DBI announces two deputy director hires; recruitment for permanent director continues

Interim Director Patrick O'Riordan told the Building Inspection Commission that DBI has filled two senior roles as part of its reform effort.

Joe Duffy was appointed deputy director for inspection services; DBI noted his 22 years of service in inspection roles and that he will oversee inspections and code enforcement. Neville Pereira was named deputy director for permit services; DBI described him as a licensed engineer and certified building official with roughly 30 years of experience in design, construction and code administration.

Pereira introduced himself and said he was "excited for the challenge ahead" and that he planned to apply his 30 years of experience to improving department operations. Duffy said he was "honored" to take the position and emphasized a focus on reform initiatives, improved technology for inspections, and consistent customer service.

Separately, DBI staff reported that the permanent director recruitment has been posted nationally, outreach calls to a target list of 84 people were underway, and two applications had been received to date. Staff said the resume deadline is October 1 and that HR will circulate job‑classification details and candidate materials to commissioners. Commissioners sought clarification about minimum qualifications and distribution of the staff survey; staff said they would coordinate distribution through DHR if requested.

Why it matters: The hires and recruitment are part of an administrative reform package intended to improve inspections, plan review and customer service at DBI following prior leadership concerns and recent audits. New leadership for inspections and permitting is central to implementing those reforms.

Next steps: Commissioners welcomed the new deputies and asked staff to provide the job classification and to follow up on recruitment metrics at the next meeting.