CALBO Training Institute is thankful for the continued support of community members who volunteer to teach each year. With so many seasoned and new instructors, it’s often challenging to show recognition and for students to get to know each one of them. CALBO is hosting a new question and answer series featuring both webinar and Education Week instructors. We hope you learn something new!

In our third installment, we highlight two leading instructors. Thank you to all CALBO instructors, who developed dozens of webinars and online courses for CALBO since the pandemic allowing building-safety professionals to keep up with code changes. Thank you for your contributions to the CALBO community!

John Caprarelli, City Building Official, City of Santa Clarita

Subject(s): Accessibility

What is a fun fact about yourself? 
My wife and I have two kids, Dominic (8) and Gianna (5). When I’m not working, I’m usually out on some adventure with them. We hit the parks, trails, beaches, bike parks, and anywhere else where I can try to burn off their almost limitless energy.

What motivates you to teach?
My grandmother played a big role in raising my brother and me. Shortly before I was born, Gram had surgery for a ruptured brain aneurism that left her without using one arm, barely able to walk, and legally blind. Nonetheless, she continued to live independently and helped raise us, two rowdy boys. She is my inspiration for developing my accessibility course and website.

How do your courses benefit building department staff and code officials?
My goal is to help building department staff understand the “why” behind the code provisions and to provide useful visual tools that we can use in our day-to-day work.

Do you have any advice for other CALBO Community members interested in teaching or developing a course? 
One of the best ways to learn is to teach. I have been teaching building code courses for eight years, and I still gain new ideas and knowledge every time I teach. Developing a course takes a lot of work, but you’ll learn a lot in the process.

Sean McNamara, Permit & Plan Check Supervisor, City of Lathrop

Subjects: Tenant Improvement, Building Code

What is a fun fact about yourself?
Since I began in the building-safety industry twelve years ago, I have enjoyed working for municipalities ranging from small towns with populations of around 20,000 residents to large cities with populations of approaching a half-million residents in three different states, New York, Virginia, and now California. It has been both very interesting and very beneficial in my career to be able to learn and experience firsthand the differing ways in which the code is developed, adopted, and enforced in a wide range of jurisdictions. In my experience, there is no “one-size-fits-all” way to approach the code. I have been fortunate to have such a wide range of experiences to draw from in my career, all of which have helped me become much more well-rounded as a code official and helped me maintain an open mind when faced with new challenges or situations.

What motivates you to teach?
When I first entered the field and learned the ropes, I was very fortunate to attend a number of formal training opportunities developed and taught by several seasoned instructors. I felt that these trainings had an immense impact on increasing my proficiency and my confidence in applying the code in my day-to-day duties as an inspector and later as a plans examiner. Now that I have progressed a bit further in my career and I have seen a number of my previous instructors and supervisors fade into retirement, I felt that I had a responsibility to do my part to pass on what was taught to me to those who are just now coming into the field.

How do your courses benefit building department staff and code officials?
The Tenant Improvement course that I presented during the 2020 CALBO Education Week and 2021 Mini Education Week, is a great overview of the plan review process for tenant improvement both for newer building department staff and more seasoned code officials. The newer staff, such as permit technicians or building inspectors who are just beginning in the plan review field, gives a solid road map of approaching a simple tenant improvement review. For more experienced plans examiners or building officials, this is a concise 1-day refresher course to maintain existing skills. From the feedback I’ve received, even the seasoned professionals have been able to pick up at least a couple of new ideas or different ways of interpreting or applying the code from the presentation or during discussions that come up throughout the course.

Do you have any advice for other CALBO Community members interested in teaching or developing a course?
I would highly recommend that any CALBO Community member, who may be considering becoming more involved in teaching or developing a course, take the plunge and do so. It is a commitment and can certainly be a little nerve-racking as a first-time instructor. Still, it is well worth it when you get positive feedback from individuals who thank you for helping clarify portions of the code they were struggling with or helping them along their career path. Many individuals in this field may not have “in-house” experienced co-workers or supervisors for explanations and advice when navigating the code. However, there is a vast wealth of untapped knowledge and experience in the field as a whole. I would urge anyone who has a passion for any facet in the field to turn that passion into action and work with CALBO in developing a course to help ensure that both the current and next generation of professionals have the tools they need to be successful in promoting public health and safety in the built environment.

Bookmark the CALBO Training Calendar for quick access to a complete list of all trainings available, including the Education Weeks. Additional titles and dates are added monthly.

For webinar questions, please contact the CALBO Office or by phone at 916-457-1103.