Durham Reporter

City of Durham issued the following announcement on Oct. 22. 

City Manager Wanda Page and Interim County Manager Claudia Hager have named Thomas Hosey as the next director of the Durham City-County Inspections Department.

Hosey brings more than 30 years of experience in the building and safety profession, most recently serving as deputy director of the City of Raleigh’s Planning and Development Department. In his current deputy director role, his primary area of responsibility is over the Building and Safety Division. Before the combination of the City of Raleigh’s Development Services Department and Planning Department into a unified Planning and Development Department, Hosey served as the Raleigh’s Development Services director, where he managed a staff of 155 and a budget of $15 million.

According to City Manager Page, Hosey is the best fit for Durham’s needs due to his extensive experience working in the public sector, including over 15 years in an executive management role. “Tom’s impressive experience has spanned a wide diversity of jurisdictions ranging from populations as small as 30,000 to as large as 2.2 million,” Page said. “Given the growth in Durham and the number of buildings under construction now, and planned for in the near future, Tom’s experience in ensuring the proper enforcement of the North Carolina State Building Code will be vital in helping to make sure the construction in our city is sound, safe, and meets all applicable codes.”

In his role with Durham, Hosey will oversee a department of 57 full-time employees, four part-time employees, and an annual budget of more than $5.8 million. Last fiscal year, this department provided plans review, field inspections, and customer service efforts for over $2.245 billion worth of construction value, and issued 5,641 permits through the department’s Building Division.

Interim Durham County Manager Claudia Hager also noted Hosey’s extensive experience as a key factor in selecting him to lead this department. “In reviewing Tom’s experience, it is clear that he is a solid choice to lead City-County Inspections during this period of robust building,” Hager said. “I look forward to seeing the impact of his leadership in our Inspections Department as we continue to respond to the need for building safe and secure structures across the community during a time of exceptionally significant demand for inspections services.”

Prior to serving in Raleigh, Hosey was the chief building official for Houston, Texas, where he administered a staff of over 500 and a budget of $49 million. Previous to that role, Hosey served as chief building official for three other jurisdictions in California and Oregon as well as held positions as a senior plans examiner and senior building inspector.

Hosey earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of La Verne, and an Associate of Science in Construction Technology from Mt. San Antonio College. He also holds four Level Three certifications in Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical from the North Carolina Qualifications Board as well as 16 International Code Council certifications. 

He is recognized as an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) expert by the State of California, and has served as director for the Building Officials Association of Texas and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Evaluation Service Committee. In addition, he is a member of the International Code Council, National Fire Protection Agency, California Association of Building Officials, and the Oregon Building Officials Association.

Hosey will take the helm of the Durham City-County Inspections Department on November 15. 

Original source can be found here.