membership base in health care, hospitality, and other environmental service sectors through relevant and timely news and educational offerings.

We need to focus on health care and hospitality because it represents our present membership. The title “housekeeping” no longer represents our organization or the industry overall. We wanted to move the organization forward, focusing on increased membership and education opportunities in the health care and hospitality industries, while maintaining all other sectors.

Embracing the new identity

The district directors and members are excited and have begun embracing the new brand identity focus. The recent change will allow for the opportunity to increase membership in the areas of health care and hospitality. We understand that we will have some members who are not in health care and hospitality who will struggle with the brand identity focus because it does not specifically promote their sector. Still, every member and sector is vital within the IEHA family. We will work to ensure that every member, regardless of the sector, feels included and understands that we are “One Team with One Mission and One Objective.”

Because IEHA is diverse with members in many sectors that are all equally important, we will continue to provide membership and quality education to all sectors to ensure every member continues to feel a part of the organization. 

Some history

Over the years, IEHA has grown in many ways. We have changed from an all-female organization for many years to include both genders. We switched from general education to world-class education.

In the earlier years, IEHA focused on the hotel industry. The focus eventually moved from primarily the hotel industry to a multi-label industry within the field of environmental services. We have a footprint in the hospitals, airports, higher education, K-12, industries, and more.  

With IEHA being a chapter-based organization in many states within the United States and internationally, it has allowed for strong networking over the years. However, because the industry is rapidly changing, IEHA is decreasing the number of chapters and moving more to a district structure with fewer chapters, while maintaining its networking abilities and footprint worldwide.

In the early years, chapters were strong. Since organizations and companies have evolved, members no longer have time to participate as they did in the past. We need to make it possible for members to be involved using different platforms. Our early focus was on hospitality, and now our focus has evolved into a need for easier access to quality education and networking.

What can the industry expect from the new IEHA in 2021? More education, more training, increased accessibility and networking platforms, and a stronger member-based organization.