Virginia Emergency Management Association

What Virginia Emergency Management Association does

The Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA) is a 501(c)(6) statewide professional membership association founded in 1963 and headquartered in Henrico, Virginia. It serves emergency management professionals across the Commonwealth of Virginia, including state, local, and federal practitioners, healthcare and higher-education emergency managers, faith-based and volunteer organizations, and private-sector firms in disaster recovery, restoration, and consulting. VEMA's stated mission is to promote, support, and advocate for emergency management in Virginia, with the vision of being the recognized expert and advocate for excellence in preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

VEMA's product surface consists of tiered membership programs (Individual at $100, Organizational from $150-$400, State Agency at $400, Student/New-Professional at $25, and Affiliate at $250, all on an annual July-to-June cycle), professional certification (the jointly administered Virginia Professional Emergency Manager, VaPEM, with $75 member / $150 non-member application fees and a five-year recertification cycle), an annual Virginia Emergency Management Symposium (VEMS) co-hosted with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, three scholarship programs (Addison E. Slayton Jr., Grace Tressler, Gordon Barwell PEM), an annual awards program, and specialized caucuses for Institutions of Higher Education, Healthcare, Faith-Based, and NextGen Leaders. Its underlying technology platform is MemberClicks for membership management; there is no proprietary AI or software product.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues (the dominant stream), event sponsorships at Diamond/Silver/Bronze tiers, certification application fees, affiliate-member benefits (web listings, ad discounts, vendor materials, pre-registration lists), and scholarship fundraising. The association is governed by an elected board of officers plus regional and caucus representatives, with day-to-day operations run by Executive Director Laura S. McHale and current President Will Drewery.

Name

Virginia Emergency Management Association

Legal name

Virginia Emergency Management Association

Website

https://vemaweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VEMA is a 501(c)(6) statewide professional membership association founded in 1963, serving Virginia's emergency management professionals through tiered memberships, the jointly administered VaPEM certification, an annual symposium, and specialized caucuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual professionals, organizations, state agencies, students, new-professionals, and affiliate business members. Membership period runs July 1 - June 30.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various tiers (Diamond, Silver, Bronze) for the annual Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
3. Scholarship Fundraising: Funds raised through VEMA sponsored activities, outside donations, and academic partnerships to support scholarships for students pursuing emergency management careers.
4. Professional Certification Fees: Application and recertification fees for VaPEM (Professional Emergency Manager) and VaAEM (Associate Emergency Manager) certifications. VEMA members receive discounted rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VEMA is a statewide professional membership association that delivers tiered memberships (individual, organizational, state agency, student, new-professional, and affiliate business tiers), the jointly-administered VaPEM (Virginia Professional Emergency Manager) certification, an annual symposium (VEMS), scholarship programs, and an industry awards program for emergency management professionals across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Product overview

Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA) is a statewide professional membership organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of membership programs (Individual, Organizational, State Agency, Student, New-Professional, and Affiliate tiers), professional certification programs (VaPEM - Virginia Professional Emergency Manager, jointly administered with VDEM), scholarship programs (Addison E. Slayton Jr. College Scholarship, Grace Tressler Symposium Scholarship, Gordon Barwell PEM Certification Scholarship), annual symposium events (VEMS), awards recognition programs, and various caucuses (Faith Based, Healthcare, Institutions of Higher Education, NextGen Leaders) for professional networking and development in Virginia's emergency management community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VEMA Membership Programs
• Affiliate Business Membership
• VaPEM (Virginia Professional Emergency Manager) Certification
• Virginia Emergency Management Symposium (VEMS)
• VEMA Awards Program
• Addison E. Slayton Jr. Scholarship
• Grace Tressler Symposium Scholarship
• Gordon Barwell PEM Certification Scholarship

Quantifiable outcome

• Second-largest symposium attendance in event history for VEMS26

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Department of Emergency Management is a co-host of the annual Virginia Emergency Management Symposium and jointly administers the Professional Emergency Manager (VaPEM) and Associate Emergency Manager (VaAEM) certification programs with VEMA.
• Alliance Solutions Group, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• AshBrittminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor and affiliate member of VEMA.
• Dominion EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• EM PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• IEM, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor and affiliate member of VEMA. New member organization as of current period.
• Olson Group, Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• ClearPath GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• Hagerty ConsultingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium. Current President (Danielle Holmstrom) is affiliated with Hagerty Consulting.
• Dominion NuclearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• Crowder GulfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• Southern Disaster Recovery (SDR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium and affiliate member.
• Storm ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• VeociminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level sponsor for Virginia Emergency Management Symposium.
• ArgoResponse (Argo Navis Technologies)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member with free website listing, vendor materials access, and 25% discount on website advertisements.
• BELFOR Property RestorationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing disaster recovery and property restoration services.
• DebrisTech, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing debris management services.
• DRC Emergency Services, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing emergency services.
• Elite Business Strategies, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing business strategy consulting.
• Emergency Disaster ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing emergency disaster services.
• Fire Protection Equipment Company, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing fire protection equipment.
• Innovative Emergency Management (IEM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing emergency management consulting services.
• SERVPRO of Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and Tri-CitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing disaster recovery and cleaning services.
• ThunderCat TechnologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate member providing technology solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): National/international professional association for emergency managers offering similar membership tiers, certifications (AEM/CEM), annual conference, and advocacy. Most comparable peer given parallel mission, governance, and program structure.
• National VOAD: National organization coordinating voluntary organizations active in disaster response, with affiliated state VOAD chapters (including Virginia VOAD, which VEMA partners with — board seat held by Vladimir Tamashiro-Loma). Comparable member-driven disaster coordination model.
• APCO International: Professional membership association for public safety communications officials with annual conference, certification programs (RPL, CPE), and state-level chapters comparable to VEMA's structure for emergency managers.
• Texas Emergency Management Association: State-level emergency management professional association in Texas operating with the same membership/conference/advocacy model as VEMA, scaled to a larger EM workforce.
• National Emergency Management Association (NEMA): Association of state-level emergency management directors. Operates at the state EM tier above VEMA, serving the same emergency management professional community across all U.S. states with comparable certification and policy advocacy functions.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Professional association for fire and EMS chiefs with membership tiers, annual conference, credentialing, and state-level representation — structurally and operationally analogous to VEMA's emergency management niche.
• California Emergency Services Association (CESA): Statewide professional association for California emergency managers offering membership, annual conference, and certification support. Direct state-level peer with structurally similar model to VEMA.
• Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA): State-level professional association for Florida emergency management professionals, providing conferences, training, and advocacy parallel to VEMA's role in Virginia.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): Large established professional association for law enforcement leaders with annual conference, certifications, and policy advocacy at a much larger scale than VEMA. Comparable as a sibling public-safety professional membership model.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): Established standards-setting body for fire and emergency services with codes/training that intersect with emergency management practice. Broader scope than VEMA but overlapping professional/certification audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VDEM
• Facebookfacebook.com/VAemergency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/virginia-emergency-management-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Emergency Management Association