Biography
Gene is a project manager at Code Consultants, Inc., a multi-discipline consulting firm headquartered in St. Louis Missouri with additional offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In addition to accessibility consulting, the firm provides life safety consultation, egress computer modeling and smoke control computer modeling, engineered fire alarm and fire sprinkler design, and low voltage building systems design.
Included in Gene's activities are proactive plan reviews for facilities in the design phases and during construction for access and means of egress relative to disabled accessibility. These reviews are based on the Federal standards adopted for the specific facility (i.e. ADA, Title II, ADA Title III, ABAAS, DoD, GSA, VA, FHA, UFAS, etc.). Additionally, state and municipal codes are reviewed to address the applicable provisions by the state and local entities (i.e., TAS, IBC, etc.). A few interesting projects include the New York World Trade Center buildings, Hudson Yards in New York, and Google's new facilities in MountainView, CA.
Gene actively participates at ICC code development. He represents the National Association of Theater Owners as a voting member of the ICC/ANSI A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.
For existing facilities and recent construction, he performs on-site surveys of in-situ conditions. Evaluations of existing accessible elements are based on a multi-faceted approach: compliance with state/federal barrier removal requirements, compliance with applicable accessibility regulations at the time of construction; and, recommendations based on current and proposed accessibility standards and regulations.
One of the interesting tasks is to provide FHA Compliance training. This program is intended to address obligations under FHA Consent Decrees by the Department of Justice as well as provide general useful information on the Fair Housing Act and Owner/Architect obligations. He has also been expert witness for the defense on FHA complaints.