2008 Annual Conference Wrap-Up

Caring About the Code Profession

Leslie Chapman-Henderson, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes CEO and President and Managing Consultant for the ICC Foundation, announced a new program—ICCF Cares—a volunteer initiative that will support, identify and celebrate volunteer service activities of ICC chapters across the country during Monday’s Foundation Luncheon.

Through educational opportunities, a newly developed leadership series and certificate programs, chapters will be able to work with the Foundation to support the code profession. To kick off the new program, Chapman-Henderson challenged ICC chapters to identify and donate 250,000 hours of volunteer service during the coming year—the equivalent of $5 million.

To energize the challenge, the Foundation is establishing a national day of service as part of the Code Council’s Building Safety Week celebrations.

“That’s what raising the profile is about; it’s about getting the message out. You are the community safety officials in your towns and counties,” said Chapman-Henderson.

She also announced that the Foundation is partnering with Rebuilding Together—a nonprofit organization with a 20-year history of more than 100,000 home repairs and upgrades—to help lead and direct the Foundation’s Project H.E.R.O. program.

“We have found the organization to help make Project H.E.R.O. happen,” said Chapman-Henderson. “We are partnering today with a provider who is going to fill the roles we filled. They are going to provide project management expertise; help us find and screen veterans, or the active-duty folks that need the help; and put us in a position to do two things, building things and raising money.”

T.J. Cantwell of Rebuilding Together, then highlighted some of the organization’s recent projects and accepted a check of $50,000 from the Foundation.

Chapman-Henderson closed by quoting former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, “‘If our hope of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we need the engagement of volunteers now more than ever before.’ I think those words were written for us.”

To support the ICC Foundation’s partnership with Rebuilding Together and Project H.E.R.O., ICC Board President Steve Shapiro (second from left) and CEO Rick Weiland (right) present a $50,000 donation to ICCF Managing Consultant Leslie Chapman-Henderson and T.J. Cantwell of Rebuilding Together.
Tom Phillips, Executive Vice President of Property Development for Target Corp., presents the recent initiatives of the company.		Leslie Chapman-Henderson elaborates on the ICC Foundation’s new volunteer initiative, ICCF Cares.		T.J. Cantwell of Rebuilding Together highlights some of the organization’s recent projects.