Rep. Jennifer McClellan

Congresswoman, Virginia

Representative Jennifer McClellan represents Virginia’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

McClellan is a native Virginian, born in Petersburg and raised in nearby Chesterfield. 

She studied at the University of Richmond for her undergraduate degree and went on to the University of Richmond’s School of Law. She began her professional career practicing law at Hunton & Williams.

In 2005, McClellan was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, where she passed over 370 pieces of legislation. In 2017, McClellan was elected to the Virginia State Senate, succeeding then-State Senator Donald McEachin upon his election to Congress. In 2023, McClellan won a special election to replace the late Rep. McEachin in Congress. 

In the 118th Congress, Representative McClellan serves on the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. As the successor to the late Representative Donald McEachin, Representative McClellan carries on his legacy of building equitable, flood-resilient communities in Virginia and beyond.  

Virginia’s 4th Congressional District includes the City of Richmond and areas south to the Commonwealth’s border with North Carolina. The district and broader Hampton Roads region faces considerable flood risk from both higher sea levels and increasingly extreme precipitation. In September 2023, Tropical Storm Ophelia’s heavy rains caused flooding in Central Virginia along the I-95 corridor, with residents driving through dangerously high water. 

McClellan lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, David, and their two children.

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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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