Mamie Locke

State Senator, Virginia-2nd District

My service on the Commonwealth Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding has taught me the importance of making sea level rise planning a non-partisan issue. Water doesn’t care about politics, and impacts every aspect of our lives, from national security to economic development to housing. The [coalition] provides this opportunity, as well as access to a broad range of structural and non-structural solutions.

Mamie Locke is currently the State Senator for Virginia’s 2nd District. She is also a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Hampton University. Previously, she was a both a member City Council and served as Mayor of Hampton, VA.

Locke currently serves on the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and was formerly a member of the Editorial Board for the National Political Science Review, a council member of the American Political Science Association, President and council member of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, a member of the Committee on the Status of Women for the Southern Political Science Association, and a member of the Hampton Roads Mayors and Chairs Caucus.

Locke received the 1992 Who’s Who Among Black Americans Award; 1994 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers Award; 2000 Outstanding Public Service Award, Conference of Minority Public Administrators; 2002 Distinguished Citizen of the Year, CHUMS, Inc.; 2002 Mayor of the Year, Old Northampton Community Organization; 2002 Humanitarian Award, National Conference for Community and Justice; and the 2008 Senator of the Year Award, American Council of Engineering Companies in Virginia, among many other awards.

Locke received her B.A. in History/Political Science from Tougaloo College and obtained both her M.A. and Ph.D in Political Science from Atlanta University.

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Help Me Choose

Which characteristics is your community looking for in funding opportunities?

Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
Offers rolling deadlines
The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

Is your project in the planning, design, or construction phase?

Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

Are you looking for grants, loans, or technical assistance for your project?

Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
Financing (loans)
A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
Technical assistance
Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

Some programs provide extra support for specific project types or communities. Do any of these apply to your project?

Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.

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