Stakeholder Engagement
NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working diligently to communicate the goals to multiple levels of stakeholders. There is a three tiered approach to stakeholder engagement.
| Advisory Groups | Community Centered | End User |
|---|---|---|
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Advisory Groups
Principal Advisory Group
The Principal Advisory Group will provide advisory input and feedback on the policy, process, engagement, modeling, tools and support utilized to implement the Blueprint.
Technical Advisory Groups
The NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint's Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) are made up of subject matter experts invited to give feedback and advice on all aspects of the Blueprint project. With over 100 technical advisors distributed across six groups, the Blueprint will benefit from the input of a diverse group of stakeholders and government agencies. TAG members include representatives from Federal, State, County, Municipal, and Tribal governments; non-governmental organizations; and universities. Below, you will find descriptions of each TAG along with a list of members.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGO | Amanda Sand | NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation | Executive Director |
| State | Bailey Recktenwald | Governor's Office | Climate Advisor |
| NGO | Chris Canfield | Conservation Trust for NC | Executive Director |
| Federal | Christine Brayman | USACE/Wilmington District | Commander’s Deputy for Programs & Project Management |
| State | Colleen Kiley | NC Department of Information Technology/Center for Geographic Information & Analysis | GIS Coordination Program Manager |
| Federal | Curtis Weaver | USGS | Hydrography Science Applications Lead |
| DEQ | Elizabeth Christenson | DEQ/Secretary's Office | Senior Policy Advisor |
| State | Gary Thompson | NC Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management | Deputy Chief |
| NGO | Katherine Skinner | The Nature Conservancy | Executive Director, North Carolina |
| State | Kathie Dello | NC State Climate Office | Director/State Climatologist |
| Municipality | Ken Ashe | NC Association of Floodplain Managers | Chair |
| NGO | Lariza Garzon | Hispanic Federation | Director of North Carolina and Mid-South Operations |
| DEQ | Marc Recktenwald | DEQ/Division of Mitigation Services | Division Director |
| State | Marlena Byrne | NC Office of Recovery and Resilience | Deputy State Chief Resilience Officer |
| NGO | Mary Alice Holley | Conservation Trust for NC | Director of Community Innovation |
| State | Mike Ware | NC Department of Information Technology | Chief Information Officer |
| Tribal | Ricky Burnett, Greg Richardson | NC Commission of Indian Affairs | Chairman |
| Municipality | Sarah Collins | NC League of Municipalities | Chief of Staff |
| NGO | Scott Hamilton | Golden Leaf | President/CEO |
| County | Tim Trautman | Mecklenburg County | Flood Mitigation Program Manager |
| DEQ | Toby Vinson | NC DEQ/ Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources | Program Operations Chief |
| State | Tom Langan | NC Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management | Engineering Supervisor |
| NGO | Tom Potter | NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation | Project Manager |
| NGO | Tony McEwen | American Flood Coalition | Carolinas Director |
| State | Vernon Cox Designee | NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Division of Soil & Water Conservation | Designee |
| Federal | Vic Engel | USGS | Director |
| Federal | Mary Giorgino | USGS | Associate Director for Hydrologic Studies |
| NGO | Will McDow | Environmental Defense Fund | Senior Director of Coasts and Watersheds |
| EJ Partner | La'Meshia Whittington-Kaminski | Secretary's Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board | Subcommittee Chair Blueprint |
The Governance TAG will provide advisory input and feedback on existing and proposed policies, processes, and programs at a Federal, State, Tribal, and/or other local level that will impact the rollout and operations of the Blueprint.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
DEQ | Tancred Miller | NC DEQ/ Division of Coastal Management | Policy & Planning Section Chief |
DEQ | Toby Vinson | NC DEQ/ Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources | Program Operations Chief; NCORR Liaison |
Municipality | Sarah Collins | NC League of Municipalities | Chief of Staff |
NGO | Amanda Sand | NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation | Executive Director |
NGO | Brittany Love | Robeson County Church and Community Center | Director of Systemic Programming |
NGO | Chris Baillie | North Carolina Coastal Federation Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape | Resilience and Climate Adaptation Coordinator |
