To ensure that local floodplain managers have a chance to develop and grow their professional expertise, the Ohio Floodplain Management Association’s (OFMA) Managing Board has approved the granting of limited scholarships for attendance at the annual conference.  Scholarships cover the cost of registration and may include one night’s lodging for floodplain managers who work and live in communities located outside of Franklin and contiguous counties.  

If you are interested in attending this year’s Statewide Floodplain Conference, August 23-24, 2017 and your community can not provide training/education funds to support you, we would like to offer you an opportunity for an OFMA Scholarship.  Please submit your request for the scholarship on your local government letterhead.  Indicate if you are requesting both registration and lodging (if eligible).

Scholarships will be granted on a first-come-first-serve basis by the Committee.   Scholarships will not be awarded to Federal or state agency representatives or private sector consultants who may be serving as local floodplain managers.

To learn more about OFMA please visit our web site at www.ofma.org.   The DEADLINE  for requesting a scholarship is July 26, 2017 (or sooner if the available scholarships have been awarded prior to the deadline)!  

Please direct any questions to:                                    

Cindy Crecelius, OFMA Awards/Scholarship Committee Lead
179 Baranof East
Westerville, Ohio 43081
Phone: 614.891.1595
ccconsults.cjc@gmail.com

Scholarship recipients will be notified in writing and provided with a Scholarship Contract.  ODNR will coordinate the payment of conference registration upon receipt of a signed (OFMA President, recipient and recipient’s supervisor) Scholarship Contract. 

Individuals receiving scholarship funds to attend the 2017 Ohio Statewide Floodplain Management  Conference must attend the event for those days that OFMA has provided   funding.  Any scholarship recipient, who fails to attend the event, incurs any fees from failure to attend,  or cancels their registration, will be required to reimburse OFMA for any fees paid by the organization.  This agreement will be formalized in a contract between OFMA and the scholarship recipient upon the recipient’s acceptance of the scholarship.  No scholarships will be paid until the Scholarship Contract is signed by the OFMA Chairman, the recipient, and the recipient’s supervisor.  Scholarship recipients will be responsible for costs associated with the event beyond the registration cost.  The Scholarship Contract is available for download below.

• Floodplain Administrator of the Year is designed to honor an individual who is a role model and inspiration because of their contributions to an outstanding local program for comprehensive floodplain management.  The nominee must be employed by a county, city or village as a local floodplain manager.

• Innovation in Floodplain Management is awarded to those demonstrating creative approaches for achieving flood loss reduction, stewardship of floodplain resources and functions, resiliency in the face of disasters in their communities or the state.  The nominee may be an individual, organization, public or private sector, government agency, regional agency or academic institution that is currently working or contributing to active water resource management programs or projects.

• Most Valuable Contribution to Floodplain Management is a tribute to Peter G. Finke for his distinguished service and leadership in the formation of Ohio’s Floodplain Management Program.  It is considered for those who have extensive service (over the course of a career) and have improved the quality of life for all Ohioans through better water resource management.  Consideration may be given to individuals working in floodplain management, stormwater management, coastal management or the natural benefit and function of floodplains.  The recipient will be selected based upon their outstanding contribution to the multifaceted aspects of floodplain management.

• CFMs must acquire 16 CECs over the two-certification period.  The requirement limiting application of 12 CECs toward certification requirements within one year has been removed.

• ASFPM’s qualifying CEC subject matter is quite broad. Anything reasonably deemed to be flood-related and/or addressing floodplain management may be considered eligible for CECs. 

• Credit may only be claimed once per certification period for each unique activity (e.g. CECs will only be given credit for the first time a CFM attends / teaches a course, even if CFM attended / taught it multiple times during their certification period).