Kaylyn and Patrick Timms: Married Master Code Professionals Working for the Same Jurisdiction

The International Code Council (ICC) offers many certifications and Combination Designations to help support the career development of building safety professionals. Chief among them is the Master Code Professional (MCP™), the highest level of designation the ICC offers. MCP recipients demonstrate a commitment to building safety, diverse code knowledge and a high level of self-initiative.

MCP candidates must first earn eight core ICC certifications, an additional number of elective ICC certifications, and complete an additional 45 hours of Continuing Education Units every three years to maintain active status. On average, MCPs hold 17 or more ICC certifications.

Just over 1,000 individuals have obtained an MCP, and two of them are married – Kaylyn and Patrick Timms. The Timms are the first couple to receive their MCPs while working for the same jurisdiction: the City of Greenville in South Carolina.

Journey to Master Code Professional Status

Patrick Timms, Building Inspector III, completed his MCP this year. His journey to building safety is a familiar one: his dad was an electrician and growing up he helped him remodel homes. He later manufactured roof windows at Velux and then joined a local insulation company. That latter job served as his first entry into building safety.

“They knew the building inspectors,” said Patrick. “That is how I got my foot in the door, starting first with code enforcement. Twenty years later, I’ve moved from code enforcement to building inspector and thoroughly love what I do.”

As the Timms grew their respective careers in building safety, they had no idea that, in pursuing an MCP, they would take their final test on the exact same day – just eight years apart. Kaylyn took her last test on Sept. 6, 2018; Patrick took his on Sept. 6, 2026. Differing processing times mean their certificates have different dates, but Kaylyn said it’s still an “added fun coincidence” to have taken their final tests on the same day.

“After moving to the City of Greenville, the workload was heavy, so I didn’t have much time to study,” said Patrick. “I was only a few tests away from obtaining my MCP for quite a while. I’m coming up on my 10-year anniversary in November at the City of Greenville and wanted to get my MCP before that milestone.”

Kaylyn, a plans examiner, was excited to see Patrick achieve that goal.

“I am incredibly proud of Patrick,” she said. “We had very different approaches to receiving our MCPs, our brains work very differently. He would study until he felt ready and then would study some more. I would study to know the book and just hope for the best. He never gave up on any of the tests, even when he felt unsure of himself. Knowing he is not a test taker, and the anxiety that comes along with that, makes me even more proud that he persevered.”

An “Incredibly Challenging” Task Completed in Just One Year

Kaylyn said that her journey to obtaining her MCP was “incredibly challenging.” She obtained it in just one year.

“My personal life was a wreck, so I needed something to focus on to distract me from that,” recalled Kaylyn. “I didn’t originally start out with the goal to complete it in a year, I just wanted to get my MCP.”

In fact, Kaylyn took the summer off because she was intimidated by the International Fire Code® (IFC).

“I didn’t want to fail and I was so unfamiliar with anything related to fire,” she said. “You must understand, I was a permit tech with zero construction knowledge when I started in the position. I had never been in the field. I didn’t know what most things in the code books were, I just knew where to find the answers.”

As someone who came to building safety without any prior experience, Kaylyn thanked her inspectors for helping her obtain her MCP.

“I asked them so many questions and they were very patient with me,” she said.

Kaylyn also recognized the City of Greenville and their Building Official for their support through both of their journeys.

“They paid for every test and study material, provided time off to take the test, and most importantly, encouraged us to pursue this goal,” said Kaylyn. “We know how blessed we are to work for such an amazing jurisdiction that not only supported us through our MCP journey but also in our day-to-day work.”

An Accidental Job Offer

While many building safety professionals have said they fell into the industry, Kaylyn’s story might be the most notable yet. As a new graduate with a degree in accounting, she applied for an accounting position at Greenville.

“At the time, the permit techs were part of the OMB department because it was a dual role of processing building permits and business licenses,” explained Kaylyn. “The role I interviewed for was within that department.”

Greenville liked her and wanted her on the team but ultimately found an accountant with more experience, so they offered her the permit tech position instead.

“Honestly, it was the best thing to happen for me!” boasted Kaylyn. “While I love accounting and numbers, building safety has challenged me in ways accounting never did. Plus, I still get to do some accounting while serving as treasurer for our local ICC Chapter, the Upper State Code Enforcement Association (USCEA)!”

MCP Designation Opened Doors for Career Advancement

Patrick was particularly proud to be elected to the ICC Region VIII Board, as well as the USCEA Board. His experiences as an MCP are still relatively new, but he said it has helped him become more well-rounded.

“Because of all the tests you have to take, it helps you be able to identify other issues in the field that may not be in your specialty,” said Patrick.

Having received her MCP eight years ago, Kaylyn has already benefited personally and professionally.

“Getting my MCP opened many doors for career growth,” said Kaylyn. “It allowed me to move into a new role and, most importantly, be prepared for the position.”

Kaylyn was not technically required to have an MCP to become a plan reviewer, but it helped because her boss saw the effort she put into it and knew she would be a good fit. She added that while she couldn’t absorb every piece of code during the time allotted to study for and take each test, she knows the information well enough to quickly find answers whenever necessary.

Kaylyn is also a Past President of the South Carolina Permit Tech Association, and she was an ICC Board Shadow (now known as the Building Safety Leadership Experience) in 2018 in Richmond, Virginia. She shadowed Michael Wich, who went on to serve as ICC Board President and is now a Past President.

After receiving her MCP, Kaylyn completed her Certified Building Official (CBO) designation and applied to serve on an Exam Development Committee. She was accepted and now has one more year with the Residential Building EDC.

Proud Moments During a Rewarding Career

In addition to obtaining their MCPs, Kaylyn and Patrick have both enjoyed a number of rewarding moments as they strived to make the built world a safer place.

“This has opened doors to meeting new people in our region and many ICC Board Members and staff,” said Patrick. “Being involved in those chapters has allowed us to attend several ICC Annual Meetings. The night I received official confirmation from ICC that I completed the MCP journey, I was able to shake hands with [ICC CEO] John Belcik at a Region VIII event.”

Kaylyn made special note of a project she worked on, Honor Tower, which she referred to as a “once-in-a-career” type of experience.

“It’s an observation tower located in Unity Park that was a unique structure that required a lot of code discussions,” said Kaylyn. “I’ve also really enjoyed serving on the EDC. I was the first female member of the Residential Building EDC and have served as Chair for the last two years. It’s been interesting to go from taking the tests to creating the tests.”

Learn more about the Master Code Professional Designation here.