Forging a Titan: An Inside Look at Bob Heinrich’s Almost Four Decades in the Building Safety Industry

Building safety is a cornerstone of public welfare, but behind the scenes, it requires dedicated professionals to ensure our structures remain secure and up to code. One such expert is Bob Heinrich, President/Principal of VCA Consultants in California.  

From being the Anaheim building official for Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, to opening his own fire protection business and playing a leadership role in the consolidation of the International Code Council, Heinrich’s journey is both inspiring and educational. 

As part of the Code Council’s 30th anniversary celebration, the Building Safety Journal spoke with Heinrich about his experience in the building safety industry. 

Early Beginnings in Building Safety 

Heinrich’s story began in Chowchilla, a small city in central California named after a local Native American tribe. Growing up in a farming community, Heinrich was exposed early on to the world of agriculture through his father, who owned a contract farming/heavy equipment firm. However, Heinrich didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps; he wanted to forge his own path in a professional field. 

Driven by an ability in painting and drawing, Heinrich pursued a degree in architectural design. Early in his career in architecture, he found he had little say in technical decisions like choosing beam sizes for his projects that impacted sightlines. This led him to switch to engineering to gain more control and knowledge about the structural elements essential for building safety. He then graduated from Fresno State University with an engineering degree. 

Today, Heinrich leads the governmental and green businesses of VCA Consultants (VCA Code). He oversees governmental services including plan review and the staffing of various critical roles, from permit technicians to city engineers, planners and building officials. VCA Code also boasts a leading green energy and sustainability division, reflecting the firm’s commitment to client driven sustainable building practices. 

Contributing to the Establishment of the International Code Council 

Heinrich’s career took a significant turn when he began working with one of the Code Council’s legacy organizations, the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), in 1982.  

“I went to work for Los Angeles County as a plan checker and I was there for about 2 1/2 years when one of the legacy organizations to the Code Council, ICBO, contacted me and asked me to come to work for them,” said Heinrich. “That’s how I got involved with [what would be] the Code Council.” 

Starting in the ICBO research department, now ICC Evaluation Services (ICC-ES), he quickly advanced through various roles, including Director of Computer Services and Products, Director of IT, Vice President of Administration, EVP/COO and eventually CEO. As ICBO’s CEO he signed the documents on behalf of the Board and the membership that made ICBO one of the three founding organizations of the Code Council. 

“Like most people, I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” reflected Heinrich. “I saw that ICBO published code books, but I didn’t know who they were yet. And then getting involved with what is now ICC-ES was really cool, because I got to work with all this innovative technology that nobody else had heard of before.” 

As a precursor to the Code Council, Jon Traw, CEO of ICBO, Paul Heilstedt, CEO of the Building Officials & Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), and Bill Tangye, CEO of the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI), established Council of American Building Officials (CABO), aiming to create a cooperative framework. 

As talks to establish the Code Council escalated, the three CEOs conducted regular meetings where Heinrich, who at the time was the Executive Vice President of ICBO, was brought in as an observer and later suggested by Heilstedt to act as a “chief of staff” for the CEOs. Heinrich took on a pivotal role, dealing with initial integration issues, cultural issues, staff roles and legal issues.  

After the Code Council was established, and before the three legacy organizations were consolidated in 2003, the Board selected Bill Tangye as the Code Council’s first CEO. Sadly, Bill Tangye died and Heinrich was selected as the interim CEO of the Code Council. With other Board members and executives, Heinrich signed documents to create a unified Code Council made up of BOCA, ICBO and SBCCI, with more than 190 years of combined building and fire safety code development. Heinrich’s leadership and problem-solving skills were crucial in legitimizing the Code Council, marking it as a significant effort in his career. 

Heinrich recalls the early days of the Code Council, filled with many challenges, and increased public attention due to the anticipation of more unified building codes. He learned invaluable lessons from this experience as the staff member dealing with the merger consultants, lawyers and accountants who were experts in organizational consolidation. He applied this knowledge throughout his career, including the importance of effective company mergers and leadership mentoring. He is using these learned skills today in his role with VCA. 

A Passion for Fire Safety 

At the age of 15, Heinrich survived a gasoline fire that nearly claimed his life, leading to an extended hospital stay and a year and a half of convalescence. This traumatic event instilled a passion for fire safety and a deep desire to help others avoid similar ordeals.  

When Heinrich learned about ICBO’s efforts in fire safety (and later the Code Council), he was inspired to contribute to their mission. He became dedicated to developing fire safety measures and sharing best practices, aiming to prevent fire-related incidents.  

“When I realized what ICBO did, I realized, through the fire safety side, I can help people. And with my help, hopefully kids my age never experienced what I went through.” 

This commitment led him to open his own fire protection company, which he managed for about a decade. Additionally, Heinrich has been an active volunteer for burn survivor non-profits, continuously working to support and protect others from the dangers of fire. 

Vision for the Future of Building Safety 

Heinrich sees a challenging-but-opportunistic future for the building safety industry, driven by many changes such as technological advancements and the rise of new leadership. He is particularly excited about innovations that will revolutionize the industry and enhance safety standards, and hopes the Code Council will never forget that its governmental membership is the soul of the organization. 

“I think the Code Council has a really exciting opportunity in front of them to look out the windshield and go, wow, look what we can do,” he shared. 

Heinrich believes in the importance of passion-driven work and advises aspiring professionals to pursue what they love rather than chase money (something Jon Traw often used to tell him).   

“There’s an old saying that goes, if you find a position, you find a job; if you find a career that you have passion about and you love, you’ll never work a day of your life,” said Heinrich.  

For those looking to enter the field, Heinrich emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor and building a career around one’s passions. He reflects on his own career, noting that his success stemmed from his love of leadership, business development and nurturing talent within each organization.  

See Related: Get Connected: International Code Council Launches New Online Member Community 

“I’ve always been a fan of servant leadership and helping others, like the Code Council members, serving people that can move up to be the next generation of leaders. That’s something that speaks to my soul.” 

When asked who stands out to him that he would like to recognize, he said that there are just too many who have mentored him and became dear friends over the years to name. “This industry has blessed me with friends all over the globe.” 

Stay tuned for updates on the anniversary celebrations by visiting the Code Council’s 30th anniversary website here.