2026 Annual Conference | Tentative Program Overview 

 

We're thrilled to announce the selected sessions below for this year's Conference.

We are actively updating this page, so please check back in as we build out the program and agenda.

Networking Reception to take place Thursday evening.

Thursday, April 23

DCR’s Flood Resilience Resources for Floodplain Managers

Matt Dalon, PE, CFM

The Role of Marsh Vulnerability Assessments in Flood Resilience Planning

Daniel Proctor, PE

Pamela Mason

From Exercise to Action: Enhancing Dam Safety and Flood Emergency Response in Henrico County

Kristin Owen, AICP, CFM

The Deluge of Data: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning for Proactive Floodplain Management

Denise Nelson, P.E., CFM, ENV SP, LEED AP; Jose Pillich

Why FPM is important to EM and FPMs - Some Best Practice in Pennsylvania

Thomas S. Hughes

No Adverse Impact: Making Virginia More Resilient Through NAI

Thomas Ruppert, Esq.

From Planning to Action: Galax’s Innovative Path to Flood Resilience

Christina Hurley, AICP

Gavin Blevins, AICP, CFM, CZA

Doug Williams, AIA

Developing NCDOT RAFT: Resilience Analysis Framework for Transportation

Thomas Williams, PE

From One-Dimensional Assumptions to Urban Realities: Modernizing Floodway Analysis

Brett Laplante, CFM, PE

Debris in the Waterway - Yikes! Lessons learned from Helene

Robert Coates

Friday, April 24

Floodplain Monitoring and Resilience Strategies Using Real-Time Environmental Intelligence

Ted O'Connell

Using of Advanced Local Modeling to Improve Stormwater and Floodplain Management and Regulatory Compliance

Benjamin McFarlane, AICP, CFM

Christopher Williams, CFM

Kristin Owen, AICP, CFM

From Paper to Practice: How Henrico County Built a Floodplain Program That Works

Celinda Adair, CFM

Daven Patel, PE

Before the Storm: Building a Pre‑Disaster Voluntary Acquisition Program in Henrico County

Ross Weaver, AICP, CFM

Jen Pepson Elwood, ENV SP

Planning for Climate Change: Approach to Estimating and Adapting Flooding Exposure for HRSD Facilities

Robert J. Martz, P.E.

The Power of Openness: Improving Flood Hazard Management with Open Source, Standards, Data, and Science

Seth Lawler, PhD

FloodMapp and RISE Resilience Innovations Deploy an Operational, Impact-based Forecast and Early Warning System Across Virginia’s Blue Ridge Region

Michael Williams

Inside the Audit and Beyond: Essex County's NFIP Compliance and CFPF Funding

Anna Cherry, CFM; Savannah Newbern, CFM

Approaches for Future Riverine Flood Risk Planning – Examples from New York

Stu Geiger, CFM