N.Y. State Senator Little, Va. Director of Housing and Community Development Shelton Honored with ICC Policy Maker Award

New York State Senator Betty Little and Bill Shelton, Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, are recipients of the 2014 International Code Council (ICC) Policy Maker of the Year Award. The award recognizes contributions that increase public awareness and leads to improved public safety.

Sen. Little, who is serving her sixth term in the state legislature, was nominated for the award by the New York State Building Officials Conference and the entire New York State Codes Coalition. Code Council Board of Directors Past President Ronald A. Piester, Director of the Division of Code Enforcement and Administration for the New York State Department of State, presented her with the award.

The award honors the senator for her ongoing support of local government officials and advocacy efforts to secure appropriations to pay for code books for code officials in New York State. She also is a longtime supporter of Building Safety Month.

“It’s certainly an honor to be here and to be recognized,” Sen. Little said. “I think that all of you have something special in the work that you do; you know that you have saved lives. And I think that’s something to be very proud of. The code enforcement, rules and regulations, and the ideas and efficiencies, and products that you have supported and demanded for your communities have made a difference.”

Under the leadership of Shelton, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development administers statewide building codes. He is a key advisor to the Governor, and the Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade, on state building code issues.

ICC Board President Guy Tomberlin, Branch Chief Residential/Light Commercial Inspections Land Development Services for the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services in Fairfax County, Va., presented the award to Shelton for his well-known support of the Virginia code enforcement community.

“I’m very honored and humbled,” said Shelton. “I want to accept this award on behalf of all the great code officials from the state of Virginia. We all work together. We have a great system and I’m very proud of it. But most of all I’m very proud of all of you. I’m so glad to be here today to share with you all this success, of ICC and the Virginia code community.”

Shelton has taken the message about the importance of building codes as an integral and equally important part of commerce, trade, resilience and safety for the citizens of Virginia to the Governor’s office, to the members of the Virginia General Assembly and other commonwealth leaders. He recognizes and promotes how Virginia’s building and fire prevention codes relate to economic development, protect the public, and at the same time, ensure the built-environment incrementally raises the bar at a reasonable cost. He makes sure the promulgation of building and fire prevention codes, as well as modular, manufactured housing, amusement rides, certification standards and regulations, is done in an inclusive, open and consensus aimed regulatory process with hundreds of stakeholders involved.

About us: 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.