Published: Feb. 9, 2016

george coddingGeorge A. Codding, son of former International Affairs Director and CU professor George Codding, Jr., has kept an interest in global issues in the family. Codding, ‘84 alum of International Affairs and Political Science and ’89 alum of the School of Law, has built a volunteer career beyond his current position in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

A volunteer firefighter for 27 years, Codding became interested in fire and arson investigation. He has investigated fires for his local fire department in Louisville and in Boulder County since 1998. Through this work, he became involved in the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI). IAAI has 8,300 members in 66 countries involved in the investigation of fires, including police and fire department members, scientists, engineers, attorneys, insurance personnel, and investigators. Currently the IAAI 1st Vice President, Codding will become IAAI President for a year starting April 2016.

In connection with IAAI, Codding has participated in discussions about law and justice, notably the problems with scientific evidence and wrongful convictions in arson cases. He has participated in training and outreach to professionals in Europe and the Americas, and he is particularly engaged with a push to reach out to professionals in Latin America. Even now, he credits his time with International Affairs and his 1982-83 Study Abroad program in Bordeaux, France as helping his work. The French skills he developed in Bordeaux have led to further language study, and he has presented on investigative and legal topics in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.