NGO | Michelle Lovejoy | Environmental Defense Fund | Manager of Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds |
NGO | Tony McEwen | American Flood Coalition | Carolinas Director |
State | Alexander "Sandy" Stewart | NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Assistant Commissioner |
State | Andrea Webster | NC Department of Public Safety/Office of Recovery & Resiliency | Resilience Policy Advisor |
State | Emily Roach | NC Department of Commerce | Director, Policy & Strategic Planning |
State | Gary Thompson | NC Department of Public Safety/Floodplain Mapping Program | Chief of Geodetic Survey |
University
| Lydia Olander | Duke University | Ecosystem Services Program Director; Senior Policy Associate Ecosystem Services Program |
University | Sara Mason | Duke University | Senior Policy Associate |
University | Steve Wall | UNC Policy Collaboratory | Outreach Director |
University/Tribal | Danielle Hiraldo | UNC American Indian Center | Director |
Federal | Valerie Anderson | FEMA Region IV | Natural Hazards Program Specialist |
The Partnership/Funding TAG will advise on funding and financial partnership opportunities to support implementation of Blueprint projects. The group will also advise on criteria and modeling used to calculate benefit and prioritization.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
COG | Robert Hiett | NC Association of Regional Councils of Government | Upper Coastal Plain Executive Director |
County | Bob Carruth | NC Association of County Commissioners | Risk Control Manger |
DEQ | Stephanie Bolyard | NC DEQ/ Office of Secretary | Senior Engineer to the Assistant Secretary |
DEQ | Stephanie Suter | NC DEQ/ Division of Water Infrastructure | Deputy Director |
DEQ | Steve Bevington | NC DEQ/ Division of Water Infrastructure | Restoration Program Manager |
Federal | Kristen Martinenza | FEMA Region IV | Risk Analysis Branch Chief |
NGO | Bill Holman | The Conservation Fund | North Carolina State Director |
NGO | Kasey Ginsberg | Golden Leaf Foundation | Vice President- Chief of Staff |
NGO | Kristiane Huber | The Pew Charitable Trusts | Officer, Flood-Prepared Communities |
State | Maggie Battaglin | NC Department of Public Safety/Office of Recovery & Resiliency | Director of Mitigation |
University | Susan White | NC Water Resources Research Institute | Executive Director |
The Hazard Identification TAG will provide input on data and modeling used to calculate and display flood probability and extent. This work will include consideration of deterministic and probabilistic riverine, lacustrine, dam and levee induced, urban, stormwater, and coastal and/or riverine confluence flooding.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
DEQ | Klaus Albertin, Pamela Behm | NC DEQ/ Division of Water Resources | Water Resources Engineer |
DEQ | Mackenzie Todd | NC DEQ/ Division of Coastal Management | Coastal Resilience Specialist |
Federal | Doug Marcy | NOAA | Hazards Specialist |
Federal | John C Weaver | USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center | Hydrologist |
Federal | Wesley Brown | USACE | Wilmington District Hydraulic Engineer |
NGO | Adam Gold | Environmental Defense Fund | Manger, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watershed NC & VA |
NGO | Danica Schaffer-Smith | The Nature Conservancy | Watershed Scientist |
NGO | Gian Tavares | American Flood Coalition | Senior Strategy Associate |
NGO | Kathryn Gaasch | MDC Rural Forward Director | Director |
State | Kurt Golembesky | NC Department of Transportation/ Hydraulics Unit | Engineer III |
State | Tom Langan | NC Department of Public Safety/Floodplain Mapping Program | Engineering Supervisor |
University | Rick Luettich | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Science | Professor |
The Vulnerability/Risk/Impact TAG will advise on data and modeling to calculate and display present and future vulnerabilities and impacts to people and receptors. Populations include historically marginalized communities, and Tribes. Receptors include, e.g. environment, structures, infrastructure, and commerce. The group will also provide input and feedback on criteria and modeling utilized for risk and equity ranking and rating.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
COG | Mary Roderick | Land of Sky Regional Council | Regional Planner |
DEQ | Brad Cole | NC DEQ/ Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources | Chief of Regional Operation |
DEQ | Jordan Thompson | NC DEQ/ Division of Waste Management | Geologist |
DEQ | Joselyn Harringer | NC DEQ/ Division of Waste Management | Hydrogeologist |
DEQ | Julie Woosley | NC DEQ/ State Energy Office | Director |
Municipality | Byron Reeves | City of Fayetteville/ Stormwater Management Program | Assistant Public Services Director |
NGO | Bethany Cutts | NC State University | Associate Professor |
