Over 150 Nashville Codes Staff to Attend the ICC Annual Conference and Expo

The ICC Annual Conference and Expo will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 18-21. This year’s event brings together premier educational sessions, meaningful networking, an inspiring keynote address, musical entertainment and opportunities to volunteer locally. 

Dalton Thomas, Safety and Training Coordinator for the Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety Department, said the conference’s arrival in Nashville prompted him to ask the city to allow 150 to 200 department employees to attend. 

“I’ve done a lot more outreach with ICC members, trying to build that rapport with them, and my department is looking to grow that relationship between the city of Nashville and ICC,” said Thomas. 

“The state of Tennessee mandates inspection staff to be ICC certified,” said Thomas. “We wouldn’t be able to perform inspections based on state law without those certifications, and understanding the International Codes® (I-Codes®) gives us a unified direction for what we enforce and what certifications we can obtain.” 

Conference Education Supports Certification Needs 

One of the main reasons so many Nashville city staff members are attending this year’s conference is to pursue additional education opportunities. 

“We’ve got licenses and certifications that our staff have to maintain, and they need Continuing Education Unit (CEU) hours in order to maintain those certifications and licenses,” said Thomas. “This conference is an opportunity for them to gain more education while keeping up those certifications and state licenses. It is also a time when our staff can talk with other conference attendees and let them know that Nashville is still growing as a city and becoming a great destination.” 

Participation in ICC’s conference education opportunities, Annual Business Meeting and keynote can earn the following CEUs to help maintain or earn certifications (totaling up to 32.7 hours or 3.27 CEUs): 

• WICED/PTN/ICC Day of Service Volunteer Outing (Saturday, Oct. 17) – Earn 7 hours or 0.7 CEUs
• Building Tours (Sat. Oct 17 & Sun. Oct. 18 & Mon. Oct. 19) – Earn up to 11 hours or 1.1 CEUs
• Expo Talks (Sunday, Oct. 18 & Monday, Oct. 19) – Earn up to 5 hours or 0.5 CEUs
• Keynote Address and Q&A (Monday, Oct. 19) – Earn 2 hours or 0.2 CEUs
• Annual Business Meeting (Monday, Oct. 19) – Earn 2 hours or 0.2 CEUs
• Insight Education (Monday, Oct. 19) – Earn 1.5 hours or 0.15 CEUs
• Conference Education Program (Tuesday, Oct. 20) – Earn up to 6 hours or 0.6 CEUs 

Bringing Training Lessons Back to Local Government 

For Thomas, one of the biggest advantages of attending the conference is the opportunity to learn more efficient ways to train city employees. 

“A lot of jurisdictions don’t have a training division, and learning more about the training aspect and giving knowledge to others really goes a long way,” said Thomas. “Having a training division not only helps staff become certified and licensed for your municipality, but it also helps those staff members keep up those certifications. That’s why I encourage communities to send at least one staff member to this conference, so they can learn and network with professionals, then bring that knowledge back to help municipalities stay up to code.” 

Register now for the upcoming ICC Annual Conference and Expo. Early access applications are available until September. Learn more about this year’s conference here.