Board Profile: Gerald George
"There's a deep sense of pride for me to be involved in an organization that places a high priority on helping others understand not only the code, but what's behind it," says Gerald George.
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Not far from the Coors Brewery, Lookout Mountain and the
grave of Buffalo Bill, Code Council board member Gerald George
serves as the Chief Building Official for the City of Golden,
Colo. George describes Golden as a "pleasant community"
at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and one that, with
a one percent annual growth cap, has high hopes of staying
that way for years to come.
A large part of the success of the town of 18,000 has been
its ability to avoid the big-city trappings of towns like
nearby state capital, Denver.
 "About
15 years ago the city leadership recognized what was going
on in Denver and decided they didn't want that here,"
George said. "They didn't want to open the floodgates;
they wanted to control how fast we grew."
Golden has witnessed extensive downtown redevelopment, in
an effort to preserve its historic roots. George said his
office also keeps busy overseeing development of large mixed-use
buildings and home remodels. In the next five to 10 years,
the autonomous town will welcome a beltway through town and
an extension of the commuter train system from Denver into
Golden.
A Colorado native, George originally started on a different
path, taking classes at a junior college, in pursuit of a
business degree. His college days were interrupted by an active
duty stint with the National Guard. When he returned from
active duty, headed back to the college classroom and married,
he soon found his calling and has been working as a building
official since 1973.
George has been involved with ICC since its inception, originally
as a member of a legacy organization where he served on the
Fire and Life Safety Code Development Committee. He said that
while he represents smaller building departments and towns,
he understands the issues facing the bigger ones, and knows
that ICC members of all background come together to serve
a common purpose.
"There's a deep sense of pride for me to be involved
in an organization that places a high priority on helping
others understand not only the code, but what's behind it,"
George said.
 For
the future of ICC, Georges notes that a key will be to put
an end to "code wars" and do what is best for the
industry as a whole. "Via good communication, we need
to reach out to our 'distractors' and work together to provide
a single set of comprehensive codes.
"On the part of everyone involved, this is a matter of
give and take if we are to get the job done. We need to keep
the door open and do whatever it takes."
From his standpoint, the biggest winner of all when it comes
to ICC benefits, George said, is the City of Golden. George
admits to calling upon fellow ICC members when he is facing
an issue new to Golden, then applying the information he receives
toward a solution that works for the city.
"Because of my relationship with ICC and its members,
I am able to better understand the code development process
and relate that back to others that I work with," George
said.
George also plays an integral part in the Colorado Chapter
of the ICC Educational Institute, held annually during the
first full week of March in Denver. A former Institute teacher,
George now aids in administering its offerings, an endeavor
which he fondly refers to as "a labor of love."
At less than $300 for five days of coursework, the Institute
is well received, maxing out at about 1,800 attendees representing
26 states.
Being able to give back to others, and work with ICC, is
made possible by George's strong support team that includes
his employer, staff of two-and-a-half, and his wife of 35
years, Kathy. "They recognize the benefits of ICC involvement
and have been very encouraging."
 George
also would like to recognize ICC staff. "ICC has an exceptional
staff which embraces the organization's purpose, and they've
been a key component in its success and will remain a key
to any future successes."
Outside of the office, George, the father of two, enjoys
spending time with his two grandchildren, golfing and fishing.
He and his wife, Kathy, have been married for 35 years.
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