State building officials bestow top honors on Portland development review professional

News Article

Natalie Didion with Portland Permitting & Development named Plans Examiner of the Year

Natalie Didion

The Oregon Building Officials Association (OBOA), the statewide professional organization of municipal government building code reviewers and implementers, recognized Natalie Didion as its Plans Examiner of the Year at its annual business meeting and conference held July 16-18 in Bend.

Didion is an experienced plans examiner who supervises a team of experts at Portland Permitting & Development that reviews construction plans of residential and commercial structures for building code compliance.

She is active in efforts to streamline permitting processes and improve access to services for underserved communities. Most recently, she led the City of Portland's efforts to implement pre-approved building plans for detached accessory dwelling units, modeled after successful programs implemented in Eugene, Salem and Bend.

"It is an honor to receive this recognition from an organization that promotes the highest standards of excellence and innovation in the implementation of building codes," said Didion.

Didion is a Registered Architect and holds multiple certifications from the State of Oregon and the International Code Council relating to the examination of building plans. She joined the City of Portland in 2014 as a commercial plans examiner and was promoted to supervisor in 2017.

A native of Texas, she received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of Texas at Austin. After relocating to Oregon, while pursuing sculpture, Didion worked for the Rebuilding Center, becoming a certified lumber grader. This work led to an interest in construction and architecture, and she earned a master's degree in architecture from the University of Oregon.

Prior to joining the City of Portland, she worked at Yost Grube Hall Architecture and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects. Some of her notable projects include security upgrades to the U.S. Embassy compounds in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and in Majuro in the Marshall Islands. She also worked on the restoration of the historic McAlexander Fieldhouse at Oregon State University.