Appalachian Regional Commission Announces Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows for 2019–2020

September 2019


 
Inaugural Class Includes 40 Fellows Representing Variety of Disciplines and Backgrounds from 13 Appalachian States

Contact: Wendy Wasserman, wwasserman@arc.gov; 202.884.7771

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 25, 2019—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced 40 Fellows who will be participating in the inaugural class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute. The class draws on each one of Appalachia’s 13 states, and includes public policy, community development, education, investment, and other professionals who live and/or work in the Region.

“I congratulate the participants in this inaugural class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute for being selected through a very competitive process. Our hope is that this program will help them further develop their abilities in the areas of leadership and problem solving, allowing them to help bring advancement, growth, and greater prosperity to their communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “Leadership is the essential foundation on which all of our collective efforts to enhance the Region rest. I am excited by the future opportunities our Region will create, and am confident that these individuals will discover and capitalize on them.”

The 2019–2020 Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows include:

Each Fellow will participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an extensive nine-month program focusing on skill-building seminars, best practice reviews, field visits, mentoring, and networking.  The curriculum will be anchored by six multi-day seminars around the region, followed by a capstone graduation in Washington, DC. The first session will take place in Morehead, Kentucky, October 21–24, 2019.

As part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, participating Fellows will learn how to:

Upon completion of the program, Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network, a peer-to-peer working group committed to Appalachia’s future.

Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows are chosen via a competitive application process. ARC received 180 applications for the 2019–2020 Appalachian Leadership Institute class, resulting in an acceptance rate of 22 percent. Applications for the 2020–2021 class will open in March, 2020.

The Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive regional leadership training program developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact. More information about the Appalachian Leadership Institute is available at www.arc.gov/leadershipinstitute.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.