Published on June 27, 2025
The City of Fort Worth’s Code Compliance Department is helping shape the leaders of tomorrow. The department recently celebrated its first graduating class from the C.O.D.E. Leadership Program — short for Cultivating Opportunities for Development and Expertise.
Created by Training Specialist Ana Sanchez-Brown, the program helps employees explore what it really means to be a good leader. It focuses on building self-awareness, developing critical skills, and finding ways to strengthen both themselves and their teams. Sanchez-Brown is passionate about giving employees the tools they need to handle challenges — at work and in life. “As an educator, it makes my heart spark with happiness to see that, even as adults, our curiosity for learning continues,” she said.
Now, you’ve probably heard the saying, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.” While that’s often true, this group got to skip a few stumbles by learning straight from the source. Code Compliance leaders — Director Brian Daugherty, Deputy Director Shannon Elder, Assistant Director Chris McAllister, and Administrative Manager Ben Carson — shared honest stories about their own journeys. From starting out as entry-level code officers to having backgrounds as a licensed minister and mentor, they showed that no matter how uncertain things get, you can carve out your own path by making smart choices and learning from mistakes.
The program offered hands-on workshops on:
The good news? The C.O.D.E. Leadership Program isn’t stopping here. Sanchez-Brown plans to offer it again and is already working on a second-level program for those who want to keep growing.