Dear VFMA Members, 

Welcome to 2026! Reflecting on the past year, I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made together. While 2025 brought "interesting times"—from rapid technological shifts to evolving regulatory landscapes—the VFMA remained a steadfast resource for the Commonwealth. I want to extend a special thank you to our Board of Directors, who worked tirelessly last year to reinvent our organization and modernize our vision. Their dedication is truly inspiring, and it has set the stage for an even more impactful year ahead.

Looking forward, we have several exciting opportunities to connect and grow. Following the tremendous response to our Fall Webinar Series, I invite you to join us on February 12th for our final session with Rob Young. We are also officially calling for Board nominations and committee volunteers to help shape our future. Most importantly, mark your calendars for our Annual Conference on April 23–24, 2026. The draft program is live, and early bird registration is now open. Thank you for being part of this vital community dedicated to advancing floodplain knowledge across Virginia. 

To read the full president's message, please click here. 

2026 Board of Directors Election

VFMA currently has four (4) Board of Director positions open for election. Each of these positions will serve a two-year term beginning in April 2026. To be eligible for the Board of Directors, you must be an active member of VFMA for at least the year prior to the election.

The nomination period for the 2026 election will close on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 11:59 pm, and the voting period for this election will open Friday, March 13 and close at 11:59 pm on Friday, April 10. Only votes cast by current VFMA members will be counted. The results of this election will be announced at the Annual Conference.

Nomination Form

2026 Virginia Floodplain Management Association Conference

Registration for our 2026 conference in Richmond, April 23-24, is now OPEN! Reserve your spot today.

Register Here

The 2026 VFMA Annual Conference will feature two days of practical, forward-looking sessions designed for floodplain managers, emergency managers, planners, engineers, and resilience professionals from across the Commonwealth.

Attendees can expect:

• State and local perspectives on flood resilience programs, tools, and funding resources
• Real-world case studies highlighting successful floodplain management, dam safety, and emergency response initiatives
• Emerging technologies and data applications, including real-time monitoring, modeling, and the use of advanced analytics to support decision-making
• Nature-based and ecosystem approaches to reducing flood risk and enhancing community resilience
• Pre-disaster mitigation strategies, with a focus on proactive planning and voluntary acquisition programs

The program balances technical content with policy and implementation insights, offering actionable takeaways for both new and experienced practitioners. Built-in networking opportunities throughout the conference provide time to connect with peers, speakers, and partners working on flood risk reduction across Virginia and beyond.

View Full Conference Program

We are also excited to be screening the award-winning documentary, "Built to Last: Buyer Beware," which takes a critical look at flood risk disclosure, development pressures, and policy challenges that directly impact floodplain management and resilience planning.

Ward's Floodplain Model Demonstrations

We are reaching out with a request to VFMA members to serve as volunteers and support demonstrations of the Ward’s Floodplain Model at various public events and in schools in Virginia.

DCR has seen ongoing demand for these requests with several events identified for this spring and would highly appreciate additional help from volunteers. Find more details and sign up to support the demonstrations here.

What is Ward's Floodplain Model?

A physical scale model that helps demonstrate how various factors within the watershed can impact stormwater runoff and flooding - watch an example in in this YouTube video.

Take the VFMA Training Needs Survey

VFMA is collecting feedback from floodplain management professionals to inform our 2026 training slate. Survey results will help align future trainings with certification needs and emerging education gaps across the Commonwealth. Your voice matters—please consider participating.

Education Survey

Webinar: Nothing We Are Doing to Reduce Flood Exposure Is Working

Thursday, February 12, 12pm-1pm

This webinar was originally planned for December and has been rescheduled. If you registered previously, please be sure to register again to secure your spot.

About the Webinar:

Dr. Young will present a national-level critique of flood and storm management policies. The presentation will focus on data inadequacies, perverse policy incentives to do the wrong thing, and the difficulty of translating what we do know into flood management at the local level. His focus is largely coastal, but he will discuss inland flooding as well drawing on lessons form hurricane Helene.

Register Here

Become a Webinar Speaker

Have expertise to share? VFMA welcomes professionals interested in presenting educational sessions. Submit your topic proposal to contribute to the advancement of floodplain management in Virginia.

Contact

Get involved- Join a committee!

Looking for a way to get involved with VFMA? Whether your interests lean toward policy and legislation or toward education, outreach, conference planning, or member engagement, there’s a committee for you. Our committees support a wide range of activities and initiatives that advance floodplain management across the Commonwealth.

All committees meet virtually, making it easy to participate, connect with peers, and contribute in a way that fits your interests and availability. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, we’d love to have you join us!

Join a Committee