The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) has announced the winner of the Robert M. deVoursney Best Practices Award for 2025 as the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission’s (MPPDC) Fight the Flood Program. The award was presented at a recent meeting of the MPPDC. The Best Practices Award recognizes organizations that have initiated innovative regional activities which have contributed significantly to the effectiveness of a region.

The Fight the Flood Program represents a best practice in multijurisdictional planning, effectively leveraging local, regional, and state resources to maximize impact. Since its inception in 2020, it has successfully connected Middle Peninsula property owners with over $52 million in financial and technical assistance for flood resiliency improvements, marking a transformative investment in safeguarding rural coastal Virginia. 

Representatives of the Middle Peninsula PDC (L – R): Rachael Peabody, Acting Executive Director; Ashley Chriscoe, Chairman;

Lewie Lawrance, Managing Director

Through an easily accessible property registration system, the program links participants with grant funding, low-interest loans, and cost-share programs to help them finance critical resiliency measures such as septic system upgrades and living shorelines. It also provides access to a vetted network of regional professionals who deliver technical expertise, planning support, and implementation services, ensuring property owners are never alone in the fight.

“The Fight the Flood Program was designed from the ground up to be scalable, customizable, and replicable,” said Consociate Media’s Stephanie Heinatz in making the nomination. “The program’s website portal, property registration system, and professional support network are modular by design, allowing for easy adaptation to local needs, funding availability, and capacity.”

Planning District Commissions were enabled by state legislation in 1968 and most were established the following year. There are 21 PDCs and Regional Commissions in Virginia made up of elected officials and citizens appointed by local governments. The purpose of Planning District Commissions is to encourage and facilitate regional solutions to problems of area-wide significance. This is done by promoting the efficient development of the physical, social, and economic policies of all districts by assisting local governments to plan for the future. The PDCs of Virginia joined together to create the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions in 1987 to share best practices and further regionalism

across the Commonwealth.