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Programs & Platforms

Building Pathways from Learning to Action

Resilient Virginia’s programs bring together learning, information, partnerships, and collaborative action to help communities and organizations build capacity and advance resilience across the Commonwealth. From professional learning and statewide data to regional collaboration and convening, our programs create practical ways to learn, connect, plan, and act.

Resilience Lab

Learning & Leadership

The Resilience Lab provides flexible learning opportunities for professionals, organizations, and communities looking to strengthen resilience knowledge, leadership, and applied skills.

Through certificate courses, short courses, skill builders, and customized learning opportunities, participants gain practical tools, fresh perspectives, and strategies they can apply directly in their work and communities.

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Be Resilient Virginia

Resilience Dashboard

Be Resilient Virginia is a statewide platform designed to translate resilience information into practical pathways for action.

Regional resilience profiles, an interactive resilience map, practical resources, and a searchable partner directory will help communities and decision-makers better understand local conditions, identify priorities, explore work happening across Virginia, and connect with resources and expertise.

Join the Dashboard Pilot

Collaborative Alliance

Surface, Solve, & Share

The Collaborative Alliance is a statewide resilience intelligence and problem-solving network that connects practitioners across sectors and regions to identify emerging needs, exchange timely information, and work through real-world resilience challenges.

Quarterly forums turn the network’s collective knowledge into useful connections, resources, and statewide insights that strengthen resilience practice across the Commonwealth.

Explore the Collaborative Alliance
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Annual Conference

Bringing Virginia Together Around Resilience

The Resilient Virginia Conference brings together practitioners, community leaders, partners, businesses, researchers, and decision-makers for statewide learning, connection, and action around whole-community resilience.

Keynotes, panel discussions, practical sessions, networking, exhibitors, and field experiences create opportunities to share ideas, discover solutions, build relationships, and connect statewide conversations with resilience work happening in Virginia communities.

Sponsor the 2027 Conference
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Talk With Us About Your Needs

Have a resilience challenge, project idea, funding opportunity, or capacity need? Tell us a little about what you’re working on and where you could use support.

Stay in the Loop

Get Resilient Virginia news, program updates, learning opportunities, events, resources, and ways to get involved delivered to your inbox.

Join the Dashboard Pilot

Sign up to receive pilot access and opportunities to provide feedback.

Get Alliance Updates

Stay connected to the Collaborative Alliance and receive updates on upcoming quarterly forums, emerging resilience issues, shared resources, statewide insights, and opportunities to participate in the network.

Get Conference Updates

Be the first to know when registration opens and receive conference announcements.

Explore an Industry Partnership

Start a Strategic Partnership Conversation

Talk With Us About Partnership

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.

Customized Learning Request

Media Inquiry

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

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

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