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Opioid Abatement Authority launches Virginia Recovery Conference; 418 registrants and storytelling push through Consociate Media
Summary
The Opioid Abatement Authority opened the first statewide Virginia Recovery Conference for local officials; staff said registration sold out with 418 attendees and Consociate Media has been contracted to produce videos and storytelling tools to showcase local projects.
The Opioid Abatement Authority opened the Virginia Recovery Conference with an in‑meeting briefing about the event’s purpose and format, saying the first-of-its-kind meeting for city and county officials had sold out with 418 registrants.
“We actually have 418 people registering,” Executive Director Tony McDowell told the board as he described five general sessions and 20 breakout workshops designed to help local governments and nonprofits learn how to use opioid settlement funds. McDowell said 122 of the registrants are speaking about projects they received funding for, which staff framed as a way to share models that other localities can replicate.
McDowell introduced Consociate Media, a firm the board authorized through procurement to refresh OAA branding and produce communications materials. Stephanie Heinatz, founder and principal of Consociate Media, told the board the firm has created five focused stories that include video, social cutdowns and one‑page print pieces for distribution at the conference. Heinatz said the combination of data and human stories is yielding attention and press pickup.
Heinatz recounted positive feedback from a corrections superintendent after watching a video the firm produced: “I know this program and I love this program,” she said, quoting the superintendent. Consociate Media staff and materials are available on OAA’s YouTube channel and social platforms, McDowell said, and board members were offered headshots and conference logistics prior to public registration.
Why it matters: Staff described the conference as a practical, peer‑to‑peer learning event aimed at helping local governments turn settlement funds into operational projects. The authority said it hopes the event will become self-sustaining over time through registration fees and sponsorships so that grant dollars remain focused on service delivery rather than overhead.
What’s next: The conference continues with additional sessions over the next two days; staff will continue post-event outreach and promote the produced stories and materials to local media and stakeholders.
