Sealy also served as the chair of the Building Seismic Safety Council

(WASHINGTON, DC, May 12, 2020) – The National Institute of Building Sciences today mourns the passing of one of our dedicated members, Jim. W. Sealy. Sealy served as a former board chair and chair of the Building Seismic Safety Council.

Sealy passed away on May 10. Memorial plans to celebrate Sealy’s life are now underway.

Sealy was an architect, who made a huge impact on Texas state and national architecture and building codes. He was one of the first American Institute of Architects members to deliver a national talk on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Jimmy will be greatly missed,” said Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President and CEO of NIBS. “He made a tremendous impact on the industry and was very close to members of the board and staff.”

Sealy was elected to the NIBS Board of Directors in 2007. In addition to the BSSC, Sealy served on the Steering Committee that developed the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council, which was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Sealy was a consultant to the design, codes, construction and legal profession, and he served more than 40 years in the design and construction industries. He worked with architects, design professionals, developers, building managers and owners, and attorneys in matters dealing with architecture, building codes, fire and life safety standards, general construction, and accessibility issues.

In 1972, Sealy became involved in the writing of codes and standards, and he held continuous membership on a national, code-related committee since 1976, when he became a member of the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) Fire and Life Safety Subcommittee. He chaired the AIA Building Performance and Regulations Committee Liaison Team to SBCCI and served on the AIA Codes and Standards Advisory Committee. Sealy was the only privately practicing individual to sit on two International Code drafting committees, the International Residential Code and International Performance Code. He also served on the International Code Council’s Means of Egress Committee.

Sealy received many awards for his outstanding work to serve in the building code industry.