Resilient Virginia to Host “Spotlight On” Webinar Exploring Arts, Culture, and Food Systems Resilience

Accomac, VA — January 5, 2026 — Resilient Virginia will host an upcoming Spotlight On webinar highlighting innovative approaches to strengthening community resilience through arts, culture, and food systems. The virtual session will take place on January 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Titled “Using Arts and Culture to Strengthen Community Resilience — Starting with Our Food Systems,” the session will feature the Roanoke Foodshed Network and explore how creative and culturally grounded practices are helping to build more resilient, equitable, and connected regional food systems.

Participants will learn how initiatives such as Arts Connect the Food System and Stories of Community Food Work are elevating community voices, honoring cultural food traditions, and fostering collective action. The session will also offer practical insights and strategies that attendees can apply within their own resilience efforts.

The webinar will feature Dr. Katie Trozzo, Food Systems Network and Outreach Specialist in Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, and Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement with the Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation. Dr. Trozzo brings extensive experience in advancing community-based food systems and collaborative engagement across Virginia.

This Spotlight On session is part of Resilient Virginia’s ongoing efforts to highlight innovative practices and connect practitioners working to strengthen resilience across the Commonwealth.

About Resilient Virginia

Resilient Virginia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing resilience planning and implementation across the Commonwealth. Through partnerships, research, and capacity-building initiatives, Resilient Virginia works to equip communities, businesses, and institutions with the tools and knowledge needed to adapt to change and thrive in an increasingly complex environment.

Media Contact

Trish Porter
Director of Programs and Communications
Resilient Virginia
trish@resilientvirginia.org

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Trish Porter

Director of Programs & Communications

Trish Porter is the Director of Programs and Communications at Resilient Virginia, where she develops and leads programs focused on resilience, systems thinking, and cross-sector collaboration. She is the co-creator and curriculum lead for the Resilience Foundations Certificate Program and served as lead author of the Regional Resilience Roadmap for Central and Southwest Virginia.

In her role, Trish oversees statewide educational initiatives including the Resiliency Academy, Spotlight On Webinar series, and the biennial Resilient Virginia Conference. She works closely with local governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and state agencies to support resilience planning, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving across sectors.

Trish specializes in translating complex resilience and sustainability concepts into practical, accessible learning experiences for local leaders, practitioners, and communities. She holds a Master of Natural Resources with a Graduate Certificate in Global Sustainability from Virginia Tech and brings a multidisciplinary background in sustainability, communications, education, and strategic program development.

Jessica Steelman

Executive Director

Jessica is a systems-level resilience and sustainability practitioner with experience leading nonprofit strategy, cross-sector partnerships, community-centered planning, and resilience implementation across Virginia. She brings a multidisciplinary background in coastal resilience, behavioral health, community engagement, grant strategy, and organizational leadership, with a focus on strengthening the natural, built, economic, and social systems that communities depend on.

Her work centers on connecting people, resources, and ideas across public, private, nonprofit, academic, and regional networks to move resilience priorities from planning into practical action. Through strategic leadership, program design, partnership development, and resource mobilization, she helps communities and organizations build capacity, reduce risk, and advance more resilient and sustainable futures.

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