News & Event Announcements
From Broadband to Water to Transit: CSPDC Staff Dive Deep into Regional Challenges
Bridging the Digital Divide
Regional Planner Philippe Bone participated in Broadband Together 2025: Universal Broadband and Beyond in Richmond (May 15th). This event, hosted by the Broadband Association of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD), and the Virginia Municipal League, focused on achieving universal broadband access while exploring emerging technologies like telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity enhancement. Currently, CSPDC administers three DHCD-funded Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) projects—one serving Bath and Highland counties, and two in Rockbridge County—collectively aiming to deliver internet service to over 3,700 locations throughout the Central Shenandoah region.
Tackling Water Quality Challenges
The annual Choose Clean Water Conference in Harrisonburg (May 19-21) drew more than 280 participants, including two CSPDC staff members, Zach Beard and Rachel Kinzer. Together, they explored this year’s theme: “Hills and Valleys: Our Journey for Clean Water.” The three-day event brought together environmental professionals, advocates, and community leaders to collaborate on innovative solutions for watershed restoration and Chesapeake Bay protection. Conference sessions tackled pressing contemporary issues, from the growing presence of data centers in Virginia and their potential impacts on water quality and quantity, to PFAS contamination in biosolids and effective community engagement strategies around flooding, historic preservation and environmental restoration.
Exploring Transit Innovation
CSPDC’s transit team, Danielle Gannon, Paula Melester, and Devon Thompson, attended the Virginia Transit Association’s (VTA) Annual Conference & Expo on May 28-29 in Richmond. This gathering brought together transit professionals from across the Commonwealth alongside policy makers, consultants, and vendors to examine both current realities and future possibilities in public transportation. Sessions focused heavily on funding challenges while also exploring creative topics like incorporating art into transit systems, workforce development needs, cybersecurity, and land use planning tools that help communities better connect residents to essential services.
Connecting the Dots
While these three conferences addressed distinct sectors, common themes emerged around funding challenges, the intersection of technology with traditional infrastructure, and the importance of community engagement. Whether discussing water quality impacts from data centers, cybersecurity concerns in transit systems, or the role of broadband in enabling telemedicine, each event highlighted how modern infrastructure challenges require integrated thinking and comprehensive solutions.
Building Resilience One Community at a Time: CSPDC’s Comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Approach
Throughout May and June, the CSPDC Community Development Team of Jeremy Crute, Rachel Kinzer, Elizabeth Goodloe and Philippe Bone, embarked on a region-wide listening tour, sitting down face-to-face with representatives from all 21 member localities to discuss their communities’ experiences with natural disasters and explore tailored solutions. These strategic planning meetings represent a cornerstone of the Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan (CSHMP) development process—but they’re also something more: an opportunity to understand each community’s unique story.
From the mountain communities of Bath and Highland counties to the valley towns along major corridors, the team discovered that no two localities face identical challenges. Some communities grapple with recurring flood patterns along historic creek beds, while others contend with winter weather impacts on remote mountain roads. Each conversation revealed local knowledge that can’t be captured in data alone, such as which neighborhoods have elderly residents who might need additional support during power outages, or which local businesses serve as community gathering points during emergencies.
This ground-up approach to hazard mitigation planning goes beyond simply identifying risks by meeting with each locality individually to develop actionable mitigation strategies that reflect real-world conditions and community priorities. The goal is to emphasize proactive community protection and identify vulnerabilities so solutions can be implemented that make communities more resilient. The conversations happening now will shape how our region weathers future challenges—literally and figuratively—creating a plan that strengthens the fabric of regional preparedness.
The completed Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan is expected to be adopted in early 2026. Once approved by FEMA, it will ensure all member localities remain eligible for federal disaster assistance while providing a roadmap for long-term community resilience.
Former Executive Director Receives Public Service Award
Photo by Michelle Krone
Recently-retired Executive Director Bonnie Riedesel received the JMU Career Achievement in Public Service Award on April 22, 2025. JMU has recognized individuals across the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia region for their excellence in public service as part of the national Public Service Recognition Week. Honorees are nominated and selected by their peers and colleagues, facilitated by the JMU MPA program and are recognized at the annual Public Service Reception on the JMU campus.
Nominated by our partner organization the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, Bonnie was recognized for her 29 years of service to the region, the many new and innovative programs that she launched, and her spirit of collaboration. We congratulate Bonnie on this much-deserved award!
CSPDC and DEQ Kick Off Regional Water Supply Plans
On April 1, 2025, CSPDC staff, representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and regional stakeholders gathered to kick-off the Shenandoah River 1 and Upper James River 1 Water Supply Plans. These plans are being developed in accordance with the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation (9VAC25-780), which requires their completion by 2029.
The Shenandoah River 1 regional planning unit includes Augusta and Rockingham counties; the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro; and the towns of Bridgewater, Broadway, Craigsville, Dayton, Elkton, Grottoes, Mount Crawford, and Timberville.
The Upper James River 1 planning unit includes Bath, Highland, and Rockbridge counties; the cities of Buena Vista and Lexington; and the towns of Glasgow, Goshen, and Monterey.
To support initial planning efforts, the CSPDC has received approximately $20,000 in grant funding across the two regional units. This will help with early-stage activities such as developing a project management plan and timeline, conducting initial data collection, and local data requests.
The water supply planning process is a long-term, collaborative effort involving input from state agencies, regional entities, and local governments. The CSPDC will lead coordination of all planning efforts for both water supply plans, facilitating communication among DEQ, localities, and public service authorities, and overseeing data collection and plan development.
CSPDC Applies for Increased SPARC Allocation for First-Time Homebuyers’ Program
In April 2025, the CPSDC applied for its third allocation of funds through Virginia Housing’s Sponsoring Partnerships & Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) Program. Building on the success of its previous efforts, the CSPDC is seeking $4.5 million in SPARC funding to support first-time, eligible homebuyers across the Central Shenandoah region.
The CSPDC first became a SPARC sponsor in 2023, with an initial $1.7 million allocation. Due to strong demand for more SPARC funds, the CSPDC asked for an allocation of $3 million the following year, which was fully expended by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Through this funding, the CSPDC helped a total of eleven homebuyers achieve homeownership, seven in Rockingham County, three in the City of Harrisonburg, and one in the City of Waynesboro. Each program participant completed Virginia Housing’s Homebuyer Education course and received housing counseling services from Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project Inc. (SERCAP).
The SPARC Program offers a reduced mortgage interest rate (a 1% adjustment below Virginia Housing’s prevailing home loan rates), potentially saving homebuyers thousands of dollars over the life of their loan. SPARC funds can also be used to complement the CSPDC’s existing First Time Homebuyer Program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to income-qualified homebuyers at 80% AMI or below. For more information about the CSPDC’s First-time homebuyer’s program, please contact Philippe Bone at 540-885-5174 or by email here.