Code Council voting members elect 2019–2020 board officers, directors

Members of the International Code Council welcomed a new slate of officers and directors to its 2019–2020 board of directors during the Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 21, 2019, at the ICC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. Three senior officers were elected to the executive committee and five directors were elected or re-elected by eligible Governmental Member Voting Representatives and Honorary Members to serve on the board.

The board is comprised of four officers, eight at-large directors and six sectional directors who all serve the interests of code professionals in the building safety industry through advocacy, education and research; set the strategic direction for the association; and act as the voice of the association’s 64,000 members across the country and around the world.

President Greg Wheeler

Taking the helm as president of the Code Council board this year is Greg Wheeler, CBO, a Colorado building official with a career spanning more than 35 years in the building safety industry. Wheeler is the chief building official for Thornton, Colo. He serves as the chair of the ICC Disaster Assessment Ad-hoc Committee and as a member of the ICC–NCSEA Disaster Response Oversight Committee; serves on the Colorado State Board of Appeals for School Construction; and is a charter member and former president of the Colorado Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials.

Before being elected as a director on the Code Council board in 2012, Wheeler had already served on and/or led a multitude of Code Council committees, including the Codes and Standards Council, Chair of the Board of International Professional Standards, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the International Existing Building Code and Chair of the International Building Code Council. He was elected secretary/treasurer of the Code Council board in 2017.

As part of the code process that would ultimately help create a safe built environment not only in the United States but throughout the world, Wheeler hopes to help people realize the codes are there not only to help but to challenge them to improve the codes through strong involvement. “It has been an honor to serve the Code Council in many capacities,” said Wheeler. “It is my intention to continue the success of the company as the premier resource for all involved in the built environment.”

Wheeler unveiled his presidential theme for the upcoming year — Building a Strong Foundation to Sustain a Resilient Future — and spoke on the important work of members, the Code Council and fellow code professionals in ensuring that working today will prepare the industry for tomorrow by building a strong foundation to sustain a resilient future. Focusing on building safety and preparing for the future by adopting and enforcing building codes to prevent structural collapse, natural disasters and fires; building resilient communities to withstand future disasters; and adapting along with advancements in digital transformative technology. Part of building a strong foundation includes the important work that the Code Council has accomplished during the Safety 2.0 initiative, which includes programs such as the High School and College Technical Training programs, the Building Safety Career Path and Value of the Code Official initiatives, the Chapter Leadership Academy, and the Military Families Career Path Program.

Vice President Cindy Davis

Cindy Davis, CBO, deputy director of the Division of Building and Fire Regulations for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, was vice president of the Code Council board. With more than 25 years of experience in the building safety industry, she serves on the board of the National Institute of Building Sciences and has managed to have a major effect on the Virginia code world — she spearheaded the move to reconfigure the Code Council’s cloud-based code process, cdpACCESS, to cut through cumbersome paper documents for Virginia stakeholders.

An ICC Honorary Member, Davis is the only woman to have served on the board of the Building Officials and Code Administrators International before it consolidated with the other legacy organizations to form the International Code Council in 2003. She also is a member of the Women in Code Enforcement and Development of Virginia (WICED of VA) chapter — a professional organization promoting the value, recognition and professional development of women in code enforcement and development within the Commonwealth of Virginia — which became the first state chapter of the national WICED organization as well as the first woman-focused International Code Council state chapter in the nation in December 2015.

A proponent of mentoring, education, networking and collaboration, Davis hopes to spread the word about what code officials and building officials do every day. “Building officials and code officials don’t get as much awareness as police or firefighters who are recognized for ‘responding,’” said Davis. “Code officials are proactive, reducing the need for response, keeping people safe and providing a resilient built environment for the community.”

Secretary/Treasurer Michael Wich

Michael Wich, CBO, director of building code administration and chief building official for the South Central Planning and Development Commission in Houma, La., was elected secretary/treasurer of the Code Council board. This code official, engineer and former home builder has served on the Code Council Board of Directors for the last four years. Wich leads the regional-based code enforcement program that serves six parishes and five municipalities in Southwest Louisiana. After owning and operating a residential construction company for eight years, Wich joined the code administration field in 2007.

“Serving on the ICC board allows me to help raise awareness of what code officials and our organization do to protect citizens in the built environment,” Wich said. “Since Katrina, we have made great strides in improving building and fire safety in communities across the region. It is an honor to be able to work with my fellow ICC Board members and colleagues to continue spreading this important message on the national and global levels.”

A Certified Building Official, Wich also holds Combination Residential Inspector and Commercial Building, Plumbing, and Electrical Inspector certifications from the Code Council. He is a Past President of the Building Officials Association of Louisiana, serving on the Chapter Board since 2009, and is a member of the boards of the Louisiana Homebuilders Association and Southwest Louisiana Homebuilders Association.

“It is a major commitment to serve on the ICC Board of Directors and that commitment is even greater on the executive committee,” said Wich. “I look forward to continuing to serve our outstanding membership.”

