VACo County Pulse Podcast

Virginia Association of Counties
  • 4.0 (4)
  • GOVERNMENT
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Guests share the legislative pulse of Virginia Counties with Host Dean Lynch.

  1. 12/23/2025

    Uplifting Our Children Through Education | Episode 5 | JLARC

    Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula: What the JLARC Report Means for Counties — and What Comes Next  In the latest episode of VACo’s Uplifting Our Children Through Education podcast series, host Jeremy R. Bennett is joined by Justin Brown, Associate Director of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), and Mark Gribbin, Chief Legislative Analyst (JLARC) and project leader for JLARC’s landmark 2023 report on Virginia’s K-12 funding formula.   The JLARC study, directed by the General Assembly, found that Virginia’s current Standards of Quality (SOQ) funding formula significantly underestimates the true cost of providing a high-quality public education. While the SOQ formula calculated that school divisions needed roughly $10.7 billion in combined state and local funding in FY21, actual division spending exceeded $17 billion—leaving counties to absorb much of the gap.   During the conversation, Brown and Gribbin walk listeners through why JLARC undertook the study, how the formula has evolved over time, and which structural issues—such as outdated staffing assumptions, labor cost adjustments, and the treatment of higher-needs students—continue to place pressure on local government budgets.   The episode also explores the report’s near-term and long-term recommendations, progress made by the General Assembly since the report’s release, and what counties should watch for in upcoming legislative sessions. Listeners will gain valuable insight into how the JLARC findings are shaping state policy discussions and why continued county engagement is essential to achieving a more transparent, predictable, and equitable funding system for Virginia’s public schools.   Tune in to hear how this landmark report is influencing K-12 education funding debates and what it means for county leaders working to uplift children through education Link to JLARC Report and Supporting Documents can be accessed here. VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett

    1h 1m

  2. 11/24/2025

    Uplifting Our Children Through Education | Episode 4 | Education Advocacy

    Championing K-12: Advocacy & Collaboration Between Boards of Supervisors and School Boards In this episode of Uplifting Our Children Through Education, host Jeremy Bennett sits down with J.T. Kessler, a classroom teacher and longtime advocate for public education, to explore the essential partnerships that shape K-12 outcomes across Virginia. Drawing on his hands-on experience in both North Carolina and Virginia schools, J.T. offers a dual practitioner-advocate perspective on how boards of supervisors, school boards, and the broader school community can work together to advance student success. Jeremy and J.T. discuss what effective K-12 advocacy looks like at the local and state levels, how communication between local governing bodies can strengthen funding and policy outcomes, and why collaboration remains critical as localities prepare for future General Assembly sessions. The conversation also examines shared priorities such as teacher recruitment and retention, school infrastructure, capital planning, equitable access for rural and low-wealth communities, and navigating Virginia’s education funding and regulatory landscape. With a focus on practical strategies, lived classroom experience, and opportunities for joint advocacy, this episode highlights the importance of building strong relationships between school leaders, county officials, and community stakeholders to ensure every student has access to quality learning environments.

    1h 9m

  3. 11/04/2025

    Uplifting Our Children Through Education | Episode 3 | Prince Edward County, School Funding & Infrastructure; Honoring the Past — Building the Future

    In this episode of the Uplifting Our Children Through Education series, host Jeremy R. Bennett sits down with three local leaders from Prince Edward County to explore the powerful intersection of history, policy and infrastructure in public education. Joining Jeremy are: Douglas W. Stanley, County Administrator for Prince Edward County;Cainain Townsend, Executive Director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum and member of the Prince Edward County School Board; andDr. Donald “Chip” Jones, Jr., Superintendent of Prince Edward County Public Schools.Together they trace the legacy of Barbara Johns and the 1951 Moton School student protest, challenge the realities of aging school infrastructure in a rural locality, and dive into efforts to finance tomorrow’s learning environments — including recent state-legislative initiatives around local referenda, sales-tax options and the future of school-construction funding. Listeners will learn how the community is balancing heritage, equity and capital investment, and what it takes for counties like Prince Edward to uplift children through strategic partnerships and forward-looking planning. Prince Edward County Supervisor Jerry Townsend (right) and Prince Edward County Administrator Doug StanleyPrince Edward County Elementary School Rendering 1Prince Edward County Elementary School Rendering 2Prince Edward County Elementary School Photo 1Prince Edward County Elementary School Photo 2

