ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl Honored with Visionary Impact Award April 2015

ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl (middle) received a Visionary Impact Award from U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (left) on April 7, 2015, for his leadership in the effort to combat prescription drug abuse. Rogers was joined by former congressman Patrick Kennedy in making the award presentation to Gohl at the 2015 Operation UNITE National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo courtesy of Operation UNITE)

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 7, 2015—Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl was honored by U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5th) April 7 for being a driving force behind the nation's largest collaboration of advocates working to solve the prescription substance abuse epidemic.

Gohl was presented with the "Visionary Impact Award" by Rogers at Operation UNITE's 2015 National Rx Drug Abuse Summit for his leadership and for carrying forward the "banner of multi-level partnership with great vigor and courage."

"Day in and day out, Earl Gohl goes to work for some of the most impoverished communities in the nation," Rogers said during the summit. "He doesn't just commit funding to the cause; he personally dives into projects that he believes in, providing advice and expert guidance."

Gohl has been a strong supporter of Operation UNITE, the southeastern Kentucky nonprofit working to combat drug abuse that has organized the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit the past four years. ARC has served as the education partner for the summit for each of those years.

The Visionary Impact Award presented to Gohl is inscribed with a quote from President John F. Kennedy: "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction."

Former congressman Patrick Kennedy, a nephew of President Kennedy, joined Rogers in making the award presentation to Gohl and urged increased support for mental-health and addiction treatment services.