City of Fremont: “Building Official” is a very formal title. What are the roles and responsibilities of the position?

David Chung: My role as the Fremont Building Official is to facilitate, supervise, and enforce codes and ordinances related to building safety. My primary responsibility is to ensure that the health and safety of the public is maintained through the community’s adherence to the requirements established by the law in the construction, alteration or use of every building in our community. Additionally, I am constantly looking for new ways and methods to simplify our processes and procedures to meet the speed of business more efficiently and effectively.


Fremont: Tell us a little about your work history. How has your previous work experience prepared you for this job?

DC: I worked for seven years in the private sector and seventeen years in thepublic sector. In the private sector, I have designed and overseen many complex building projects from design development to construction documentation. Before joining the City of Fremont, I worked with different jurisdictions in Santa Clara County (Palo Alto, Milpitas, and Gilroy). I understand the importance of great customer service and how to get things done quickly and effectively. My experience has prepared me to tackle the large projects in Warm Springs, Centerville, and Downtown, and to lead a team of building inspectors, plan check professionals, and code enforcement officers.


Fremont: There will be many new projects sprouting up in the next few years in Warm Springs and downtown. What projects are you most excited to work on and why?

DC: Downtown is the heart of the community and is the focal point for the City, especially as we celebrate our 60th year. The Fremont Downtown Community Plan and Design Guidelines envision that the new central downtown will be filled with residential and commercial developments to create a lively mixed use, transit-oriented sustainable neighborhood. I am very excited to be part of the Fremont team that will review these projects leading to the creation of a vibrant new downtown.


Fremont: As the Building Official for the 4th largest city in the Bay Area, how do you balance the roles of regulator and problem solver?

DC: It really doesn’t matter if this is a small city or the 4th largest city in the Bay Area. I believe in building strong relationships and working collaboratively with residents and business owners within the community. At the same time, I am approachable, solution-oriented, and seek to balance safety with customer service to create win-win solutions.


City of Fremont: What public safety issues are most on your radar?

DC: The Hayward Fault, a 74-mile-long fault line that runs along the east side of the Bay Area and throughout Fremont, is definitely on my mind. Scientists believe there’s strong evidence to suggest a major earthquake will strike the San Francisco Bay Area and the question is not if, but when. I want the City to be ready when the big one hits.


City of Fremont: What are your hobbies and interests outside of work, and what makes you smile?

DC: I treasure my time with my family outside of work, especially the time spent with my kids. I smile and enjoy seeing my children grow and develop their individual personalities and skills. One of my favorite hobbies is to work on house projects – building and fixing things. I recently added a second bathroom to my house. It was rewarding to see the completion. I look forward to tackling the next project which is to add a new second story to my house. My wife and I plan to add a master bedroom and bath on the new 2nd story and possibly remodel the 1st floor. We are working with our architect to pencil out the design and hope to start construction next summer.