ICC’s Dowty Elected Secretary of Building Seismic Safety Council Board

Susan M. Dowty, P.E., S.E., Government Relations Regional Manager at the International Code Council’s (ICC) Western Regional Office in Brea, Calif., has been elected Secretary of the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) Board of Direction.

Established as a Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences in 1979, the BSSC deals with complex technical, regulatory, social and economic issues involved in developing and promulgating building earthquake risk mitigation provisions that are national in scope. The BSSC’s primary purpose is enhancing public safety by providing a national forum that fosters improved seismic planning, design, construction and regulation in the building community.

“Susan’s knowledge and expertise are key resources for the Code Council as she works with California jurisdictions, chapters and members to enhance safety, affordability, and resiliency in the built environment,” said ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “Her experience with seismic safety will be a valuable asset to the BSSC’s purpose and mission.”

A registered Civil and Structural Engineer in the state of California, Dowty rejoined the ICC Government Relations team last October. She previously spent 15 years working with S.K. Ghosh Associates, a seismic and building code consulting firm. Over the course of her career, Dowty has played an active role in the development of structural provisions for the International Building Code, where she served as the Structural Committee Secretariat. She also has been involved in the development and delivery of training programs for code officials on structural provisions in building codes.

Dowty served as the consultant for the reformat of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ ASCE 7-05 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. She was appointed by the Governor to the California Building Standards Commission in 2006 and served until 2010. She is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of California and previously served on its board of directors.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in structural engineering from California State University, Long Beach.

About the International Code Council

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.