International Code Council Honors Extraordinary Building Safety Professionals at 2023 Annual Conference
Individuals and organizations recognized for their exemplary work and service to their communities, the building safety industry and the International Code Council.
During the International Code Council’s 2023 Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO, individuals, chapters, and organizations were honored for their accomplishments and service to their communities, the building safety industry, and the Code Council.
SEE RELATED: Code Council Voting Members Elect 2023–2024 Board Officers and Directors
The following awards were presented during the Code Council’s Annual Conference
The Bobby J. Fowler Award honors the legacy of the organization’s first chairman of the Board of Directors. The award is presented to a leader who demonstrates compassion, professionalism, and integrity in their duties. This year’s Fowler Award was presented to James “Jimmy” Brothers, Past President of the Code Council Board of Directors and retired Building Official for the City of Decatur, Alabama.
The Chapter of the Year Award is awarded to the chapter that best promotes the goals and mission of the Code Council. This year’s winner is the Building Inspectors Association of Nassau County.
The Chapter Merit Award is dedicated to chapters exhibiting the Code Council’s goals and objectives. This year’s award went to the ICC Midwest Region V Chapter.
The Community Service Award is given to those with outstanding service and promotes their local community’s public health, safety, and welfare. This year’s recipient is the City of St. Cloud Health and Inspections Department.
The Educator of the Year Award acknowledges excellence in promoting professional development and is given in memory of Brent Snyder, a renowned Code Council educator, and past presiding officer, who was known for his calm and inspiring leadership qualities. Rob Neale, Owner and Principal of Integra Code Consultants was named the 2023 Educator of the Year.
The Gerald H. Jones Code Official of the Year Award is given to an individual who has helped promote the code enforcement profession and carries out the Code Council’s mission. Presented in honor of the founders of the three model code organizations, this year’s winner of the Code Official of the Year is Raj Patel, President of JAS Pacific, Inc. and Secretary/Treasurer for the California Building Officials.
The PMG Leadership Award is given to an individual or organization for exceptional service to the plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, and swimming pool/spa (PMG) industry. This year’s recipient is Lee Clifton, Former Principal Inspector for the City of Los Angeles.
The Robert W. Gain Fire Prevention Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and longstanding dedication to the support of fire codes and fire prevention. Greg Rogers, Fire Marshall for the Spokane Valley Fire Department, is the 2023 recipient.
The Regions Spotlight Award is presented to a regional chapter that has demonstrated strong cooperation among the chapters that make up the region, advancement of professionalism among its members, strong community service, and growth in membership. This year’s recipient is Region I of the Code Council, highlighting the contributions of Tim Spears through Region I Radio.
The following Code Council award recipients will be honored with their awards outside of the Annual Conference
The Excellence in Public Safety Award recognizes a member with exceptional integrity, professionalism, and dedication to public service. This year’s winner is Charles Simpson, Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Killeen, Texas.
The Global Award acknowledges distinguished service to the Code Council’s global mission and vision. The 2023 recipient is the Pakistan Engineering Council.
The National Leadership in Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Award recognizes contributions to the growth and enhancement of codes or public policy embracing the Code Council’s goal of advancing sustainability and energy efficiency. The winner of the 2023 Leadership in Sustainability award is Gayathri Vijayakumar, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates.
The Raising the Profile Award recognizes acts or contributions that raise public awareness of accomplishments by code personnel that improve public safety in the built environment. Dan Carlson, Building Official for the City of Wilsonville, Oregon and Adjunct Professor at Chemeketa Community College, was presented with this year’s award.
The Trailblazer Award recognizes an outstanding mentor in the building safety industry who guides and inspires others in their code-related careers. This year’s award is presented to Silvia Gonzalez, District Supervisor, CPED Construction Code Services for the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The W. Scott Copp Chapter Leadership Award recognizes a chapter or individual who champions the Code Council mission and inspires others to become Code Council leaders. This is the inaugural year for this prestigious award, which honors the memory of Scott Copp, a true leader who dedicated his career to advancing building safety at the local, state, regional, and national levels. This year’s award is presented to the Oregon Permit Technicians Association.
The Code Council congratulates all the 2023 award recipients.
To learn more about the awards, please visit here.
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
