News
Town of Goshen Selected for ARC READY Local Governments Program
As reported in the February 2024 CSPDC Newsletter, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) commenced the READY Local Governments program as one of their READY Appalachia capacity-building initiatives. The READY Local Governments funding provides no-cost training to assist local government representatives with identifying, securing, managing, and implementing federally sourced projects. The course capacity was limited to 180 local government officials, with no more than two representatives per community.
On April 24, the ARC announced the 90 local government entities, representing 12 Appalachian states, selected to participate in the READY Local Governments program. The Town of Goshen was among the 90 selectees. Mayor Tom McCraw and Assistant Town Clerk Trudy Martin will participate in the virtual, cohort-based learning program. The 9-week training course is scheduled to begin in spring 2024.
ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin stated in the READY Local Government press release, “ARC’s local government partners have always been the backbone of our on-the-ground work throughout our Appalachian communities. Through our READY Local Governments initiative, we are proud to help these partners enhance their work through training, resources, and expanded support, because when our local communities thrive, the entire Appalachian Region succeeds.”
To further assist communities, these 90 local governments are each eligible for up to $50K in funding to initiate in-house capacity-building projects after completing the training. No match is required. Visit this ARC webpage for more information on the READY Local Governments program: https://www.arc.gov/ready/localgovs/.
2024 Virginia Transit Association Annual Conference and Bus Expo
The Virginia Transit Association (VTA) is hosting their Annual Conference and Bus Expo on May 22-23, 2024 at the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center Harrisonburg, Virginia. Industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the state converge at the annual conference to explore the future of transit. From cutting-edge technology to sustainable solutions, this event promotes insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and actionable strategies to advance public transportation across the Commonwealth. Additionally, at the end of the conference there will be a graduation ceremony for the first cohort of Virginia Transit Leadership Institute (VTLI).
The conference is sold out, but if you would like to be added to a waitlist should there be a cancellation, please contact VTA at 804-643-1166.
Rita Whitfield Retires
Rita Whitfield, Office Manager of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, retired after more than 46 years and was recognized for her outstanding and meritorious service at the Commission meeting on April 15, 2024.
Rita began her career with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission on February 16, 1978, as Secretary I in the office Secretarial Pool, advancing to the position of Administrative Assistant; and then to the position of Office Manager that she held for 15 years.
Over her career, Rita worked for six Executive Directors and more than 150 Commissioners. She supported dozens of planners and staff by providing high quality administrative and management support.
On behalf of Commission and the region, we extend our sincere and grateful appreciation for her dedicated service to the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and congratulate her on her well-earned retirement, and extend our best wishes for continued success, happiness, and good health in the years to come.
Ann Cundy Hired as New Executive Director
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission has selected Ann Cundy to serve as the new Executive Director of the CSPDC. Ann has served the CSPDC for over 11 years, most recently as the Director of Transportation where she managed the agency’s transportation and transit programs. Her new position took effect April 1. She follows Bonnie Riedesel who retired after working at the CSPDC for 29 years and serving as its Executive Director since 2008.
Frank Friedman, Vice Chair of the CSPDC, says “I am delighted to announce that Ann will lead the agency in the years ahead. The CSPDC will benefit from her tremendous knowledge of planning and years of experience. I invite all our member jurisdictions to congratulate Ann and to support her future success.” All the Commissioners look forward to supporting Ann and the entire CSPDC team in serving our 21 jurisdictions in the region.
Senator Warner Visits Staunton
On a tour through the Shenandoah Valley on March 26, Senator Mark Warner stopped in Staunton to talk with local officials about the future of passenger rail in the region. Amtrak has been awarded $500,000 to identify and study potential improvements to the Cardinal Service which currently serves the Downtown Staunton station three days a week. The study is funded through the Corridor Identification and Development Program with funds allocated to the Federal Railroad Administration from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Amtrak has seen an increase in ridership across the Commonwealth with rail traffic in the Lynchburg-Roanoke corridor up 130 percent. The study will explore the feasibility of expanding the Cardinal route’s service from three to seven days a week. Even with the increase in ridership, improvements are needed to make rail travel in the Commonwealth more accessible and efficient. The Senator noted several challenges along the corridor south of Washington D.C. that cause delays. Many of those delays resulting from trains waiting to access single-track segments, bottlenecks at bridges, and lack of electrified tracks.
Although the event was primarily focused on passenger rail, Senator Warner took questions from those in attendance on a range of topics of interest both locally and nationally such as the war in Ukraine, affordable housing, broadband, inflation, immigration reform, and renewable energy. During the meeting, he shared local accolades, calling out the ongoing Shenandoah Valley Airport project, and the Afton Express and BRITE Transit System. Senator Warner acknowledged Bonnie Riedesel’s recent retirement and thanked her for her many years of service to the region.
The Senator’s trip through the Valley also included stops in Harrisonburg and Buena Vista where he spoke about regionally significant projects.