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OAA hires communications and audit firms, launches foundation and schedules statewide conference
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Summary
The Opioid Abatement Authority contracted with Consociate Media for storytelling and RSM for audit remediation and risk testing, established a foundation with Tim Spencer as president, and scheduled a statewide best-practices conference for June 2026.
The Opioid Abatement Authority board heard staff updates on communications, audit remediation and a new foundation during its November meeting.
Executive Director Tony McDowell said OAA has contracted with Consociate Media to build communications channels, develop six program highlights with accompanying videos and storyboards, and produce interviews with local community members and legislators. "They're going to help us build out our communications platforms, including social media," McDowell said, adding the first two or three stories should be live by February.
On audit remediation and governance, McDowell and Treasurer Delegate Brianna Sewell described work with accounting and consulting firm RSM to address management recommendations from the Auditor of Public Accounts. RSM will compile and formalize organizational policies and procedures, create an external grantee operational compliance manual and conduct risk analysis and quarterly monitoring to prepare OAA for future audits.
The board also heard that an OAA foundation has been legally established and that Tim Spencer has been elected president of that foundation. The foundation has entered a seed-funding agreement with the OAA and will launch a statewide "Best Practices and Substance Use Abatement" conference in June 2026 at the Hotel Roanoke. McDowell cited survey results showing "84% of our respondents indicated that they were either very or extremely interested in attending this conference." The conference is targeted to community leaders, local elected and appointed officials, health-care providers and service providers across Virginia.
Finally, staff previewed the Substance Use Disorder Abatement (SUDA) platform, a public data portal planned for release on Dec. 3 that will include substance-use risk assessments, multi-year drug supply and usage trends, service utilization metrics and grant-location dashboards. McDowell said that the platform will combine data from community services boards, the all-payer claims database and state lab trends, and that additional analytics developed with VCU and the Virginia Department of Health will follow in January.
The board did not take formal action on these agenda items; staff said materials and slides would be posted on the OAA website.
