Photo: Virginia State Capitol Building, Wikimedia user Skip Plitt via CC BY-SA 3.0
Tom Blackburn
Advocating for your legislative priorities can be intimidating. NVBA is offering two programs that will help demystify the process and provide an advance look at legislation that will be introduced in the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.
General Assembly Preview: Saturday, December 6
We are preparing for Virginia’s legislative session by partnering with the Virginia Conservation Network, the largest conservation advocacy organization in Virginia, to host a General Assembly Preview Regional Watch Party. Join us at our offices in the National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive in Reston on December 6, from 9:00 AM to noon. You’ll learn about the environmental legislation we expect to see in the upcoming General Assembly session. We’ll provide breakfast, followed by a streamed presentation from experts across the Commonwealth, and an in-person discussion about local issues.
You can register for the General Assembly Preview here. We suggest a $20 ticket price to support this event and our environmental advocacy efforts. If cost is a barrier, please use the promo code “VCNREST2025” during registration for a free ticket.
Can’t attend in person? You can still register to stream presentations virtually from 9:15 AM-11:00 AM to hear all speaker presentations.
Effective Advocacy with Delegate Kathy Tran: Tuesday, December 16
When: Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Online
Fee: FREE
Delegate Kathy Tran. Photo: courtesy of Delegate Tran.
Do you want to learn how to be a more effective advocate? Join NVBA and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a virtual program, “Effective Advocacy in Virginia,” with the Honorable Kathy Tran, Representative for Virginia District 18, and Majority Caucus Chair for the Virginia House of Delegates.
The recent November 4 election determined who will be the Governor of Virginia for the next four years, as well as all 100 representatives to the Virginia House of Delegates, each serving a two-year term. The Virginia General Assembly will convene for a sixty-day session on January 14, 2026. This is an excellent opportunity for you to work to enact legislation that supports and protects the environment. Consequential issues also are before our local governments, including modifications to the master plans of Fairfax and Prince William Counties, decisions on data centers in Loudoun and Prince William Counties, and much more. Delegate Tran will provide advice on how to advocate before the General Assembly and local governments, making your efforts to lobby elected officials more effective.
We’ll conclude the evening with an opportunity to sign up for alerts on important pending legislation to support communications with your elected representatives.
This event is FREE and open to the public. You can register for this program here.
Tom Blackburn is Chair of NVBA’s Advocacy Committee, and a past President of NVBA.