Colorado’s Cornelia Orzescu Finds Her Mission in Building Safety

Cornelia Orzescu, CBO, prefers that her actions speak louder than her words; she also has plenty of wisdom to share. She embraces learning new things, challenging herself and streamlining processes. She also enjoys the collaboration aspects of her work in the building safety industry and strives to recruit young people to join the profession. With all these attributes working for her, it is no surprise that Orzescu has advanced in her career path while simultaneously supporting the International Code Council in various roles.

Orzescu is Chief Building Official for Charles Abbott & Associates, which provides Building Department services for the Town of Bennett, Colorado. Also, she serves as President of the Colorado Chapter of the Code Council and Chair of the Communication Committee for the Colorado Chapter of the Code Council. Orzescu has over 20 years of experience in building safety; she served in various roles for the City of Wheat Ridge, served as a Commercial Plans Examiner for the Town of Parker, and served as a member of the Code Development Committee for the Colorado Chapter of the Code Council.

Although Orzescu advanced to her position in Bennett recently, she swiftly got involved and made significant impacts. “I’ve been coaching some staff members and staying abreast of recent code changes. I work with a mix of commercial and residential projects and enjoy working in both areas,” says Orzescu.

Unconventional Path from Engineering to Building Safety

Though many professionals who start in the building safety industry come from a construction or building trade background, Orzescu started from an engineering background. Orzescu learned about the building safety department in the City of Aurora, which allowed her to volunteer and later offered her a permanent position as a permit technician. Through this position, Orzescu learned the processes of building safety. After she took the plans examiner test with the Code Council, she realized that her knowledge and skills were very transferable, leading her to follow a career path in building safety.

Collaboration As a Key to Success in Building Safety

As a proponent of code change, Orzescu enjoys the collaboration that takes place in the code development process, with people from the industry and the building department working together to improve communities worldwide. Before the Committee’s Action Hearings that are held in spring, the members of the Code Development Committee for the Colorado Chapter actively look over the code changes submitted. They discuss the pros and cons of the code change proposal, how it improves the code, and if it will benefit the end user. If the proposal is disapproved at the committee action hearing, the Committee gives guidance about what is missing or insufficient in the code change proposal presented. Then, based on the committee feedback, the proponent or anyone else can modify the proposal and submit it again in the fall at the Public Hearing Action. After the Public Hearing Action, the Membership votes online on all the proposed code changes.

After all these steps, the approved code proposals are incorporated into the codes. “There are upcoming changes in the code development process. Members of the Code Council Code Development committees will be involved in the code development process twice a year, now spring and fall, which is exciting and will speed up the code adoption process,” says Orzescu.

Colorado Building Safety Trends

With Orzescu’s wealth of experience in building safety, she’s noticed the recent movement toward statewide adoption of codes and new people joining the industry. Statewide adoption in Colorado started with the energy code, and now they’re supporting the efforts to prevent and mitigate wildfires. “In addition, I’ve noticed more women in the building safety industry,” says Orzescu. “This is very encouraging to me.”

Mentoring and Recruiting New Building Safety Talent

Orzescu is passionate about introducing new people to the profession and volunteers some of her time to the cause of attracting new talent. The Colorado Chapter of the Code Council has a committee called Building Futures that she is involved with. The program shows high school students what building department professionals do in the industry through hands-on activities and allows some students to get hired by companies. “It’s a big industry, and we don’t have much recognition, or people aren’t aware of the purpose and impact on the public safety that the building department has,” says Orzescu. “It is important to introduce people to the trade and show them there isn’t a high up-front cost to join the industry.”

The Future of the Building Safety Industry

To anyone considering a career in the building inspection industry, Orzescu emphasizes that it is a career path for continued growth. “Although it’s not a very well-known industry, there is a career progression you can go through. You can start as a permit technician, inspector plans examiner to building official. There’s also a low cost compared to attending college, and the pay is good. At the last Code Council Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, a young man said he wasn’t even 20 years old and was making $100,000 a year. He was part of the Code Council Board Shadow program, which fosters collaborative relations by pairing emerging leaders with a seasoned professional who serves on the Code Council Board of Directors.”

Orzescu has some advice for success in the industry. “Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed by people who are more knowledgeable than you are. There are people out there who want to be mentors and help guide you. To succeed in the building safety industry, make sure to get certified get involved with your local chapter, and use networking to expand your connections in the industry.”