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ARC strategic plan provides roadmap to accelerate economic growth

October 07, 2021

A new strategic plan for the Appalachian region reaffirms the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) primary investment goals emphasizing economic development. It benefits from insights gathered from more than 1,800 stakeholders and is built on multistate and regional collaboration.

Federal co-chair Gayle Manchin said in a press release that the while the investment goals (building Appalachian businesses, workforce ecosystem and infrastructure; building regional culture and tourism; and building community leaders and capacity) reaffirm the core mission, they are “reflected through a modern lens of promoting equity, innovation, sustainability and resilience into our work.” Manchin also noted that the success of the plan “is completely dependent on how well all 13 states and 420 counties in Appalachia can work collaboratively to build upon our past work to bring the region to the next level.”

The five-year plan also lists a set of objectives for each of the goals, and includes: providing financing, technical assistance, and other support for entrepreneurship and small business development in the region; investing in workforce development programs informed by industry needs; and, developing the capacity of communities to build ecosystems where government, non-profits, businesses and philanthropic partners share a vision and collaborate to implement it.

The plan is expected to be adopted in the coming weeks. More information is available here.

appalachia, strategic plan