The State Building Code Council executive committee voted Friday to appoint an insurance-industry representative to a vacancy on the WUI technical advisory group. The committee approved the appointment by voice vote after members discussed the candidate's qualifications and letters of recommendation.

The appointment matters because the WUI tag advises the council on code provisions intended to reduce structure loss and risks in areas where wildland and developed areas meet; having an insurance perspective is intended to inform decisions about risk, liability and potential costs.

At the meeting staff displayed the candidate's application and resume, noting the nominee works in the insurance industry, has more than 30 years of industry experience and is active with the Building Industry Association of Washington. The staff summary noted two letters of recommendation and that the candidate had not previously served on the tag. Committee members discussed whether the alternate chair could offer a recommendation in lieu of the chair's written recommendation; the alternate chair did so. A committee member moved to appoint the candidate and another member seconded. The committee conducted a voice vote and the chair announced the appointment passed.

Committee members said they welcomed the volunteer's participation and noted the appointee planned to contribute specific insurance and bonding expertise relevant to code topics. The appointee did not attend the meeting; staff said the appointee had a scheduling conflict and had been informed of the appointment.

The council will record the appointment in its minutes and the new member is expected to participate in upcoming tag work sessions on code amendments.

Details extracted from the meeting record: the candidate was described in meeting materials as an insurance-industry professional with roles developing a property and casualty program and working with municipal bonding and compliance issues; the candidate was recommended by the Building Industry Association of Washington and related associates. The committee's action was an appointment vote by voice; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.