Shining a Light on Resilience Solutions
Spotlight On Webinars
Resilient Virginia’s Spotlight On webinars provide focused, in-depth learning on priority resilience topics. Each session combines expert insight with practical takeaways, equipping participants with actionable knowledge they can apply to decision-making, planning, and real-world practice.
Upcoming Webinar
Spotlight On Arts and Cultural Approaches to Community Resilience
January 22, 2026 @ 1:00pm ET
This spotlight explores how arts and cultural practices can strengthen food systems resilience through the work of the Roanoke Foodshed Network (RFN), a regional collaborative advancing a more resilient, equitable, and accessible food system. Drawing on a community–university partnership, the session highlights how RFN uses arts and storytelling to build relationships, honor cultural food traditions, and foster inclusion across the region.
Participants will learn from initiatives such as Arts Connect the Food System and Stories of Community Food Work, which use culturally grounded events and storytelling to elevate diverse voices, deepen community understanding, and inform collective action. The webinar will share practical insights and strategies for integrating arts-based approaches into community resilience work.
About Our Speaker
Dr. Katie Trozzo
Dr. Katie Trozzo is a Food Systems Network and Outreach Specialist in the Virginia Tech 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. She also serves as the Virginia Tech–based State Coordinator for the Virginia SARE program. Her work focuses on building partnerships that support farm viability, land and water stewardship, and resilient food systems. Her work draws upon cultural community development and she uses arts-based approaches to support community transformation.
Spotlight On Webinar Archives
Spotlight On Webinar Archives
Spotlight On Arts and Cultural Approaches to Community Resilience
January 22, 2026
Virginia Climate Assessment
December 12, 2025
This Spotlight On webinar featured the Virginia Climate Assessment (VCA), the Commonwealth’s first comprehensive, peer-reviewed report on climate and weather trends and their impacts across Virginia. Led by the Virginia Climate Center at George Mason University, the webinar highlighted how the VCA provides clear, accessible insights into climate impacts on the economy, agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure. Participants learned how the Assessment serves as a trusted, data-driven resource to support informed decision-making by policymakers, local and state officials, and communities statewide.
Climate Resilient Water Management Strategies
December 4, 2025
This Spotlight On session examined the impacts of climate change on water resources and infrastructure, with a focus on urban and suburban communities. Dr. Tamim Younos, Founder and President of the Green Water-Infrastructure Academy, explored how changing climate conditions affect water availability, quality, and system resilience. The webinar highlighted innovative, sustainable water management approaches, including decentralized green infrastructure and the use of alternative water sources to strengthen long-term water resilience.
Parametric Insurance for Climate Resilience
November 5, 2025
Local Resilience in Action
October 29, 2025
This Spotlight On webinar highlighted community-led resilience initiatives from across Virginia, featuring Harrisonburg’s Eateries Acting Towards Sustainability (EATS) and the Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program (HCAP), along with Resilient Together, a regional collaboration between Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The session showcased how local and regional partnerships are advancing practical, place-based solutions and offered examples of collaborative approaches that can be adapted by other communities.
Regional Electrification Plans
October 15, 2025
This Spotlight On post-conference webinar continued the conversation on regional electrification by highlighting electric vehicle charging strategies from the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and the Roanoke Valley–Alleghany Regional Commission. The session provided an opportunity to revisit key conference themes, explore practical approaches to implementing EV charging infrastructure, and share lessons learned to support regional planning and coordination.
Regenerative Agriculture
September 25, 2025
This Spotlight On session, hosted by the RVCA Agriculture Working Group, focused on the future of regenerative agriculture in Virginia and beyond. Building on key conference takeaways, the discussion explored how agricultural practices can advance resilience, improve soil health, support climate action, and strengthen sustainable food systems. The webinar highlighted opportunities for continued collaboration and leadership within the agriculture sector.
Clean Fuels for Rural Economies
September 17, 2025
This Spotlight On session focused on the Drive Clean Rural USA Playbook, a practical guide developed by Virginia Clean Cities to help rural and small fleets transition to cleaner fuels. The webinar highlighted strategies and lessons learned from local pilot participants—including Fredericksburg’s city government, public schools, and the University of Mary Washington—and provided actionable steps for communities and organizations seeking to advance clean transportation and reduce emissions.
Resilient Water Infrastructure
September 11, 2025
This Spotlight On post-conference session provided an opportunity to revisit key discussions on resilient water infrastructure. Participants explored strategies for addressing challenges posed by climate change, aging systems, and growing demand, while continuing conversations about practical approaches to planning, maintaining, and strengthening water systems for long-term community resilience.
Funding for Climate-Ready Communities
May 30, 2024
The inaugural Spotlight On session, Funding for Climate-Ready Communities, explored practical ways for communities to access resources to build climate resilience. Going beyond an overview of available funding opportunities, the webinar provided guidance on navigating programs and securing support to advance local resilience planning and climate-ready initiatives.
Winter 2026: Resilient Virginia News
Partnering for Action: A Stronger Resilience Network Across Virginia … Resilience Foundations Certificate Program … RVCA Regional Resilience Roadmap Update … more.
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2026 Resiliency Academy: Exploring What Resilience Looks Like
Resilient Virginia’s 2026 Resiliency Academy is a 10-session webinar series designed to help communities understand change, reduce risk, and build long-term resilience using practical, systems-based, and equity-centered approaches.
Introducing the Resilience Foundations Certificate
Virginia is facing growing challenges from sea-level rise, recurrent flooding, extreme heat, and economic disruption—making coordinated resilience planning more essential than ever.
Where Data Meets Story: Mapping Equity in Virginia
VCU RISE has launched interactive StoryMaps to highlight environmental justice issues in Charles City County, Emporia, and Richmond. Learn how these equity-focused tools blend local data, maps, and community stories to support planning, resource access, and climate resilience.
Fall 2025: Resilient Virginia News
The Power of Partnership … Spotlight On Webinar Series … Resilience Certificate Survey … Interactive StoryMaps Advance Climate Equity … RVCA Updates … more.