NGO | Chad Martin | NC Black Alliance | Environmental Justice Policy Strategist |
NGO | Mary Alice Holley | Conservation Trust for NC | Director of Community Innovation |
State | Autumn Locklear | NC Department of Health and Human Services | Climate Health Epidemiologist |
State | Maria Polizzi | NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Forest Service | Forest Water Quality Senior Specialist |
State | Natalie Rivera | NC Department of Health and Human Services | Farmworker Health Program Manager |
State | Paul Ervin | NC Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management | Economist |
State | Peter Daniel, Jr. | NC Chamber of Commerce | Director of Government Affairs |
State | Scott Melvin | NC Department of Agriculture/Division of Soil and Water Conservation | Engineering Services Section Chief |
University | Kathie Dello | NC State Climate Office | Director |
University | Leila Hashemi Beni | North Carolina A&T University | Associate Professor |
University | Todd Bendor | University of North Carolina | Professor |
The Resilience/Mitigation/Reduction TAG will provide input on data and modeling to best calculate and display present and future loss avoidance to people and receptors. The group will also provide advice on criteria and modeling used for ranking and prioritizing mitigation strategies and projects.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
COG | David Richardson | Lumber River | Executive Director |
DEQ | Lin Xu | NC DEQ / Division of Mitigation Services | Environmental Engineer - Stoney Creek Project Manager |
Federal | Ryan Loadholt | USDA | District Conservationist |
Federal | Carville Edwards | FEMA Region IV | |
Federal | Keith Keeney | USACE - Wilmington District | Senior Planner |
NGO | Grady McCallie | NC Conservation Network | Policy Director |
NGO | Lariza Garzon | Hispanic Federation | Director of North Carolina and Mid-South Operations |
NGO | Rick Savage | Carolina Wetlands Association | Executive Director |
NGO | Todd Miller | NC Coastal Federation | Executive Director |
NGO | Tom Potter | NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation | Project Manager |
NGO | Will McDow | Environmental Defense Fund | Senior Director |
State | Chris Crew | NC Department of Public Safety/ Emergency Management Division | State Hazard Mitigation Officer |
State | Marlena Byrne* | NC Department of Public Safety/ Office of Recovery and Resiliency | Deputy Chief Resilience Officer |
State | Misty Buchanan | NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources/Natural Heritage Program | Deputy Director for Natural Heritage |
State | Pak Yip | NC Department of Insurance | Chief Building Code Consultant |
Tribal | Joey Owle, Designee Derek Tahquette | Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians | Regulatory Specialist |
University | Bill Hunt | NC State University | William Neal Reynolds Distinguished University Professor/Extension Specialist |
University | Katie Warnell | Duke University | Senior Policy Associate, Ecosystem Services Program |
University | Narcisa Pricope | University of North Carolina - Wilmington | Professor |
University | Toni Sebastian | University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill | Assistant Professor |
The Tool Development/Acceptance TAG will provide input and feedback on the business case and functional requirements of Blueprint tools, websites, and applications.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
NGO | Grady McCallie | NC Conservation Network | Policy Director |
County | Daniel Adams | Pender County | Planning and Community Development Director |
County | Ken Vafier | New Hanover County | Planning Manager |
DEQ | Josh Colley | NC DEQ/ Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources | State Dam Safety Engineer |
DEQ | Kasen Wally | NC DEQ/ Division of Coastal Management | Coastal Resiliency Specialist |
DEQ | Shannon Leonard | NC DEQ/ Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources | Assistant Regional Engineer |
Municipality | Craig Harris | City of Wilmington | Associate Planner- Long Range Planning |
Municipality | Nancy Watford | City of Asheville | Stormwater Supervisor |
Municipality | Tim Trautman | Charlotte-Mecklenburg/ Stormwater Services | Engineering & Mitigation Program Manager |
NGO | Lauren Kolodij | NC Coastal Federation | Deputy Director |
State | Colleen Kiley* | NC Department of Information Technology | GIS Coordination Program Manager |
State | Will Best | NC Department of Commerce | Director of Certified Sites |
The Neuse Regional Advisory Group will provide input on Neuse River Basin specific needs, including from historically marginalized communities and how to best use the information from Blueprint at a River Basin level. This group should be representative of the Basin and is intended to serve as a pilot that will help define how future basins are incorporated into the Blueprint process.
