Sara Yerkes is the senior vice president of Government Relations at the International Code Council. She has been the leading voice advocating for the adoption of current, strong building codes since the first publication of the Code Council’s consolidated model building codes known as the International Codes (I-Codes).
Some of Yerkes’ duties include overseeing ICC’s public policy and government relations functions; developing and implementing a proactive program of effective lobbying and persuasive advocacy; representing and speaking for the Code Council on policy matters and program activities; coordinating strategies to implement policies at the federal, state and local levels. She also plays an integral role in supervising the accomplishment of developed action plans; she promotes federal relations by establishing constructive alliances to support and benefit the Code Council’s mission and related goals; seeks opportunities to showcase ICC and to expand its circle of influence.
Yerkes also oversees the state and local activities that have successfully gained the adoption and use of the -Codes in all fifty states, as well as overseeing programs like the Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Program (PMG) Resources for code adoptions, and Fire Service activities.
Yerkes has been involved in several professional organizations, including serving as a board member of the Sleep Products Safety Council as a charter member of the Safe Children’s Sleepwear Coalition. She is a charter member of the U.S. World Standards Day Planning Committee, Congressional Fire Services Institute, For A Safer America Coalition, the NASFM Residential Fire Sprinkler Advisory Committee, the National Advisory Committee of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, National Safe and Healthy Housing Steering Committee, and Vision 20/20. She is also the past chair and current member of the National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council, Board Member of the Multi Mitigation Council, High Performance Building Coalition Education & Outreach Committee, ASAE member, and a part of ANSI Committee on Education. She has served as a subject matter expert on federal initiatives to develop strategies to encourage and support state and local adoption of current safety codes, co-chairs the national Coalition for Current Safety Codes, and is a member of the FLASH Resilience Policy Council.
