Chad Berginnis Named 2022 Goddard-White Award Winner
The Goddard-White Award is named in honor of the contributions made to floodplain management by Gilbert White (1911- 2006) and Jim Goddard (1906-1994). This award is given by ASFPM to individuals who have had a national impact carrying forward the goals and objectives of floodplain management. It is an indication of the level of esteem the association holds for the two namesakes as well as the recipients, and is ASFPM’s highest award.
2022 Winner: Chad Berginnis, CFM, ASFPM Executive Director
As the executive director of ASFPM, a position he’s has held since 2012, Chad Berginnis has worked to advance the association’s mission to promote the reduction of flood risks to life and property and to support the natural and beneficial use of the nation’s floodplains while avoiding adverse impacts.
During his tenure as executive director, Berginnis collaborates frequently with FEMA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and other federal agencies across multiple administrations to advocate for effective policies and programs related to mitigating flood risk, strengthening community resiliency, protecting our water resources, and advancing equity and social justice. He’s also testified numerous times before various U.S. House and Senate Committees and Subcommittees on a number of topics, including FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, the Water Resources Development Acts, and on disaster response/recovery issues, NFIP priorities and FEMA priorities, etc. The Committees appreciate how he represents the boots on the ground, so they specifically ask him to testify. His testimony and work with Congress and others has resulted in a number of positive improvements in how the nation addresses flood risk.
In short, since 1993 he’s dedicated his career to sound floodplain management, hazard mitigation, and land use planning at the national, state, local, and private sector level. Specifically, the following accomplishments serve as examples of his qualifications:
- State and local official through 12+ federal disaster declarations
- Managed Ohio’s Mitigation Program operations in three federal disasters and $100+ million in projects
- NAS panel member and contributing author of the 2019 report: Framing the Challenge of Urban Flooding in the United States
- Climate change subject matter expert to FEMA’s TMAC, NCA, Rebuild Texas, and NYC Future Conditions Mapping
- Speaks at various ASFPM chapter meetings each year to exchange ideas on flood risk management that will work on the ground
- Provided feedback to federal agency leaders on key federal programs implementation at the state and local level