Immediate Past President William R. Bryant

Remaining on the association’s leadership as immediate past president of the ICC board is William R. Bryant, MCP, CBO, the assistant director of Inspections and Permits for Anne Arundel County, Md. With more than 30 years of experience in the building safety industry, he is a former president of the Maryland Building Officials Association and was one of the first ICC-certified master code professionals.

Beginning as a plan reviewer for Anne Arundel County in 1989, Bryant’s lifelong mission has been to create an atmosphere of cooperation and common sense with the goal of keeping people safe. He ran for election to the Code Council board in 2012 for the same reason he got into the business in the first place: He saw a need to find a way to make the codes even better so people can be safer.

“These are really challenging times,” said Bryant. “There is a great need for some clear thinking. We need to revitalize the membership. We have to find out what they want; what they need. We may not be able to give them everything, but we can at least give them an answer.”

Directors At Large and Sectional Directors

Voting members also elected representatives to two sectional director positions and three at-large director positions on the Code Council board during the Annual Business Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.

Michael L. Savage, Sr., MCP, CBO, CFPS, CEI-M, director of building safety for Marion County, Fla., was elected as an at-large director for a three-year term. Savage has been in the inspection field for more than 23 years, as a plans examiner, a combination inspector, a chief inspector and chief building official. He holds more than 35 ICC certifications, including Master Code Professional and Certified Building Official, and is actively involved in the code development process serving on both the ICC Compliance Code Action Committee and the ICC Code Correlation Committee. He is president of the Central New Mexico Chapter of Building Officials and a past president of ICC Region XI.

Mike Boso, chief building and zoning official for Grove City, Ohio, was re-elected as an at-large director for a three-year term. Boso began his career in his hometown of Grove City, Ohio, as a building inspector at the age of 25. Years later, he was appointed chief building and zoning official of Grove City, where he continues to serve today. “Construction was something I was always into as a kid,” Boso remembers. During his freshman year of high school, he shadowed the local building official, William Lotz, who later became his mentor. This first exposure to the building inspection profession sparked his interest to learn more and dive deeper into the field.

Steve McDaniel, code enforcement officer for the city of Corning, N.Y., was re-elected as an at-large director for a three-year term. For more than two decades, he has applied his expertise and advanced skills to serve as a code enforcement officer in Corning. In addition to code enforcement, McDaniel has served as a building consultant and for many years ran his own contracting business. From inspections to being a part of legislation creation, he has made a significant impact over the years within the building safety community. “My introduction to the building industry came out of a need for money for survival,” says McDaniel. “However, over the years I’ve developed so much pride for what I do. It has been a very rewarding career, especially having started with so little.”

Alan Boswell, MCP, CBO, Chief Building Official for Tuscaloosa, Ala., was re-elected to the board as a Section F director for a three-year term. Section F includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Caribbean. Awarded the 2011 Code Official of the Year Award from the Code Council, Boswell has served on the Building Membership Council Governing Committee to help improve the standing of code professionals in the community as well as the board for the Code Council’s Region IX. Boswell believes in creating opportunities for someone new, with new ideas, to step up. “If someone didn’t give me the chances I’ve had,” he said, “I wouldn’t be the person I am. That’s how you grow people.”

Tom Peterson, assistant state building official for the Division of Facilities Construction and Management in Utah, was re-elected to the board as a Section C director for a three-year term. Section C includes the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and the country of Mexico. Having gained a state leadership position at the relatively young age of 38, Peterson has been well poised to draw in and mentor the next generation of code officials. He believes it is crucial to pay it forward, not only for the individual’s growth but for that of the entire industry. “I’ve always been active in whatever I am a part of, but I really was drawn into ICC while attending my first Annual Business Meeting in Phoenix,” recalls Peterson. “I was welcomed by the membership and by the ICC leaders, who made me feel part of the group. That’s very important to a young person just getting involved.”

ICC board members who did not stand for election this year are:

Director at Large Shirley Ellis, Energy Code Specialist, Energy System Laboratory, Texas A&M University Experiment Station

Director at Large Donny Phipps, CBO, CFM, Director of Building Codes and Inspections, Richland County, South Carolina

Director at Large Jim Sayers, Commercial Plans Examiner, Clackamas County, Oregon

Director at Large David Spencer, CBO, Building Official, Chelan County, Washington

Director at Large Angie Wiese, P.E., CBO, Fire Safety Manager, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Sectional Director Kris Bridges, Building Official, Martinsville, Virginia

Sectional Director Jim Brown, CBO, CFPS, Deputy Building Official, Gillette, Wyoming

Sectional Director Ron Hampton, MCP, CBO, Field Inspector II, Division of Building Code Enforcement, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Commonwealth of Kentucky

Sectional Director Stuart Tom, P.E., CBO, FIAE, Plan Check Coordinator, Burbank, California

Rounding out the association’s leadership is International Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, who heads up a professional staff of 350 and works out of the Code Council’s Eastern Regional Office located in Birmingham, Ala. Appointed to the position in 2012, Sims is responsible for the overall activities and financial performance of the association, including its five subsidiaries.

“We are very grateful to have a board of directors with such extensive expertise in the building safety industry,” said Sims. “These directors volunteer their time to make our buildings safer and our communities more resilient. We thank them for their leadership.”

Click here for the full 2019–2020 board roster.