This week, in recognition of Building Safety Month, we’re highlighting the people behind the scenes in Wake County’s Planning and Development Services department. Each day this week, we’ll share the story of one employee, showing how their expertise and dedication help protect our community and ensure that every project meets the highest standards.
By day, Vance Wrenn walks through construction sites across Wake County, clipboard in hand, checking that new schools are safe, sound and built to last. By night, he is on the softball field, coaching girls and teaching them skills, confidence and how to aim for goals bigger than themselves. For him, both roles are about guidance, growth and helping others reach their potential.
Vance joined Wake County in May 2020 as a special projects senior inspector in the Planning and Development Services Department’s Permits and Inspections division. He oversees all public school construction, ensuring every foundation, beam and wall meets code, and that every child who walks inside stays safe.
“I love that I can make a real difference in my community,” he said. “When I walk onto a job site and see a school coming together, I know that the work we do keeps kids safe every day. That’s incredibly rewarding.”
A Wake County native and NC State civil engineering graduate, Vance spent years in private consulting focused on bridge inspections and structural design. “Bridge work taught me to be precise, to ask questions, and to think ahead,” he said. “Those skills translate directly to inspections. You learn to see the big picture and the small details at the same time.”
Vance also trains other inspectors. “It’s not just about what I do,” he said. “I try to raise the expertise of the whole team, make sure we’re consistent and mentor others to be confident in their decisions. That way, the impact spreads beyond just me.”
There’s a common misconception about building inspectors: that they are there to slow things down or point out problems. “People sometimes think we’re just creating red tape,” he said. “But really, our job is safety. We’re not project managers. We don’t fix what we find. We make sure it meets code and that people can trust the buildings we use every day.”
Vance’s days are long and detailed. He reviews construction plans, walks job sites, meets with contractors, and helps resolve complex permit or code issues. Every decision carries weight; a mistake could affect the safety of hundreds of children. But he sees the challenge as a responsibility he is proud to carry.
“I am highly motivated by the opportunity to build trust and develop others. My goal is to eventually step into a larger leadership role, so developing those core leadership competencies drives me every day,” he said.
When the job sites close, Vance heads to the softball field. He founded NC Power Surge Elite, a nonprofit travel softball program for girls, and coaches the high school team himself. “It’s about more than winning games,” he said. “I want my players to understand the value of hard work, preparation and teamwork. I help them get noticed by college coaches, secure scholarships, even NIL opportunities.”
Outside work and softball, Vance is a devoted NC State fan, follows the Winter Olympics, listens to Fleetwood Mac and Rush, and enjoys classic comedy. Recently, he lost his mother, a woman he described as his rock and the glue that held everything together. “She showed me what it means to care, to show up, and to support people,” he said. “I try to live that every day in my work and in coaching.”
Whether on a construction site or on the softball field, Vance Wrenn is building something bigger than bricks and beams. “I want to leave things better than I found them – buildings, teams, people,” he said. “It’s about safety, growth and opportunity. That’s what drives me every day.”
