National Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact 

Reduction (NACWIR) Member 

 

Wanda D. Edwards, P.E. 

Senior Director of Technical Services

RCI, Inc.

Ms. Edwards has wide-ranging expertise and experience in 

engineering design, construction, building code development, 

and code enforcement. She is a registered Professional 

Engineer (P.E.) in North Carolina, and a Certified Code 

Enforcement Official in Building, Mechanical, Plumbing and 

Fire Codes. She is also a licensed North Carolina General 

Contractor (inactive) and Licensed North Carolina Home 

Inspector (inactive). Ms. Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design and a B.S. 

in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Construction, both from North Carolina State 

University. 

Ms. Edwards is the Senior Director of Technical Services for RCI, Inc., an international 

nonprofit association of professional consultants, architects, and engineers specializing in 

roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall specification. RCI members also perform forensic 

investigations on existing structures, including destructive and non-destructive testing, design 

repairs and replacements, and provide quality assurance to building owners. She serves as 

technical editor of RCI Interface, a monthly, peer-reviewed technical journal. Ms. Edwards 

chairs the International Code Council (ICC) Industry Advisory Committee and represents RCI on 

multiple ICC technical committees.

Ms. Edwards served for six years as the Director of Code Development for the Insurance 

Institute for Business & Home Safety. In that capacity, she conducted research that led to 

proposed changes to the International Codes, and advocated for stronger codes at the state level. 

Ms. Edwards worked for 11 years with the North Carolina Department of Insurance, including 

three years as the Deputy Commissioner, Engineering Division. She directed the operation of the 

Engineering Division, which included the North Carolina Code Officials Qualification Board, 

the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board, and the North Carolina Building Code 

Council. As Chief Engineer, she was responsible for official interpretations of all volumes of the 

code.

For 10 years earlier in her career, Ms. Edwards was the President of WD Edwards Company, 

Inc., a design and construction firm that developed and built subdivision infrastructure and 

houses. Prior to that, she was a Senior Engineer for Carolina Power and Light (CP&L) 

Company, where she was responsible for design and construction for research and development 

facilities, offices and warehouses, and infrastructure facilities such as heliports, cofferdams, and 

wastewater treatment plants. Ms. Edwards was also a Fulbright Scholar, and worked with the 

University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago to develop a training, education, and 

certification program for building inspectors. 

During her tenure with the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Ms. Edwards served as a 

member of the State Emergency Response Team and participated in numerous post-disaster 

damage assessment investigations. She has served as Vice Chair of RICOWI and has 

participated in several field investigations. She also participated in numerous post-disaster field 

investigations of facilities and transmission lines while with CP&L.