Holly Brown, Hamilton

Building Inspector
City of Hamilton

“I love the challenge of proving myself capable and confident…”

Holly Brown is going places, and that’s one of the things she loves about her job as Building Inspector for the City of Hamilton. In her downtown ward, she works on a wide range of projects, from commercial and residential high-rise to single-family homes. “I really enjoy doing inspections. Walking onto a construction site, I know I’m a guest. Nine out of ten people I deal with are very respectful. Anyways, I’m pretty laid back. I love the challenge of proving myself capable and confident.” With her architectural technology degree in hand, Holly was immediately recruited by Haldimand County. “I had applied in November. The last day of school was December 3rd, my interview was on the 20th and on the 23rd I received the call I got the job. Merry Christmas!” Initially hired as a Building Technician, Holly was soon promoted to Building Inspector for the County and eventually hired by the City of Hamilton in July of 2015 where she is now Building Inspector. She loves her job. “We’re on the front lines of testing anything related to building safety. I love learning new things, seeing different construction techniques. There are new products coming out all the time, such as new fire safety systems, etc.” Holly is an enthusiastic OBOA member. “I really enjoy being a part of the Association. It feels like a community.” She shares her experience taking her Building Official required courses at the OBOA. “I love the people that teach there. My plumbing instructor brought hands-on material in for us, which was really helpful. All my OBOA classes were welcoming, respectful and non-judgmental, which I really appreciated.” What’s next for Holly? Currently pursuing a Civil Engineer degree at McMaster University, the sky’s the limit for Building Inspector Brown.