Register today for our three-part Spring Resiliency Academy series, which presents NEW options for communities to help finance resiliency initiatives. The first workshop will focus on funding for flood-prone communities, the second will highlight funding for resilient buildings and energy, and the final workshop will outline funding for economic recovery, jobs, and justice.
Thanks to our Gold Sponsor,
Resilient Virginia Members receive free registration
Thanks to our Gold Sponsor
Workshop 3: Funding for Economic Recovery, Jobs, and Justice
Date: June 17th, 2021
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm EDT
The third workshop in the 2021 series will provide an overview of funding opportunities for advancing job creation, economic recovery, and social and environmental justice in the state and nationwide. Session will feature speaker presentations, followed by Q&A.
Carl B. Knoblock, District Director, Virginia Small Business Administration (SBA) District Office, will present on the recovery assistance available for small businesses through several programs, as well as solar credits and tax credits for small businesses.
Jennifer Morgan, GO Virginia Region 6 Economic Development Coordinator, will present on the Coastal Resilience and Adaptation Economy Initiative that was recently awarded a $2.9 million grant to foster innovation and growth in the Hampton Roads and Middle Peninsula areas. A collaboration with several development organizations and Old Dominion University, this initiative will work to diversify the economy of the region while supporting business start-ups that help address coastal flooding challenges.
Robyn Lee, GO Virginia Region 1 Program Manager, will present on the nearly $500,000 received by the Energy Storage and Electrification Manufacturing Jobs Project, which will support the realignment of four family-owned businesses in Southwest Virginia away from their coal-centric manufacturing focus toward opportunities in energy storage and renewable energy.
James Young, Interagency Recovery Coordination Lead, Recovery Division, FEMA Region 3 and Wynne Kwan, AICP, LEED AP (BD+C), Community Planning & Capacity Building Coordinator, Recovery Division, FEMA Region 3, will provide information on the FEMA Region 3 Resource Report that aggregates federal grants and other funding programs available to state and local governments for COVID recovery.
About Our Presenters
Carl Knoblock was district director for the Western Pennsylvania SBA district office. He has served as C-Level executive for innovative startups. Prior to becoming Virginia SBA District Director, Knoblock owned/operated small businesses from manufacturing to service industry. He was a foster parent for over 10 years and served our country in the U.S. Navy.
Jennifer Morgan graduated from James Madison University’s Master in Public Administration in 2018 with a focus on Community and Economic Development. As the GO Virginia Region 6 Coordinator, Jennifer works with regional stakeholders to find collaborative ways to spur job creation and grow the regional economy from a ground up approach. In her free time, you can find her walking her German Shepard rescue, exploring different regions of the state, and enjoying all that Virginia has to offer.
Robyn Lee is the Program Manager of GO Virginia Region One in the Office of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise). Serving thirteen counties and three cities in Region One, Robyn works with regional and state partners to promote collaboration and create economic development opportunities in Southwest Virginia. In her role, Robyn provides technical grant administration assistance to applicants and subgrantees awarded GO Virginia grants. During her eight years at UVA Wise, Robyn has served in a number of roles in the Office of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives. Robyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Virginia's College at Wise. Robyn resides in Dickenson County with her husband, Josh, and daughter, Marcella.
James Young has been with FEMA Region 3 for over four years and is currently deployed as the Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer (DFCO) for DR-4603 and DR-4605. During COVID-19, Young worked in a variety of roles, including Team Lead and Assistant Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer for DR-4517. During his time with FEMA, Young has primarily served as the Interagency Recovery Coordination Lead of the West Virginia FEMA Integration Team (WV FIT). James received a Bachelor of Political Science degree from Marshall University, and a Master of City Management degree from East Tennessee State University.
Wynne Kwan, AICP, LEED AP (BD+C) is the Community Planning and Capacity Building (CPCB) Coordinator at FEMA Region 3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During blue skies, Wynne works with various Federal and non-federal partners to help State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) governments prepare for disaster recovery, through the communication and coordination of guidance materials, tools, training, and other resources that enhance SLTT capacity and resilience. Post-disaster, Wynne coordinates and facilitates support among CPCB partners for the planning, capacity, and resilience building capabilities needed by local or tribal governments.
Previous Workshops in This Series
Workshop 1: Funding for Flood-Prone Communities
This event was held on May 6, 2021
The first workshop in the 2021 series featured two major funding programs for communities with flooding issues. This session featured speaker presentations, followed by Q&A.
Russell Baxter, Deputy Director of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), outlined the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The fund was established to provide support for regions and localities across Virginia to reduce the impacts of flooding, including flooding driven by climate change. It will prioritize projects that are in concert with local, state, and federal floodplain management standards, local resilience plans, and the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. The Fund will empower communities to complete vulnerability assessments and develop and implement action-oriented approaches to bolster flood preparedness and resilience. Funded through the state's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions, $18 million in grants from the first round of auctions is expected to be offered by mid-year. The DRAFT 2021 Grant Manual for the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund was issued on April 5th and the 30-day comment period began on April 12th and ended on May 12th, 2021.
Debbie Messmer, State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Financial Management Bureau, Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), explained the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant programs. BRIC and FMA grant programs support states, local communities, tribes, and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. BRIC is a FEMA pre-disaster hazard mitigation program to create more community-wide impact including protection for homes, businesses, and public infrastructure. The FMA funds flood mitigation projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Workshop 2: Funding for Resilient Buildings and Renewables + Storage
This event was held on May 27, 2021
The second workshop in the 2021 series featured information and resources on making our buildings and energy systems more resilient to climate change and other disruptions.
Workshop speakers:
Dan Farrell, Associate Director of Energy Efficiency, DHCD Housing Innovations in Energy Efficiency (HIEE) Program will give an overview of how HIEE will bring millions of dollars from RGGI to broaden the state’s funding power to support expanded low-income home repair and weatherization programs.
Abby Johnson, LEED AP O&M, Executive Director, Virginia PACE Authority, will provide updates on C-PACE, already being utilized in a number of localities for commercial building energy improvements, and now expanded in recent legislation to support resiliency improvements.
Cliona Robb, Esq., Director, Thompson McMullan, P.C., Board Chairperson, VA-Renewable Energy Alliance and chairperson of the Virginia Solar and Energy Storage Authority will provide updates to new state policies promoting battery storage development by utilities as one of the paths toward decarbonization goals.
Nam Nguyen, Associate Director, Virginia Energy Management Program, VA Department of Mines Minerals and Energy (DMME), will review the significant state policy and financial incentive changes that promote renewable development at utility scale and through distributed systems.
