Lonell Butler

Lonell is the City of Oakland's new Chief Building Official and Deputy Director for the Building Bureau! His professional background includes over 34 years in public service, where he garnered progressive responsibility in managing development and regulatory services across California municipalities and counties.

His extensive experience includes working as a Senior Building Inspector for Contra Costa County where he directly supervised building inspectors and code enforcement officers. He has served as the Chief Building Official for the County of Yolo, the City of Vallejo, and Union City. He has also served as the Director of Building and Safety for the City of Compton, and as a Consultant Interim Building Official in numerous cities.

Lonell is an International Code Council Certified Building Official, Building Plans Examiner, Building Inspector, Electrical Inspector, Plumbing Inspector, Mechanical Inspector, Commercial Combinator Inspector, and Building Code Specialist. He has broad experience in supporting jurisdictions achieve land development goals through his applied knowledge of building codes, accessible-design standards, floodplain management, process and efficiency enhancements, implementation of new technology, and performance-based service.

He is also committed to supporting his staff in their own professional development and in working creatively across agencies in serving the public. Lonell is a Bay Area native having grown up in Richmond, California. He loves various genres of music, traveling, and riding his Harley Motorcycle.