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James Lee Witt Named New CEO of the International
Code Council
The
Board of Directors is pleased to welcome James Lee Witt as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Code Council (ICC).
James Lee Witt has more than 25 years of leadership and experience in
the field of disaster management, including eight years as the Director
of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The former
Director, a member of President Clinton's Cabinet, is widely recognized
for his expertise in change management and the transformation of FEMA
while under his guidance.
Witt was the visionary and architect of national government programs
related to emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery
to the private sector. During his time at FEMA, he elevated mitigation
and the role that building codes play in building safer and smarter communities.
Witt's position as the CEO of the International Code Council is the culmination
of years of experience with building codes. When he was 21, Witt founded
his first company, a commercial and residential construction company.
He would go on to be elected to six terms as County Judge and tapped by
then-Governor Bill Clinton to serve as the Director of Emergency Management
for the State of Arkansas before going on to Washington, DC to be the
Director of FEMA.
In addition to the new duties Witt will assume in his role as CEO of
the ICC, he will continue in his role as President of James Lee Witt Associates,
LLC.
The Board of Directors would like to thank Bob Heinrich, former CEO of
ICC, for his hard work and contributions during the transition from the
three legacy model code groups (Building Officials and Code Administrators
International, International Conference of Building Officials and Southern
Building Code Congress International) into the International Code Council.
President Paul Myers stated that "With the inclusion of Mr. Witt
as the CEO, we are confident the ICC will continue its growth as a world
class organization that is setting the standard for building safety."
The ICC, a 50,000-member association dedicated to building safety, develops
the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including
homes and schools. Through its founders, the ICC has more than 190 years
of collective experience developing building safety codes that save lives.
The majority of U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose
building and fire safety codes developed by the ICC.
The
Board of Directors is pleased to welcome James Lee Witt as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Code Council (ICC).