2026 Virginia Brownfields Conference

2026 Virginia Brownfields Conference

The premier brownfield redevelopment conference in Virginia is hosted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the City of Staunton.

12:00pm EDT

Registration Open & Exhibit/Poster/Display Setup Lobby

12:30pm EDT

Mobile Workshop: Staunton Brownfields Walking TourCity of Staunton

4:30pm EDT

Welcome Meetup Queen City BistroGeosyntec Consultants Inc. • Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.

7:00am EDT

Exhibit/Poster/Display Setup Lobby Registration Open Lobby

8:00am EDT

Breakfast Main BallroomVirginia Energy Exhibit Hall Open Lobby

8:15am EDT

Brownfields 101 for Early Birds Main BallroomKaren Weber • Izzy Castiglioni

9:00am EDT

Welcome Main Ballroom

9:15am EDT

City of Staunton Brownfield Highlights Main BallroomRodney Rhodes • Frank Strasler • Amanda DiMeo

10:30am EDT

Networking Break & Snacks LobbyTRC

11:00am EDT

Show Me The (Brownfields) Money! Main BallroomKaren Weber • Michael McDonald • Dawn Farver • Keith Ziobron

11:45am EDT

Beyond Assessment: Leveraging Virginia DHCD and Tobacco Commission Funding for Brownfield Redevelopment Main BallroomTory McGowan • Stephen Versen

12:15pm EDT

Keynote Lunch: Redeveloping Brownfields to Address Virginia's Housing Needs Main BallroomChris McNamara (Keynote Speaker) • Timmons Group

1:00pm EDT

Review Poster Presentations & Connect with Sponsors Lobby

1:30pm EDT

Beneath the Surface: Water and Methane Resources to Fugitive Methane Capture & Utilization in VA Coalfields Salon ARyan Dorland • Daniel Kestner Derelict Dry Cleaner to Vibrant Multi-Use Redevelopment in Lynchburg Salon CDaryl Calfee Digitial Site Visit - Brownfields Reimagined Salon BElizabeth Gilboy • Caitlyn Ekberg • Josh Sexton

2:05pm EDT

Leveraging Your Land: Brownfields as a Tool for Redevelopment & Revitalization Salon CTim Stromberg • B.T. Fitzpatrick • Jeff Fisher Modernizing Brownfield Redevelopment: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Studies Salon BJohn Tabella Tough Ground: Reforesting Formerly Mined Land with the Voluntary Carbon Market Salon ALiz Holloway

2:40pm EDT

Brownfields Restoration to Advance Habitat, Resilience, and Water Quality Goals Salon AKC Filippino • Krista Manley EPA Grantee Meeting Salon BMid-Atlantic TAB • EPA Region 3 From Abandoned Tobacco Warehouse to Vibrant Urban Hub for Healing Salon CPaul Start • Anthony Smith • Andy Hershberger • Nick Blanton

3:10pm EDT

3:20pm EDT

Competent Rock is Complex Rock: Rethinking Remediation in Fractured Bedrock Salon AEd Magdar GIS as a Tool for Brownfields Planning - Success Stories and DiRT Update Salon CKaren Weber • Tim Stromberg VRP Spotlight - Former CSX Metal Recyclers Salon BAmanda Michel • Cortney Marquette

3:55pm EDT

Beyond the Barrier - Selecting the Right VI Mitigation Approach Salon AKaitlyn Rhonehouse Transforming the First Street Corridor Through Brownfield Redevelopment Salon BShannon Ainsley Turning Brownfields into Brightfields: GIS as a Catalyst for Sustainable Solar Development Salon CAmber Foster

4:30pm EDT

Brownfields Reimagined: Where Sustainability, Clean Energy, and Community Resilience Meet Salon BMelissa Schick PFAS State of the Union: Regulatory and Analytical Updates Salon ATaryn McKnight Solar Development in Appalachian Brownfields Salon CAustin Counts

5:30pm EDT

Networking Reception Ciders from MarsStromberg Garrigan & Associates, Inc • Stantec Consulting Services Inc.

7:30am EDT

Registration Open Lobby

8:00am EDT

Breakfast Main Ballroom Exhibit Hall Open Lobby

8:15am EDT

BYOB: Bring Your Own Brownfield Main BallroomKaren Weber • Mid-Atlantic TAB • EPA Region 3

8:55am EDT

Welcome Main BallroomCity of Staunton

9:00am EDT

Schools Out! What's Next? Redeveloping Old School Sites. Main BallroomMichael McDonald

9:20am EDT

Mary E. Branch School - Tug at the Heart Strings Main BallroomShirby Brown

9:40am EDT

Legal Toolkit for Brownfields Redevelopment Main BallroomKatherine Garvey

10:00am EDT

Networking Break & Snacks LobbyKimley-Horn and Associates

10:30am EDT

DEQ Updates, VRP Managers Q&A Round Table Main BallroomCortney Marquette • Julia Jenkins • Eli Connell • Hollyn Kemp

11:20am EDT

Leveraging Funding and Resource Roadmapping for Brownfields Revitalization and Future Proof Communities Main BallroomMatt Ward

12:00pm EDT

Closing Lunch: The Unofficial Brownfields Champion Handbook Main BallroomKaren Weber • Hurt & Proffitt