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Board Profile: Terry Cobb
"I know they don't get a lot of pats on the back.
They're out there working for the public safety; they're
the unsung heroes. They're not like firefighters and
police officers in uniforms, with fire trucks or special
cars with flashing lights. There's not a lot of attention
paid to them; in fact, they probably get more negative
comments than they get positive comments. But they know
the good they're doing, and I'm proud of every one of
them."
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"It's not about me," says Terry Cobb, when asked
about his role on the ICC Board. "It's all about serving
the members, and making sure the organization is responsive
to the members and communicates well with them."
 It's
not just that he's modest; it has to do with his perspective:
Cobb focuses on the people he is on the Board to represent.
"We are a membership organization. We serve our members.
We have a mission of public safety, but we accomplish that
by providing service to our members who are all engaged in
the business of public safety. We have a mission of public
safety because that's what our members want our mission to
be."
As director of codes and building safety for Nashville, Tenn.,
Cobb represents one of the bigger jurisdictions on the Board.
And since Nashville was one of the first cities asked to form
the legacy organization he represented before the merger,
Cobb also brings a certain amount of history to the Board,
even though he has served a lesser amount of time as a Board
member than some. "I was elected to the [legacy] Board
in 1999. Not that long in comparison to some of them on the
Board," he says. "I think some Board members have
been involved in the Boards for the legacy organizations for
15 or 20 years, but I'm a relative newcomer."
Cobb also brings key relationships that are important to the
success of ICC's work. "I think that all the Board members,
each and every one of the members brings a different background
and perspective to the Board. If we all came from the same
background and we all thought just alike on everything, then
all of us aren't needed. We do come from different backgrounds,
with different life experiences, different viewpoints and
we each have something unique about each of us. Mine may be
my affiliation with the Homebuilders Association."
 The
President of his legacy organization asked him to serve, in
large part because of that affiliation. "The Code Council
has always looked at the homebuilders association as one of
its strategic partners, and I think he knew that I was well
enough known within the homebuilders organization and other
contractor type organizations that I might be able to assist
in maintaining those relationships," Cobb explains.
Cobb takes pride in the work that ICC does on behalf of its
members. "Every now and then you'll read in the newspaper,
usually on page two or three, where the roof collapsed on
a church in some African or Middle Eastern or Asian country
and 400 people were injured when the roof collapsed on the
church. You don't read that type of thing about buildings
within the United States, and fortunately you don't read those
kinds of stories about buildings in Nashville, Tenn. So when
I see those in the paper, I think, 'That's what we do. That's
why we come to work each day.'"
He knows that having pride in his work is important, especially
since this is not a job that is often noticed by others. "In
this business you don't get a lot of pats on the back,"
he points out. "You're the regulator, and you're the
guy that's having to tell the contactor, 'No, this is not
right, you're going to have to correct this, build it to comply
with the code.' You are imposing upon his time and his project
schedule and telling him things he would really rather not
hear. So you don't get a lot of pats on the back. You just
have to take some self satisfaction in knowing that every
day you do the absolute best you can to do a good job, and
when you do it really well, nothing happens."
 Like
his role on the Board, Cobb's pride extends well beyond himself
to encompass those he works with and represents. "I've
got 99 employees in this department and the attitude I have
is that I'm just privileged. These are really fine people,
and they are working hard for people's safety and it's just
a privilege to be associated with them," he says. "I
think that way about code officials. They are our members.
I know they don't get a lot of pats on the back. They're out
there working for the public safety; they're the unsung heroes.
They're not like firefighters and police officers in uniforms,
with fire trucks or special cars with flashing lights. There's
not a lot of attention paid to them; in fact, they probably
get more negative comments than they get positive comments.
But they know the good they're doing, and I'm proud of every
one of them."
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Introduction
Board of Directors
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Procedures
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