Catawba County Employee Spotlight

Laura Rooks-Building Services Supervisor

Title: Building Services Supervisor, Plan Review
Department: Utilities & Engineering

How long have you worked with the county? 
6 years

What does your job involve? Please describe what you do.  
I supervise a unit of building inspectors whose main responsibility is Plan Review, and one employee specializes in safety and school inspections. My responsibilities include not only the routine day-to-day tasks, I also have meetings with other local jurisdictional departments regarding the construction and development of new buildings and the re-use of existing buildings. I communicate with architects and engineers, contractors, prospective owners and current building owners on a daily basis regarding the North Carolina State Building Codes and how to apply them to their particular project. Our unit is responsible for determining code compliance by reviewing a set of plans on projects prior to beginning new construction or alteration of buildings for a new layout or a new use. “The purpose of our code is to establish the minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of safety, public health and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitations, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and to provide a reasonable level of safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.” (2018 NCBC Intent)

What do you like most about what you do, and why?  
The most rewarding part of my job is to see a project come to fruition and drive past, or make use of a building and know that I had a part in it. My participation is in the background and it is rarely known by the public, but we are an integral part of the construction process.

Which of the county’s core values (doing what’s right, doing what matters, doing it together, doing it well) resonates most with you in the work you do, and why?  
I would have to say that all of the County’s core values are a part of what I do and who I am; but Doing it Together resonates the most with me. If we tried to do what we are tasked with alone, we would fail each and every time; but we work with a great group of people, both internally and externally, which makes for a great outcome every time.