Appalachia Funders Network 2014 Annual Meeting April 2014

The Power of Partnerships
April 1–3, 2014
Ohio University Inn and Conference Center
Athens, Ohio


The fifth annual gathering of the Appalachia Funders Network—a group of more than 80 public and private grant makers that works to promote an entrepreneurial-based Appalachian economy—was held April 1–3, 2014, in Athens, Ohio. The event was cohosted by the Appalachian Ohio Funders Group.

The 2014 meeting events aimed to foster collaboration among the 150 participants and to allow them to work together to identify shared strategies for accelerating the economic transition of Central Appalachia. Those attending included grant makers, federal agency representatives, bankers, entrepreneurs, and local development practitioners.

ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl participated in the April 2 panel discussion "Appalachia's Economic Transition," which provided insight into the emerging movement around Central Appalachia's economic transition as it relates to shifts in public policy, public discourse, and public opinion.

The three-day agenda also included a special session on job-creation resources and partnerships in Appalachia, cohosted by the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond, Cleveland, and Atlanta; and site visits highlighting the work of local and regional development practitioners in local food systems and in the arts and tourism, health care, and energy sectors.

More information on the 2014 meeting is available in the event's proceedings paper (PDF: 3.9 MB) and on the Appalachia Funders Network Web site.