International Code Council begins search for CEO

The International Code Council (ICC) plans to hire a new Chief Executive Officer before the association's Annual Conference slated for late-September.

"James Lee Witt's stature and worldwide recognition helped to develop ICC's credibility as a leader in public safety, especially in the area of building safety and fire prevention," said ICC Board President Henry Green. "His business and leadership skills, along with unparalleled experience in disaster management, have been a great asset to the association, its members and staff. We thank him for positioning ICC on the path to success."

Witt's tenure as CEO will end on Aug. 1. An international search firm has been retained to work with the Board of Directors to identify the most qualified successor from a pool of internal and external candidates.

Witt's successor will manage the operations of a 40,000-member association, be responsible for the organization's growth and carry out the Code Council's mission, vision and strategic business plan, according to Green. The CEO also will be responsible for continuing ICC's stellar reputation as an organization of experts that develops comprehensive building safety and fire prevention codes to safeguard the public.

Witt also is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA), a firm that provides disaster recovery and mitigation management services to state and local governments, educational institutions, the international community and corporations. He announced his plans to leave ICC recently when GlobalOptions Group, a leading provider of domestic and international risk management services, acquired JLWA.

"I am so proud of what ICC and its members have accomplished," Witt said. "When I was first hired I said our goal is to provide safe buildings. We are doing that and more. Along the Gulf Coast, adoptions of the International Codes contribute to building back stronger and safer after the damage caused by hurricanes. Some of those areas never had building codes before."

Witt is probably best known as the highly acclaimed Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the Clinton administration. He is credited with turning FEMA into an internationally lauded all-hazards disaster management agency from an unsuccessful bureaucracy.

Korn/Ferry International, an executive recruitment firm, will reach out to stakeholders and work closely with the Board of Directors to determine the qualities and skills needed to be the next ICC CEO. Korn/Ferry has conducted more than 100,000 senior-level searches for clients worldwide.

Interested candidates may contact Charles Ingersoll: Charles.Ingersoll@KornFerry.com, (202) 822-9444 (phone), (202) 822-8127 (fax), 1700 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.