NYSFSMA held their 2025 annual conference at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center in Ithaca, NY on April 22-24. There were many presentations on a variety of topics, all of which were educational and worthwhile. Unfortunately, we are not able to give them all exposure here, however, we hope to showcase some of the highlights of this year’s conference.
Attendance was strong despite the loss of registrations and presentations from our federal partners due to cutbacks and travel bans. We hope next year that our colleagues from federal agencies such as FEMA, USGS, NOAA, US Army Corps of Engineers and others will be able join us. Their expertise and experience are invaluable not just to NYSFSMA and its members but all the residents of New York State and the United States.
We were honored to host Chad Berginnis, Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), of which NYSFSMA is a state chapter. He spoke about the importance of the work that the state chapters do, especially during this period of uncertainty. With the future of programs like the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program and others like it in jeopardy as well as calls for the abolishment of agencies like FEMA, the role that state and local floodplain managers play in helping their communities plan for and respond to disasters will become only more important.
The NYSFSMA Board of Directors also began a strategic planning process at the conference. This process was facilitated by the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and is meant to discuss growth and transition for NYSFSMA. Since its founding in the year 2000, NYSFSMA has grown tremendously with a broad membership located across the state. Managing that growth and the associated costs that come with it is a prime goal for the NYSFSMA board.
Additionally, as part of the strategic planning process, NYSFSMA recognizes that it needs to begin cultivating a new generation of leaders to continue the vitally important work that NYSFSMA does. To that end, NYSFSMA has started organizing its Young Emerging Professionals (YEP) arm. An initial solicitation at the conference resulted in an astounding 30 plus individuals who meet the criteria for being considered a YEP stating that they would be interested in participating in this organization. For more information on NYSFSMA YEPs please see the article in this quarter’s newsletter.
NYSFSMA was also pleased to award this year’s Floodplain and Stormwater Advocate of the Year Award to Janet Thigpen of the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board. Janet has been instrumental not just with her employer but also in NYSFSMA and ASFPM. See the article in this quarter’s newsletter for more information about the award and Janet’s accomplishments.
NYSFSMA is excited to announce the election of two new board members. Colin Powers of the Bouquet River Association is representing Region 5. Geoff Golick of Colliers Engineering and Design is representing Region 7. Welcome Colin and Geoff!
Last but not least, we have to thank our many sponsors. Without their support this conference would not be possible.
NYSFSMA strives to make our conferences both educational and fun. We also seek to provide ample social and networking opportunities between our members as well as our sponsors representing many in the floodplain and stormwater management industry. Just about anyone who attends will state that the conference is an incredible value in what it provides, not just in educational and professional resources, but also social and networking opportunities.
We are in the midst of planning two more in-person events. Later this year we are looking to host a one-day conference on Long Island with a focus on coastal issues. More information will be made available as that develops. Next year’s annual conference will be held in Utica, NY on April 28-30, 2026. Save the date!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s conference a success and we hope to see you at many future events.