Making Connections at WaterJAM 2026

Resilient Virginia connected with attendees at WaterJAM 2026 to share programs, services, and opportunities for advancing community resilience across the Commonwealth. Board leaders and staff welcomed conversations about local challenges, partnerships, and ways to support more resilient communities.

Identifying and Reducing Hazard Pathways

Resilient Virginia will host the second session of its 2026 Resiliency Academy webinar series on April 16 from 12:00–1:30 p.m. ET. Titled “From Change to Impact: Identifying and Reducing Hazard Pathways,” the session will continue building participants’ knowledge and skills to better understand and strengthen resilience across social, ecological, and community systems.

Registration Open: Spring 2026 Resilience Foundations Certificate Program

Registration is now open for the Spring 2026 Resilience Foundations Certificate Program, a professional training program designed to help leaders understand and apply systems-level approaches to climate resilience and community resilience. The 12-week virtual certificate program provides practical training in resilience planning, climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, and systems thinking for professionals working across sectors. The Spring 2026 program curriculum will open on March 22, and all registrations must be completed by March 20 to participate in this cohort.

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

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.

2018 Rural Resiliency Forum

The 2018 Resilient Virginia Rural Resiliency Forum, held on October 23 at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, brought together public, private, and academic stakeholders to strengthen the resilience and prosperity of Virginia’s rural communities.

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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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For media inquiries, interviews, speaking requests, organizational background, or information related to whole-community resilience in Virginia, connect with our team.

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NEXT RESILIENCY ACADEMY JUNE 25: Proactive Resilience: Planning, Adapting, and Mitigating Hazards Before They Strike

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