International Code Council honors building safety professionals and organizations

During its 2021 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the International Code Council, the world leader in model building codes and standards, recognized both individual building safety professionals and organizations that are going above and beyond for their communities, the industry and the association.

The following accolades were given out to Code Council award winners:

The Bobby J. Fowler Award honors the legacy of the organization’s first chairman of the board of directors who helped form the Code Council by paving the way to consolidate three regional model code organizations into one association. The award is presented to a leader who demonstrates compassion, professionalism and integrity in their duties. William Dupler, former president of the Code Council Board of Directors, was presented this year’s Fowler Award.

The Gerald H. Jones Code Official of the Year Award is given to an individual who has helped move forward the code enforcement profession and the Code Council’s mission. Presented in honor of the founders of the three model code organizations — Albert H. Baum, M.L. Clement and Phil Roberts — this year’s winner of the Code Official of the Year is James Moss, project manager for the city of Galax, Virginia.

The Robert W. Gain Fire Prevention Leadership Award is presented annually to recognize career achievement by an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and longstanding dedication in support of fire codes and fire prevention. This prestigious award honors the memory of Chief Robert W. Gain. Michael O’Brian, fire chief of the Brighton Area Fire Authority in Michigan, has been named as the recipient of the 2021 Robert W. Gain Fire Prevention Leadership Award.

The Educator of the Year Award acknowledges excellence in promoting professional development and is given in the memory of Brent Snyder, a renowned Code Council educator and past presiding officer, for his calm and inspiring leadership qualities. Glenn Mathewson, instructor for Building Code College, was named the 2021 Educator of the Year.

The Community Service Award is given to those with outstanding service that promotes the public health, safety and welfare of their local community. This year’s recipient is Mike Haugen, director of code services from Topeka, Kansas.

The Meritorious Service Award is granted to an individual who has given unselfishly of time and talent in furthering the development of ICC codes and standards. Rocco Davis, vice president and special assistant to the General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, was presented this year’s award.

The Innovation in Code Administration Award recognizes fire and building departments for innovation in the delivery of code administration services to their communities. Sponsored by the Code Council Government Relations department, the ICC Fire Service Membership Council and the ICC Building Membership Council, the Innovation in Code Administration Award recognizes fire and building departments for new and innovative approaches to delivering code administration services as part of their overall approach to Community Risk Reduction. The city of Modesto, California, was presented with this year’s award for its “Plan Check with Us” program.

The Raising the Profile Award recognizes an individual or organization for acts or contributions that raise the public awareness of accomplishments by code personnel that improve public safety in the built environment. Jason Bush, building official for Cottage Grove, Oregon, was presented with this year’s award.

The Trailblazer Award, established in 2021, seeks to inspire the Code Council membership to reach out and serve as mentors to guide others in their code-related careers, especially those who are relatively new to the professions. Based on the nominations sent in by Code Council members and chapters, the Trailblazer Award will annually recognize an outstanding example of a recent mentor-mentee relationship. This year’s award is presented posthumously to Frederick “Rick” Herzberger.

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 Central Arizona Chapter.

The Chapter Merit Award is dedicated to chapters that separate themselves from others through activities exhibiting the Code Council’s goals and objectives. The chapters that have been recognized for their commitment to member education, service to their respective communities and that have helped raise the profile of building professionals are the Chemeketa Chapter from Salem, Oregon, and the Los Angeles Basin Chapter in California.

The Excellence in Public Safety Award recognizes a member who has shown exceptional integrity, professionalism and dedication to public service. This year’s winner is Hank Kelly, president and founder of the Kelly Group.

The Leadership in Sustainability Award honors a professional’s contributions to the growth and enhancement of codes or public policy embracing the principles of the Code Council Sustainability Membership Council. The winners of the 2021 Leadership in Sustainability award are Ana Salguiero, building official for Miami Beach, Florida, and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.

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 Daniel Rademacher, program manager of the Viega Trades Education Network.

The Global Membership Award acknowledges distinguished service to the Code Council’s global mission and vision. The 2021 recipient is Engineer Abdul Latif Helaly, project director of the Urban Resilience Project: RAJUK part.

“The Code Council would like to thank all of our members and organizations for their countless hours of work and dedication to making the association and the building safety industry better,” said Dominic Sims, CBO, chief executive officer of the International Code Council. “Congratulations to all of our 2021 award winners for their fantastic achievements and well-deserved recognition.”