Scholarships

Note: If you are planning to apply for a scholarship, please wait to register.

Financial Assistance Available to Attend the FFMA Conference!

This year, FFMA is again offering funding opportunities to attend our Annual Conference.  We are specifically encouraging floodplain management staff of communities that because of budget constraints may have not yet had an opportunity to attend an annual conference, to apply for financial assistance.  We hope to see you at the Florida Floodplain Managers Association – 20th Annual Conference at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Conference Center, April 23 – 26, 2024.

For communities wishing to participate in the Community Rating System (CRS) or improve CRS ratings, this conference will provide exceptional educational opportunities. In cooperation with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and FEMA, FFMA is proud to again offer assistance for prospective and existing members to attend the Conference from April 23 – 26, 2024.

This year we have outstanding educational sessions planned and a host of other events that promise to provide you with high quality training and endless networking opportunities. This is a fantastic opportunity for Community Leaders, Certified Floodplain Managers, Building Inspectors, Surveyors, Professional Engineers, Insurance Professionals, Planners, and individuals interested in floodplain management to network with their peers. Professional Engineers, Surveyors, Planners, GIS technicians and Certified Floodplain Managers will also have the opportunity to earn continuing education credits.

PLEASE NOTE: If you applied for a scholarship this year, please do not register for the Conference. The Scholarship Committee will handle your registration separately if a scholarship is awarded.

Send someone to the state or national floodplain managers conference!

Contact Cece McKiernan, CFM to send a local floodplain manager to the FFMA Annual or ASFPM Annual Conference.

State and National Scholarship Recipients Quotes

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the FFMA Scholarship Committee for sending me to the National ASFPM Conference in Kansas City. The quality and diversity of learning opportunities at the National level was very exciting. There were a wealth of classes that covered all aspects of Floodplain Management and spoke to all levels of expertise. CRS, Coastal, Riverine, Urban and Rural appeared to be covered. Mitigation planning and disaster response were common themes. Getting to hear how other areas of the Country deal with flooding and how they manage their planning and mitigation are always enlightening. Attending the National conference gave me a greater appreciation for the efforts and achievements of the FFMA State Conference. I am always impressed with the quality of the FFMA state conference and am amazed that we get the high level of training that we do on a continuing basis. I have been attending the FFMA conferences since 2005 and have missed only a very few. It is my opinion that the encouragement and support of the FFMA to increase CFMs and FFMA members has a lasting positive effect on those that become aware of your efforts.”

Chip Hague, CFM

“Receiving the scholarship to attend the annual FFMA Conference was not just beneficial to me individually but also indirectly to the community for which I was serving, Hillsborough County. As the building official working directly with the county floodplain manager, it was crucial I was up to date with all the latest information related to successful floodplain management. Being able to attend the conference by way of the financial assistance of the scholarship allowed me to do so and also helped maintain budgetary expenses which in the local government sector is a precious commodity.”

Rimoldi_roundMichael Rimoldi, CBO, CFM

“The benefits of obtaining a FFMA State Scholarship are many and varied.  In my case, my jurisdiction is rural and does not have the travel budget of many larger or more urban jurisdictions.  If I had not received a FFMA State Scholarship, I would not be able to attend the conference, or I would have to pay for it out of my own pocket. The conference is one of the best learning experiences that you can have. You are totally immersed in Floodplain Management and surrounded by some of the best and brightest in our field. The conference is the place to meet others who have similar jobs, with similar issues and share experiences.  Every time I attend I learn something new which I bring back to my jurisdiction which has helped us adopt stricter regulations, increase our CRS Class rating and educate our citizenry on floodplain management.”

Karen_roundKaren Thornhill, CFM