svabo

California Chapter Highlight

Sacramento Valley Association of Building Officials

by Mark Wood, SVABO President

Next year, we will celebrate our 60th year as a chapter of the legacy International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and now of the International Code Council. The Sacramento Valley Association of Building Officials’ (SVABO) accomplishments over the years include the 1996 ICBO Excellence Award in St. Paul, Minnesota, for being the first chapter with a webpage.

We have long known that education and code development were responsibilities that we must take very seriously. In 1950, SVABO established an Education Committee that created classes and seminars to promote consistent interpretation and enforcement among our members. This effort continues today.

In 2007, SVABO presented 12 classes on eight subjects to over 1,200 students. The SVABO Chapter has been very active in code development and established a formal committee in 1988, which promoted several code changes that remain part of the current International Building Code. The SVABO Chapter continues to be very active in state and national code development.

A SVABO Foundation was recently established, and although it is less than a year old, we have already completed our first project: the rehabilitation of a home that had been made uninhabitable by an unlicensed contractor. The SVABO Chapter also has a scholarship program for two annual scholarships totaling $5,000 per year.

As President of SVABO, I am very proud to serve this fine organization of highly dedicated and enthusiastic individuals.