Code professional profile: Kecia Lara

The phrase that embodies Kecia Lara’s career success is “I found my purpose.” A code supervisor in the Austin Code Department in Texas, her work empowers the residents of Austin through knowledge; allowing many of them to self-help and stand up for themselves. Education and training also play a large role in making her day-to-day work more impactful.

As a supervisor of seven inspectors and one investigator on the central east team, Lara prioritizes education and collaboration when possible. She tries to avoid the usual routine of “performing inspections based on complaints” and seeks only to use enforcement as a final measure. “I try to work with tenants and property owners,” Lara emphasized. She frequently tells her team that they cannot be afraid to get out of their vehicles, knock on doors and talk to people. “Get to know your community. The more we can educate people, the easier our jobs become.”

Continued education and networking played a significant role in helping Lara advance from a call center representative in Columbia, South Carolina, to a code supervisor in Austin, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. While the jump in career and location after 14 years with the Richland County, South Carolina, may seem like an unexpected leap to some, to Lara it was all a part of the plan. “I knew I wanted to work in government, so I took the first job available in the call center,” she explained. “When I was able to take an opening in the building department [in 2005] as a permit tech, that was my first step into code enforcement.”

With a passion for working at the local level and passing on her knowledge to the public, one of her department’s missions is to build a greater and safer Austin through education and collaboration. She hopes to help her community understand that rules and regulations are in place for their benefit. She takes pride in her first-hand ability to make communities safer. “I get pleasure when I get voluntary compliance because I’ve given someone all of the resources and education they need.”

Drawing from her personal experience, Lara believes a true passion for code enforcement is needed to help people and transform a community into a safer place to live, work and play. “It’s the passion for code enforcement that drives me,” she shared. While the job can be sometimes thankless, “there will be many withdrawals and few deposits,” it’s important to remember the purpose and carry on.

“We encounter irate, upset and frustrated people in this job.” Lara said, “and some people are on the defense as soon as they see government logos.” She advises the importance of emotional intelligence and suggests separating personal feelings from the situation, remaining calm and listening.

With the retirement of many individuals in her profession Lara is concerned that crucial knowledge may not be passing on to future code professionals. “I always worry if we are going to have a gap,” she explained. It is this commitment to the education and training of the up-and-coming generation that drives her to seize every educational opportunity that comes her way. “You need to have self-initiative, believe you can always learn something new and keep an open mind,” she shared. “If you act like you know everything, that’s when you get left behind.”

Following her own advice, Lara chose to get involved with the International Code Council. She has participated in several Code Council committees and chapters, including the International Property Maintenance and Housing/Zoning Exam Development Committee as well as the PermitTechNation Association Chapter, the South Carolina Permit Technicians Association Chapter, the Palmetto Property Maintenance Association Chapter, and actively participates in the Women In Code Enforcement and Development (WICED), and the American Association of Code Enforcement. She is also studying to take the CBO exam, which will qualify her to become a certified building official. The end goal is to achieve the coveted Master Code Professional certification, the pinnacle of all Code Council certifications that represents the commitment to the profession, diverse knowledge of codes and a high level of self-initiative. “The ICC is a great resource and place to network,” she said. “When you have certain questions, everyone just comes online and helps you ascertain the info you need. What else can you ask for?” She also plans to return to school to obtain her Ph.D. in business.

While many people jokingly call her “Ms. ICC,” that doesn’t stop her from promoting the Code Council to her staff. “The International Property Maintenance and Housing Certification Internationa Zoning Certification are preferred qualifications in my department,” she said. “I encourage people to get those certifications, then get the International Residential Code Inspector Certification. This will help your inspections by broadening their understanding of the terminology and building laws.”

For now, Lara’s thankful for the network of people available to help within the Code Council and she will continue being an active member of the association. “I believe all jurisdictions should adopt ICC’s codes, either verbatim or with amendments,” she proclaimed. “The ICC has made the U.S. and some foreign countries a safer place to live, work and play.”