Nature-Based Solutions: National and Local Perspectives
Date: November 4, 2025 Time: 1:20 PM – 2:45 PM MDT
Location: NMFMA Workshop — Santa Ana Star Hotel & Casino, Bernalillo, New Mexico
Creating Flood Resilient Communities
Date: September 16, 2025
Location: PAFPM Annual Conference — Hyatt Place, 219 W. Beaver Avenue, State College, PA
Presented by the ASFPM Foundation in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Association of Floodplain Managers (PAFPM), the 2025 Larry A. Larson Speaker Series session explored practical strategies for strengthening local flood risk reduction and community resilience amid shifting policies and climate variability.
Keynote: Navigating Change — Flood Risk Reduction in Today’s Government Landscape
Speaker: Mr. David Maurstad, Principal, Maurstad Advisory LLC; Former FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator, Insurance & Mitigation
Mr. Maurstad examined how federal and state policy trends, regulatory updates, and programmatic changes affect local decision-making and resilience investments. The talk highlighted actionable ways communities can adapt to evolving requirements, leverage partnerships, and focus resources to reduce losses and accelerate mitigation outcomes.
Attendees gained insights into aligning local programs with emerging risk information and funding pathways, communicating residual risk, and advancing community-based approaches that support equitable, sustainable flood resilience.
Floodplain Management in the Era of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
Date & Time: October 23, 2024 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
The ASFPM Foundation partnered with the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) to host the 2024 Larry A. Larson Speaker Series (LLSS) at the NJAFM Annual Conference.
This year’s event explored how artificial intelligence can enhance flood risk mitigation and resilience. A distinguished panel of leaders from federal and local government and the private sector discussed the emerging role of AI in floodplain management.
Presenters highlighted current initiatives, including pilot studies in Monmouth County, followed by an engaging Q&A session with attendees.
The LLSS continues to foster national dialogue on flood risk reduction policy—an area profoundly shaped by Larry Larson’s life work. The series remains a valued resource for ASFPM Foundation donors and participants.
Panelists:
- Derrick Hiebert, Assistant Administrator, Hazard Mitigation Directorate, FEMA
- Joe Barris, CFM, Director, Division of Planning, County of Monmouth (NJ)
- Curtis Smith, PE, CFM, Senior Associate, Stantec
Moderator: Scott Edelman, Senior Vice President, AECOM
Increasing Our Resilience to Urban Flooding
Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Location: NJAFM Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ
The fifth annual Larry Larson Speaker Series was held as a plenary session at the NJAFM Conference. The event built on the findings of the 6th Assembly of the Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum and featured a panel of national flood policy experts.
The discussion focused on the growing threat of urban flooding, highlighting national hazards and mitigation strategies critical to advancing resilience.
Panelists:
- Doug Plasencia, PE, CFM – Moffatt & Nichol (ASFPM Foundation President)
“Increasing our Resiliency to Urban Flooding” – GFW Forum Report - Gerry Galloway, Ph.D., P.E. – University of Maryland (ASFPM Foundation Trustee)
“The Growing Threat of Urban Flooding: A National Challenge” – Texas A&M / UMD - Chad Berginnis, CFM – ASFPM (ASFPM Foundation Secretary)
“Framing the Challenge of Urban Flooding in the United States” – National Academy of Sciences
Moderator: Molly O’Toole – Molly O’Toole & Associates, LTD (ASFPM Foundation Executive Board)
Big Data = Big Future + Big Challenges
Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Location: FMA Annual Conference, Reno, Nevada
The fourth annual Larry A. Larson Speaker Series was held as a plenary session at the 2018 Floodplain Management Association (FMA) Annual Conference in Reno. More than 350 attendees participated in the session presented by the ASFPM Foundation in collaboration with FMA.
Big data techniques are being applied to flood risk analysis at multiple scales, from local communities to the national level. These methods process massive volumes of structured and unstructured data to identify trends and insights previously difficult to observe.
Recent applications include flood forecasting, insurance rate modeling, damage assessment, investment planning, and bond rating implications for high-risk communities. These tools offer powerful advantages, but also present significant risks — especially when results are opaque, proprietary, or presented without proper context.
The panel explored challenges such as transparency, assumptions made with incomplete data, headline sensationalism, and the evolving role of licensed professionals in interpreting flood risk models that directly affect public safety.
This session launched a dialogue on the responsible use of big data in flood risk identification and management — balancing innovation with accountability. The Foundation thanks its sponsors and FMA for supporting this essential conversation.
Floodplain Management and Community Resilience in a World with Changing Contextual Factors
Date: Sunday, July 9, 2017
Location: 42nd Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop
The third annual Larry A. Larson Speaker Series took place in conjunction with the 42nd Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. The event featured Dr. Dennis Mileti, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder and director emeritus of the Natural Hazards Center.
Held on the evening of July 9, 2017, the 90-minute session began at 7:00 PM with a keynote presentation by Dr. Mileti, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Dr. Mileti drew on decades of experience and research to discuss the dynamic and contextual factors that influence floodplain management and community resilience. He emphasized how community connectedness, political conditions, available resources, and catalytic events shape the success or failure of resilience strategies.
This thought-provoking session encouraged attendees to critically examine how their own communities adapt to risk and respond to change in the face of increasingly complex hazard environments.
Effective Coastal Adaptation Requires Getting a Fix on Sea-Level Rise
Date: Thursday, October 6, 2016
Location: NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, College Park, MD
The second annual Larry A. Larson Speaker Series event was held at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland. The featured speaker was Dr. Don Boesch, professor and president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and vice chancellor for environmental sustainability for the University System of Maryland.
Dr. Boesch delivered an engaging presentation on the critical importance of accurate sea-level rise projections in the design of effective coastal adaptation strategies. He emphasized the need for rigorous data, transparent science, and collaboration across federal, state, and academic sectors to support resilient coastal planning.
The program also honored the late Margaret A. Davidson of NOAA for her lifelong dedication to coastal resource management and policy. Her legacy continues to inspire collaboration between NOAA, the ASFPM Foundation, and the broader floodplain management community.
Protecting Federal Investments through National Flood Risk Management Standards
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Location: National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
The inaugural Larry A. Larson Speaker Series event drew more than 60 attendees to the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The featured speaker was Ali Zaidi, associate director for Natural Resources, Energy, and Science Programs at the Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Office of the President.
Zaidi’s presentation, titled “Protecting Federal Investments through National Flood Risk Management Standards,” outlined the administration’s approach to improving flood resilience across the country. He emphasized the role of policy and federal leadership in reducing the long-term costs and human toll of flooding.
The 2015 event set the tone for the Speaker Series, establishing it as a platform for high-level dialogue on flood risk management and forward-looking resilience strategy.