Virginia transformation office speeds HUD disaster grant processing, spotlights Petersburg work and other agency support

Robert Ward, chief transformation officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, updated the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on the transformation office’s work to coordinate state and federal recovery funding, accelerate grant delivery to storm‑impacted communities and support local revitalization efforts such as the Partnership for Petersburg.

Ward said the administration created an Office of Recovery and Rebuilding after recent storms in Southwest Virginia and that the transformation team worked with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), HUD and localities to compress the standard HUD Community Development Block Grant process. He said HUD offered a roughly $46 million block grant for disaster recovery, and by running steps concurrently — public notice, community engagement, and HUD coordination — the commonwealth reduced an obligation timeline that would normally take 12–14 months to about 92 days so funds can reach communities much faster.

Ward said the office’s approach is to identify all possible federal funding streams that may assist recovery (he listed HUD, EPA, SBA, Department of Transportation, USDA and EDA among others), coordinate state agency readiness to accept and obligate awards, and provide targeted technical assistance to small towns that lack grantwriters or staff capacity. He emphasized that some federal sources are directed to individuals and some to localities, and that careful coordination is required to avoid de‑obligations or duplicative uses of funds.

On downtown revitalization, Ward described the Partnership for Petersburg and related efforts: a Goodr mobile grocery pilot to address local food access, support for a developer to reopen the Hotel Petersburg, job fairs, and other programs aimed at economic stabilization. He said transformation staff and the partnerships team (now integrated into the office) continue more than 50 active initiatives and work with state agencies such as the Virginia Employment Commission and the Department of Conservation and Recreation on projects from job placement to state‑park revenue optimization.

Ward said the office also supports interagency IT project management best practices, and is assisting agencies that face one‑off modernization needs with centralized expertise to reduce costs and timelines. He closed by offering to provide committee members more detailed budget and outcome metrics on Petersburg and other initiatives.

Ending: Committee members asked several follow‑up questions about FEMA’s role, the possibility of delegating more disaster response capacity to states, and specifics of investments in Petersburg. Ward said the transformation office will continue to brief the committee and provide requested follow‑ups on project funding and measurable outcomes.