    49 min

  4. 10/30/2025

    Energy Landscape of Virginia | Episode 23 | Managing Forest Products for Sustainable Energy and Aviation Fuel

    Energy Landscape of Virginia Episode 23 | Using Wood Byproducts to Make Sustainable Energy. In a conversation with Terry Lasher, Executive Director for the Virginia Forestry Association, we learn how Virginia’s forest economy contributes to sustainable energy production. We also discuss the potential for utilizing forestry and agriculture waste to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel. Where to find out more about topics covered in this episode Wood Supply Chain (Forest Resources Association)Virginia Forest Carbon Report (Forest Resources Association)Virginia Forestry Association and Virginia Forestry FoundationCAAFI - Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative | Sustainable Aviation FuelWisconsin Forestry Revitalization Act - $210 million (tax credits and bonds) to supplement $1.5 billion private investment in plant to make jet fuel from wood biomassAgricultural Technology Innovation (ATIP) FoundationATIP - Advancing the Bioeconomy in SW Virginia (webinar slides)We value your feedback. Please share your thoughts on the Energy Landscape of Virginia Podcast here.

    41 min

  5. 10/23/2025

    Energy Landscape of Virginia | Episode 22 | Logging and Biomass Energy Production

    Energy Landscape of Virginia Episode 22 | Logging and Biomass Energy Production. Joe Lerch visits the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) Halifax County Biomass plant to learn how biomass energy production contributes to the health of Virginia’s forests and the environment. The episode begins with a conversation with plant manager Mike Davis and Palmer Dugger of L.P. Dugger Logging followed up with a tour of the facility. Where to find out more about topics covered in this episode. NOVEC Halifax County Biomass Electric Generating Facility L P Dugger Logging, L.L.C Forest Sustainability Fund for Local Government: Virginia Department of ForestryPhoto 1 and Photo 2

    45 min

  6. 09/19/2025

    Energy Landscape of Virginia | Episode 21 | Managing Virginia’s Forest with Biomass Energy Production

    Joe Lerch and James Hutzler visit Rob Farrell, State Forester and Director of the Virginia Department of Forestry, to learn how management of Virginia’s oak and hickory forests can be combined with biomass energy production. We also take a tour of a forested plot to learn in depth how effective trees species management can produce a renewable source of energy. Where to find out more about topics covered in this episode Report of the Biomass Advisory Panel – December 30, 2024 (Virginia Department of Forestry)Hardwood Initiative: Virginia Department of ForestryWhite Oak Initiative - Ensuring Regeneration of White OakPictures of Tree Species

    1h 7m

  7. 09/11/2025

    Uplifting Our Children Through Education | Episode 2 | Gloucester County and School Construction; When A Community Comes Together

    In this episode of the Uplifting Our Children Through Education series, Host Jeremy Bennett sits down with County Administrator Carol Steele and Deputy County Administrator Maria Calloway of Gloucester County to discuss the county’s school construction journey—from the local sales-tax referendum to planning, community engagement, and delivering modern learning spaces. Hear how Gloucester aligned vision, funding, and partnerships to support student success and long-term community growth.

    22 min

  8. 08/22/2025

    Energy Landscape of Virginia | Episode 20 | The Convergence of Farming with Solar: What is Agrivoltaics?

    Energy Landscape of Virginia Episode 20 | The Convergence of Farming with Solar: What is Agrivoltaics?  Joe Lerch talks with Rachel Henley, Working Lands and State Advocacy Specialist with the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation to explore how farms and solar installations can coexist and what the term “Agrivoltaics” means within this context. Where to find out more about topics covered in this episode 4 The Soil - initiative of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and Virginia Cooperative Extension to raise awareness of soil as a critical natural resource.Virginia Tech study sheds light on solar farm impacts to property values | Virginia Tech News | Virginia TechImpact of large-scale solar on property values in the United States: Diverse effects and causal mechanismsUtility-Scale Solar in Virginia - Virginia Cooperative Extension Webinars Solar Farms – Managing Soil & Water Impacts – Soil and Landscape Rehabilitation"RE-EVALUATING THE LAND USE IMPACTS OF UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY DEVEL" by Damian Pitt, Aaron R. Berryhill et al.

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4
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About

Guests share the legislative pulse of Virginia Counties with Host Dean Lynch.

Information

  • Creator
    Virginia Association of Counties
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 VACo County Pulse Podcast
  • Show Website
    VACo County Pulse Podcast