ICC Foundation: News Room

2007 Silent Defender Award Recipients

The ICC Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of the following individuals and organizations for the 2007 Silent Defender Awards: Senator Ken Hollis and Representative Gillis Pinac; City of Las Vegas Department of Building & Safety; and Architects Without Borders.

These winners will be recognized at the Silent Defender Awards dinner on May 10th, 2007 at the Hilton Arlington and Towers in Arlington, Virginia.

Senator Ken Hollis and Representative Gillis Pinac


Louisiana Senator Ken Hollis			Louisiana Representative Gillis Pinac

Since the unprecedented devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the State of Louisiana has been struggling under the oppressive weight of dealing with an enormous recovery effort. As part of the activities planned to help mitigate future disasters, Louisiana Senator Ken Hollis and Representative Gillis Pinac championed the effort to strengthen the state's building codes.

Senator Hollis and Representative Pinac co-authored Senate Bill 44, a comprehensive bill designed to establish a state uniform construction code and the creation of the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council. Guided by the state uniform construction code, the Council requires contractors to build and renovate to current wind and flood provisions of the building and residential codes. Senator Hollis's and Representative Pinac's leadership has been crucial to the implementation of responsible rebuilding projects throughout Louisiana, projects that will rely on sound processes, materials and technologies that are able to protect communities during disaster. Senate Bill 44 requires all buildings built or rebuilt statewide to comply with all provisions of the new Louisiana building regulations effective January 2007.

Senator Hollis serves as Chairman of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee and is a member of the Judiciary "B" and Retirement Committees. He also serves as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee for Oversight of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission. He began his career in public service as a Jefferson Parish Councilman in 1980. He has been a member of the State Senate since 1982.

Representative Pinac is the chair of the Louisiana House Committee on Commerce and the House Special Committee on Disaster Planning - South Louisiana. First elected in 1995, Representative Pinac represents the parishes of Acadia and Lafayette.

Both of these gentlemen have been named 2007 Silent Defenders for their efforts to build stronger, safer communities throughout Louisiana.

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Las Vegas Department of Building & Safety

The Las Vegas Department of Building & Safety is recognized for becoming the first in the United States to become accredited during an award ceremony at the city council meeting. (L-R) Las Vegas City Council members Steven D. Ross, Steve Wolfsman and Gary Reese; Mayor Oscar B. Goodman; IAS President Chuck Ramani; Melva Wilkins (mother of Paul Wilkins); Building and Safety Director Paul Wilkins; and Council members Larry Brown, Lois Tarkanian and Lawrence Weekly.

In April 2006, the City of Las Vegas Department of Building & Safety became the first building department in the country to earn the IAS Building Department certificate of accreditation, establishing a new standard for safety, service and quality. The accreditation demonstrated the Department's compliance with the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Building Departments/Code Enforcement Agencies (AC251), including the applicable sections of ISO/IEC Standard 17020 General criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection. More importantly, this accreditation set a new level of professionalism for building departments across the country. Accreditation is a sign of competence, of credibility, and a check on an organization's ability to provide value to your citizens.

During the accreditation process, the City of Las Vegas demonstrated to IAS building department evaluators that they effectively manage the entire building process from basic jurisdictional information to permitting and budget processes as well as the methods for handling complaints and appeals.

The quality of this building department is even more impressive considering the enormous growth the region has seen in the last two decades. Between 1985 and 1995, the city's population almost doubled, increasing from 186,000 to 368,000. More than 5,000 people move into the Las Vegas Valley every month.

Today, the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, is home to a little over one-half million people and over 37 million visitors annually. The ICC Foundation applauds the City of Las Vegas Building & Safety Department for its excellence under pressure and its continued efforts to make Las Vegas a stronger, safer community. We are proud to acclaim you a 2007 Silent Defender.

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Architects Without Borders

Craig Williams, Founder of Architects Without Borders (AWB) North America, on site in Banda, Aceh, Indonesia, working to create a child-centered village (housing, school, clinic and community center) for children that lost their families and for widows that lost their spouse and children to the Tsunami.

Architects Without Borders is an international not-for-profit, volunteer humanitarian relief coalition with chapters in countries around the world. The organization's thousands of volunteers are dedicated to promoting safe and life-fulfilling built environments that are sustainable and socially and environmentally responsible. Volunteer members include architects, planners, engineers, designers, builders, instructors and students in shelter and construction-related disciplines.

For more than 15 years, this organization has worked with non-governmental organizations and relief agencies to coordinate disaster relief and reconstruction efforts throughout the world. They are actively involved in projects such as the reconstruction of communities in Sri Lanka and surrounding areas after the devastating tsunamis. In Banda Aceh, in particular, members of the organization are working with the local community to construct a child-focused village. Architects Without Borders is also involved throughout Africa in Mali, Tanzania, Ghana and many other countries.


	Craig Williams, working on plans for the child-centered village in Banda, Aceh, Indonesia. In the background is the first structure created on site, which serves as a home base for the workers and to store tools, equipment, etc.

Architects Without Borders' volunteers are also active in the gulf states, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana, helping communities recover from the hurricane devastation. Additionally, various chapters often undertake programs and projects within their own regions on behalf of underserved communities.

In all cases, volunteers work directly with international, national and/or local organizations such as the United Nations, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Asiana Education Development (AED), to name just a few.

The ICC Foundation honors this tireless group for its dedication to providing stronger, safer communities around the world as a 2007 Silent Defender.