Honoring the Code Council’s 2023 Trailblazer Award Recipient, Silvia Gonzalez

Each year, the International Code Council recognizes peers and colleagues who reflect what the association stands for: Dedication to developing model codes, standards and solutions that are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. The Code Council and its Membership Councils honored several outstanding individuals and organizations for their accomplishments and contributions to building safety and resiliency in their communities during the 2023 Annual Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Silvia Gonzalez, the 2023 recipient of the Code Council’s Trailblazer Award, has dedicated much of her time toward educating, mentoring, hiring and promoting individuals in the code enforcement and construction industry. 

“I currently have five new employees and I have to cover everything for them, not including all the training for the apprentices,” Gonzalez, one of four area supervisors in the City of Minneapolis’ Construction Code Services Division, said. “It’s hard. It’s an enormous task when you’re trying to train somebody. It takes a lot of time.”

Gonzalez has also participated in many job resource fairs to explain the code process and the pathway to becoming a code official to those interested in joining the field.

“Teaching and educating folks about the codes is very rewarding,” Gonzalez said. “When you see the light go on, you know you’ve done a good job.”

Along with her other roles, Gonzales serves as Board Secretary and Director at Large for the Minnesota Association of Building Officials (AMBO) where she helps plan and facilitate the Code Council’s Upper Great Plains Region III Educational Institute.

Driven by Hard Work and Following Your Passion

Gonzalez’s drive and hard work can be linked back to her childhood. She was born in Carrizo Springs, Texas, where her parents started their family of six children after having worked picking cotton, digging potatoes and harvesting fruit year after year and in state after state on “the crop circuit.”

At age five, Gonzalez and her family moved to Minneapolis where she spent her childhood and was taught the importance of “resilience and social justice.” She walked her first protest picket with her parents who encouraged her to retain her original language Spanish while also learning English for her schooling.

“They insisted I speak Spanish,” she said. “When they grew up, they were told in school to never speak Spanish. Only English. They were paddled for speaking Spanish. There was a lot of racism going on. They never forgot it and they were very determined to not let it happen to their children.”

As she got older, Gonzalez set her sights on becoming an electrician. She became an Electrical Inspector for the City of Minneapolis in 1994 which then led to her becoming a state certified building official. In both instances, Gonzalez was the first Latino woman in Minnesota history to achieve each status.

This skill set is an important asset for Spanish-speaking residents and business owners because she can communicate and explain policies, ordinances and building codes. Her ability to interrelate with diverse groups and customers has been paramount to providing accessible services to all.

Understanding the Importance of Being a Leader

Gonzalez is the co-creator and facilitator of the CCS Building Inspection Training Program (BITP), which trains housing inspectors to become building inspectors.

She successfully applied for the Minnesota Building Official Grant and the grant was awarded to the City of Minneapolis. She is the administrator of the grant and principal trainer for the next generation of building officials. She has been an active and influential member of City’s R.I.D.E. (Racial Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) committee which has afforded her the ability to amplify and elevate diverse and disparate voices.

Gonzalez has also been a member of the City of Minneapolis Emergency Management team for many years. She received her Basic Emergency Management Certificate from the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in 2022. Her training prepared her for assisting municipalities with damage assessment during natural disasters caused by tornados. Along with other team members, she volunteers her evenings to educate residents on emergency preparedness.

Liz Riel, a lead building inspector with Minneapolis, has long viewed Gonzalez as a role model. “Silvia is someone who will stand up to injustice and a person who addresses biases with tenacity. I admire Silvia’s calm demeanor even when facing adversity. These qualities make her such an effective leader”.

Although Gonzalez no longer works as an electrician, she continued her leadership role with the IBEW Local 292 Electrical Workers Minority Caucus in promoting construction careers for metro area residents. Her role as Vice President of Electrical Workers Minority Caucus provided her an opportunity to mentor women and marginalized groups in the trades. Gonzalez is frequently sought out by young and older people hoping to start a career in building codes.

“Women, people of color typically and just anybody if they have an interest,” she said. “I encourage them no matter what age they are to start the profession. Even women in their 60s, and that’s a big challenge for a lot of them. I give them the tools, plant the seed, and tell them this is a long road, but you can get there if you work hard.” 

Aware of the growing shortage of certified building inspectors, Gonzalez focuses on public events to promote code and construction careers, like at this past year’s Juneteenth holiday celebration in one of the Twin Cities’ many parks.

“We set up a booth with displays on how to be an electrician,” Gonzalez, who also still retains her leadership role with the IBEW Local 292 Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. “We fed them burgers and showed the kids how to strip an electrical wire. Most of them don’t have any idea how to do that, so we show them and get them to practice. It’s all about reaching out to adults and children and teaching them they really can do this. Hopefully, it turns into a career path that doesn’t require four years of college.”

Becoming a Role Model for Others

Breast cancer created a new avenue of challenges and opportunities for Silvia. She endured surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and continued working through treatment. She is grateful to be an 8-year cancer survivor. She also learned that mentorship doesn’t stop at the workplace.

She said women at work or in her network of friends and colleagues started seeking her out when they became diagnosed with cancer. Gonzalez said she, too, kept the diagnosis to herself and worried in solitude until she learned to share her story with others.

“I don’t hide it anymore,” she said, “especially with women who get diagnosed. A city employee who works in another division approached me. I feel touched and happy that I can be that resource for her. We lean on each other.”

“If and when” Gonzalez retires from her career with the City of Minneapolis, she’d like to become a consultant who can choose her hours. She’d like to train and mentor young and older people to become building officials.

It’s not too surprising to people who’ve worked with her, like building inspector Joanne Hager, who is also an officer on the AMBO Board of Directors. Gonzalez inspired her when she talked about her work and role in the community at a local Women in the Trades event.

“That is what a trailblazer and mentor does. They create a path for themselves and open the gate for others to follow behind, all the while mentoring them.”

Interested in recognizing a colleague or mentor for their contributions to the building safety industry? See the Code Council Awards Program page for nomination information and deadlines.