Highlights From a Successful Year with IIBEC and Looking Towards the Future

By Christopher Giffin, RRC, AIA President, IIBEC. 

Writing his farewell message for IIBEC, President Christopher Giffin recaps this year’s achievements and goals while handing off the torch. 

Editor’s note: After a year of growth and prospects, Christopher Giffin shares his heartfelt gratitude with the company and readers alike, all while congratulating the next IIBEC President Amy Peevey. Reminiscing on this past year’s experiences, he looks forward to this next part of the journey as well as IIBEC’s future.  

As you may recall, in my first message I outlined three goals I would prioritize for IIBEC during my term as president: 

• Increase the awareness and presence of IIBEC in the industry as the leading building enclosure authority. 

• Expand, grow, and diversify our member base. 

• Continue IIBEC’s advocacy initiatives and pursuit of responsible procurement for building enclosure services. 

Looking back on the year, I think we made substantial steps toward achieving these goals. More broadly, the positive impact we are having on the construction industry is undeniable. In our individual efforts and by working together, we are making a huge difference in the safety, quality, and resilience of buildings throughout North America. At the same time, we are demonstrating to those who retain our services the enormous value that IIBEC members bring to enclosure-related construction projects. 

The following are examples of our recent accomplishments: 

• We expanded our membership base to over 3,400 members! 

• We developed a consulting marketing campaign to increase our visibility in the construction industry and among the sydorenkoclients we serve. I urge you to visit iibec.org consultant to review what we have achieved so far, and I hope you will monitor our progress as we embark on the next stages of this marketing campaign. 

• We moved closer to launching the CBECxP certification. This certification has been years in the making, and IIBEC looks forward to bringing it to the industry in the near future. 

• We developed IIBEC’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan. We also updated the IIBEC Code of Ethics to include guidance on professional responsibility as well as personal responsibility when attending IIBEC-related events. Both the IIBEC Diversity and Inclusion Plan and the latest IIBEC Code of Ethics are featured on the IIBEC website. 

• We successfully argued, through IIBEC’s Codes and Standards Committee, for changes in the secondary drainage provision for reroofing projects in the 2024 edition of the International Building Code. As the code gets adopted in your jurisdiction in the coming years, please review and implement these changes. 

• We had a successful Building Enclosure Symposium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and formed a new relationship with the Architectural Engineering Institute in the process. 

• We exerted influence through our advocacy and lobbying efforts at the local, state, and national levels. For example, the Alabama Department of Transportation revised procurement regulations to use qualifications-based selection procedures for architecture, engineering, and design services, as IIBEC recommended; IIBEC members called, wrote, and met with their representatives and senators to share opinions on numerous federal bills that would affect the building enclosure profession; and IIBEC’s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Pallasch submitted comments on the Canada Green Buildings Strategy. 

• We celebrated opportunities to gather together in person — from local chapter meetings to the IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show — as COVID-19 restrictions eased. 

During my journey from being Region II director to serving on the executive committee and as IIBEC president, I have loved meeting and getting to know so many great people throughout the association. Some of you have become very close friends, and your support and encouragement along the way have been invaluable. Thank you. 

I particularly want to thank Brian Pallasch, Melany Rizzo, and the rest of the IIBEC staff for their hard work and efforts over the past 12 months. It has been a pleasure to work with this talented staff. I also want to thank the dedicated members of the current IIBEC Board of Directors, as well as the many past board members with whom I have served. It has been a privilege to work alongside you. 

By the time you read this column, we will have returned home from the IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show in Houston, Texas. This event marked the 40th anniversary of the association and the inauguration of Amy Peevey, the first woman to serve as IIBEC president. I have worked with Amy for the past several years, and I know she will do an outstanding job as the next IIBEC president. Congratulations, Amy! 

Thank you, readers, for allowing me to share my thoughts and experiences with you, and thank you to all IIBEC members for entrusting me to lead this exceptional association. This truly has been an absolutely wonderful experience, and I am honored to have served you all for the last year. Take care. 

Original article source: IIBEC