Staff continue to reach out and connect with Virginia’s local public entities – from the smallest to largest, through engagements, conferences, trainings, and more. Read more about their activities below!
VML Annual Conference
VRSA Senior Account Executive Lisa Schenk, Public Safety Specialist Gary Dillon, Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson, and Senior Account Executive Nora Pierre attended the VML Annual Conference held in Roanoke. At the conference, Dillon moderated the Personal Safety for Elected Officials session, while Stephenson participated on the Evaluating Managers panel.
For members interested in learning more about securing their facilities or for support in navigating emerging risks and challenges in local government, please reach out to Dillon or Stephenson.
Louisa County Water Authority
Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig conducted confined space awareness training for staff at the Louisa County Water Authority. Nearby members from the Town of Mineral also attended this event.
Town of Cape Charles
Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson conducted a “Lunch and Learn” training in the Town of Cape Charles. During the session, he discussed local government operational basics and effective council/manager/staff relationships. Participants included elected and appointed officials from Cape Charles, Eastville, and Cheriton.
Virginia Rural Water Association
Safety Specialist Edward Shelton presented at the Virginia Rural Water Association’s Expo 2025 on unannounced inspections from VOSH. The presentation covered rights, responsibilities, and expectations before, during, and after an inspection, as well as general guidelines on how to best prepare for an inspection.
City of Salem
Safety Specialist Edward Shelton presented training on hazard communication, respirator crystalline silica, and bloodborne pathogens to staff in the City of Salem Street and General Maintenance Department.
City of Winchester
Safety Consultant Christine Gillison conducted a Training Trifecta event in the City of Winchester. The training allows members to choose three areas to focus on for a full day of hands-on and in-class training. During this event, lockout tagout, fall protection, and confined space entry were reviewed.
Town of Herndon
Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig joined Safety Consultant Christine Gillison to host an OSHA 30-Hour training in the Town of Herndon. The training is designed to promote workplace safety and health, focusing on walking-working surfaces, fall protection, machine guarding, material handling, and other common hazards.
City of Manassas
Director of Workers’ Compensation Claims Robin Duvall visited the City of Manassas to discuss CompCare On-Call, as well as provide an overview of workers’ compensation. CompCare On-Call provides access to a registered nurse 24/7 immediately following a workplace incident to provide immediate medical advice and assistance in their treatment decisions via a toll-free number.
City of Salem
Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson facilitated a full-day strategic planning retreat for the City of Salem council and management team. Throughout the retreat, attendees assessed the city’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities, reviewed the economic development strategic plan and the comprehensive plan.
PRIMA Hot Topic
VRSA staff attended the Virginia PRIMA Hot Topic event held in early October at Dorey Park in Henrico, Virginia. Topics included certificates of insurance and fleet safety. Future events include a Cold Topic meeting in Charlottesville on Jan. 29, 2026, and their Annual Conference in Virginia Beach, May 13 – 15. More information can be found online here.
NOVA Roundtable
The annual NOVA Roundtable took place earlier this month, bringing together members to discuss risk management topics, including mobile electric patrol vehicles, contractor information, air quality requirements, marijuana in the workplace, and how deferred maintenance impacts staff. Attendees this year included Kim Burgess and Adren Monday with the City of Fairfax, Jim Hanley and Jeff Stephens from the City of Manassas, Dennis Merz with the Town of Warrenton, Derric Bolton with NOVA Parks, Michelle Ridel with the City of Fredericksburg, Edward Senter and Munir Khan with the Town of Vienna, and Fonda Craig and Christine Gillison with VRSA.
Roanoke Valley Resource Authority
Safety Specialist Eddie Shelton presented lockout tagout training to staff from the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority.