Board Profile: Jeff Whitney
 “I’d like to see more efforts on the green side of building construction. I feel very strongly about it. It is a small world, and we have a finite amount of materials to work with”
Born and raised in Utah, International Code Council Board Director Jeff Whitney, Building Official for Grand County, Utah, is excited about his future as a board member and the future of his home state. As the building industry continues to grow and change at a rapid pace, Whitney hopes to apply his years of experience in codes and practices for the betterment of southeastern Utah and the building community as a whole.
A lifelong resident of the area which he now serves, Whitney received the first taste of his future profession in eighth grade. He did summer work as a carpenter for his science teacher, and a few decades later, he finds himself eager to take on new challenges and make a difference in the industry.
One unique feature of Whitney’s jurisdiction, and his work as a Building Official, centers around a unique statistic—only four percent of the property is privately owned, with a majority of the rest controlled by entities that keep the land preserved in its natural state. With this dynamic in place, Whitney said, growth cannot happen without control. The focus of what little residential construction does exist is on second homes/weekend condos.
 “It is a very small jurisdiction population wise at about 9,000 year round for the county, but size wise, we are one of the biggest,” Whitney said. “I might have to drive three hours one way to get to a site.”
Whitney performs his duties under the Utah’s statewide adoption of the I-Codes, a practice he said promotes efficiency.
“Utah is well set up. We don’t have to decide our own codes. I like the way it is. It creates a professionalism because we look at codes the same way, regardless of jurisdictions,” Whitney said.
Being surrounded by nature’s beauty and America’s wide open space has rubbed off on Whitney professionally. He has come to look hard at the “green side” of doing things.
“I’d like to see more efforts on the green side of building construction. I feel very strongly about it. It is a small world, and we have a finite amount of materials to work with,” Whitney said. “We have an opportunity as a construction community to play a key role in stepping up a movement to a more green method of operating.”
 Whitney has been very active on the Utah Chapter board. He said by taking a seat on Council’s Board of Directors he will not only represent Utah’s perspective, but he will be a voice for members nationwide.
“Involvement with ICC has given me more insight to the ‘wheres’ and ‘whys’ of codes—I know why we are doing what we are doing. It has been invaluable in my work as a building official,” Whitney said.
During his term on the Board of Directors, Whitney said he will continue his push toward green construction, working to convince fellow Code Council members that everyone has an obligation to play a role to make that happen. Still, Whitney knows, it is a two-way street, and success will be found in connections with Council members. “I want to be effective. I want to be a voice for those that want to be heard.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting people from the United States and around the world. I am proud to know that I have a role through which I can impact change and lend a hand in improving and expanding ICC,” Whitney added.
 On a more personal note, Whitney is married and has six children and 10 grandchildren. He owns seven horses, and likes to ride. When he finds spare time, he takes on the role of fisherman and hunter.
Whitney said he is very appreciative to the Utah Chapter. “They did a lot for me.” He also wished to thank Ann vonWeller, past Code Council president, and County Administrator Shawn Warnke, Grand County. He wanted to thank the Code Council staff for their “efficient and awesome” work.
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