Organization Type | Name | Organization | Title |
COG | Ben Farmer | Upper Coastal Plain COG | Planning and Services Director |
COG | Carlton Gideon | Eastern Carolina COG (In Neuse) | Senior Community Advisor |
COG | Haley Hogg | Mid-Carolina COG (In Neuse) | Planning Director |
County | Nancy Daly | Wake County | Water Resources Manager |
DEQ | Anjie Ackerman | NC DEQ/ Division of Mitigation Services | Watershed Planner |
DEQ | Rachel Love-Adrick | NC DEQ/ Division of Coastal Management | District Planner |
Municipality | Steve Miller | City of Kinston/ Public Services | Public Services Manger |
NGO | Charlie Colie | Neuse Regional Sewer and Water Authority | WTP Supt. |
NGO | Jonathan Hinkle | GPI | Assistant Vice President |
NGO | Keith Larick | NC Farm Bureau | Natural Resources Director |
NGO | Kendall Paramore | Southeast Drainage Commission | District Manger |
NGO | Thomas Caggiano | The Nature Conservancy | Resilience and Climate Policy Manager |
NGO | Yesenia Cuello | NC FIELD | Executive Director |
NGO | Samantha Krop | Sound Rivers, Inc. | Neuse Riverkeeper |
State | Jamille Robbins | NC Department of Transportation/Public Involvement | Community Studies & Visualization Group Leader |
| Date | Meeting | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| March 15, 2023 | TAG Kickoff | |
| May 3, 2023 | TAG Meeting | |
| June 30, 2023 | TAG Meeting | |
| July 25, 2023 | TAG Meeting | |
| November 2, 2023 | TAG Meeting | |
| December 6, 2023 | Draft Blueprint Review - TAG and PAG Meeting | |
| December 19, 2023 | Neuse Tools Review - TAG and PAG Meeting |
Community Centered
Public Q & A Meetings
NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working diligently to communicate goals to stakeholders and incorporate community perspective and input throughout the development process. DEQ conducted four public meetings across the state (New Bern, Lumberton, Wilmington, and Haywood County) to kick-off the statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint. As DEQ develops specific action strategies for a major river basin, DEQ will conduct additional outreach in the basin. The public meetings provided Spanish translation at all events.
Local Leaders’ Meetings
DEQ conducted four local leaders’ meetings across the state (New Bern, Lumberton, Wilmington, and Haywood County). The meetings included an overview of the Flood Resiliency Blueprint project, as well as an overview of Phase I tasks including literature review, existing data, mitigation types, modeling for 2D and/or coastal compound flooding, and potential governance recommendations. This was followed by a roundtable discussion to get input on flood Resilience from the local perspective and a review of flood-related planning efforts in local and surrounding areas.
End User
Digital Focus Groups
DEQ will conduct focus groups with jurisdictions and other end users of the Flood Resiliency Blueprint across the pilot river basin to develop the Neuse Basin Action Strategy. As the development of other action strategies occurs for other river basins, DEQ will conduct additional outreach across those river basins. Additional targeted river basins, other than the Neuse River Basin, are scheduled to begin in 2024. Interaction with the online decision support tool, use cases for the tool, and development of the basin-specific action strategy will be brought to the focus groups. We will learn and modify how tools and basin action strategy will be created based on Focus group feedback.
Beta-Testing
The Decision Support Tool will undergo Beta-Testing in the Neuse River Basin. Beta testers will be identified from Phase I Principal, Technical, and/or Neuse Regional Advisory Group and could include elected and appointed officials, as well as local government staffers such as managers, planners, public works directors, county soil and water employees, and the consultants (including non-governmental organizations) used by local governments.