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The inaugural Building Safety Conference and Expo was held on September 19, 2024 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. The free event was open to the public and featured approximately 25 exhibitors including local and state agencies, industry professionals such as design consultants.         

Other exhibitors included county departments such as the Planning, Zoning and Building Department (PZB), Public Safety, Fire Rescue, and Office of Resilience promoting public safety measures such as contractor regulations, flood zone look up, code compliance, building permits, fire safety and hurricane preparedness.

In addition, free workshops were held by various Building Division staff members led by Doug Wise, Mike Gauger and Richie Rosales on Ethics, Laws & Rules and Accessibility.

Also, there were a number of speakers including County Administrator Verdenia Baker; Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (via video) and his Chief of Staff Caleb Spencer (in-person) and County Emergency Management Director Mary Blakeney.

PZB Executive Director Whitney Carroll said “This event is a terrific opportunity especially for our residents to obtain information and network with industry stakeholders and various government agencies on important topics related to building safety.” 

Deputy County Administrator Patrick Rutter added, “The workshops set this event apart from the rest where the public and professionals benefit.”

The event also featured a panel discussion with local building experts on the new tall condo regulations mandated by the state after the Surfside condo collapse in 2021.  The panelists included Building Officials Jeffrey Remas, Highland Beach and Robert Brown, West Palm Beach; David DeRita, County Fire Marshal; and Structural Engineers Michael Riemer, PE and Carmelo Giglio, PE.