ICC Region VI holds summer outing to reconnect in Rhode Island

It had been almost a full year — since the International Code Council Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — that members of ICC Region VI had a chance to get together, network and talk about common issues. With the pandemic, there hadn’t been much of an opportunity to gather together except, of course, in virtual rooms online through Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Skype.

William (Bill) McKinney, manager and building official of the Building Safety Department for the city of Nashua in New Hampshire and current president (2020–2022) of the New Hampshire Building Officials Association and chair of the ICC Northeast Regional Coalition (NERC) — Region VI, considered getting everyone together for a summer outing where members could relax, talk some shop and see each other face to face. The Leyden Farm Vineyard & Winery in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, seemed the perfect place; everyone was there a few years back for a really nice, smaller gathering.

It was likely no surprise that about 60 people attended the ICC Region VI quarterly meeting on July 15, 2022, at the vineyard and winery, enjoying a backyard barbecue and wine tasting put on by gracious hosts Jack and Maureen Leyden. All 10 of the state chapters from ICC Region VI, including the legacy Eastern States Building Officials Federation (ESBOF) and New England Building Officials Education Association (NEBOEA) turned out for the well-attended event.

Members were able to have a short business meeting to discuss Code Council board candidates they would support at the annual business meeting to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as some cures for common code problems.

“We had been looking for an opportunity to get all three groups and the legacy organizations together,” said Bill Nash, senior regional manager of International Code Council government relations for the New England area. He was joined by Code Council Board Directors Benjamin Breadmore and Mike Boso. “There were a lot of new people in the groups, and we knew of each other, but this was a chance to get to know each other face to face. It was really nice.”

Leyden, Rhode Island State Building Commissioner and former Code Council Board Director, said he was happy to host the Region VI quarterly meeting. “Every chapter was represented,” he said. “It was remarkable. We got the chance to talk issues and talk ideas. It was a chance to help each other with some issues, too.”

Pete Zvingilas, ICC Region VI secretary and NEBOEA chairman, brought members up to date on code issues scheduled to come up at the annual business meeting in Louisville and Ed Cusato, ICC Region VI treasurer and ESBOF president, spoke on code education — an ESBOF mission for decades. “Region VI has the best-trained code professionals in the nation, in my opinion,” said Cusato, fire marshal for the town of Salina, New York. He noted ESBOF sponsors an annual education conference for the chapters. “It was wonderful to get together and share ideas.”

Zvingilas, manager of inspection services for Groton, Connecticut, said it was great to bring ICC Region VI members together in one place to discuss codes since they might be working with 2015, 2018 editions or looking at the 2021 codes. “It was an opportunity to get everyone together on the same page,” he said. “Plus, we have a lot of new people in the region, so it was nice to put a face to the name.” He also said that while remote meetings had, and will continue to have, a place for members who aren’t able to travel, “virtual fatigue” may be setting in for some who have had to attend meetings that way since early 2020.

McKinney still is amazed that representatives from all of ICC Region VI attended. “That’s a tough thing to do,” he said, “It really is. But with these issues, such as the election of board candidates at the annual business meeting, it’s really important to do it in person, to see reactions. Some people on Zoom meetings don’t talk at all. But at this meeting, we wanted to see you and hear from you.”

Nash said everyone had such a good time that Region VI wants to share the love with its brothers and sisters across the country. “We’re trying to see if we can host a Code Council annual business meeting in 2025,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Click here for photos from the event.