Moving Appalachia Forward

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Strategic Plan

2005–2010
APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION

Federal Co-Chair States’ Co-Chair

Anne B. Pope Governor Mark R. Warner

Alternate Federal Co-Chair States’ Washington Representative

Richard J. Peltz Cameron D. Whitman

Executive Director

Thomas M. Hunter

GOVERNORS AND STATE ALTERNATES

ALABAMA

Governor Bob Riley

John D. Harrison

Director

Alabama Department of 

Economic and Community 

Affairs

401 Adams Avenue

P.O. Box 5690

Montgomery, Alabama 36103-

5690

GEORGIA

Governor Sonny Perdue

Mike Beatty

Commissioner

Georgia Department of 

Community Affairs

60 Executive Park South, NE

Third Floor

Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231

KENTUCKY

Governor Ernie Fletcher 

Darrell D. Brock Jr.

Assistant to the Governor for 

Public Policy

Commissioner

Governor’s Office for Local 

Development

1024 Capital Center Drive

Suite 340

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

MARYLAND 

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Audrey Scott

Secretary

Maryland Department of 

Planning

301 West Preston Street

Room 1101

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

MISSISSIPPI

Governor Haley Barbour

William Crawford

Deputy Director

Community Assistance

Mississippi Development 

Authority

P.O. Box 849

Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0849

NEW YORK

Governor George E. Pataki

Randy A. Daniels

Secretary of State

Department of State

41 State Street

Albany, New York 12231

NORTH CAROLINA

Governor Michael F. Easley

James McCleskey

Director

State of North Carolina's

Washington Office

444 North Capitol Street, NW

Suite 332

Washington, D.C. 20001-1512

OHIO

Governor Bob Taft

T.J. Justice

Director

Governor’s Office of Appalachia

77 South High Street, 24th Floor

P.O. Box 1001

Columbus, Ohio 43216-1001

PENNSYLVANIA

Governor Edward G. Rendell

Lisa Atkinson Brown

Deputy Secretary

Community Affairs and 

Development

Pennsylvania Department of

Community and Economic

Development

Commonwealth Keystone 

Building

Fourth Floor 

400 North Street

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

SOUTH CAROLINA

Governor Mark Sanford

Marshall Evans

Policy Adviser to the Governor

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12267

Columbia, South Carolina 29211

TENNESSEE

Governor Phil Bredesen

Matthew Kisber

Commissioner

Department of Economic and 

Community Development

William R. Snodgrass Tennessee 

Tower, 11th Floor

312 Eighth Avenue North 

Nashville, Tennessee 37243-

0405

VIRGINIA

Governor Mark R. Warner

William C. Shelton 

Director

Virginia Department of Housing

and Community Development

Jackson Center

501 North Second Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219-1321

WEST VIRGINIA

Governor Robert E. Wise Jr.

Bobby Lewis

Director

Community Development 

Division

West Virginia Development Office

Building 6, Room 553

State Capitol Complex

Charleston, West Virginia 25305-

0311
i

Moving Appalachia Forward

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Strategic Plan

2005–2010

October 1, 2004

Appalachian Regional Commission

1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20009-1068

www.arc.gov
ii

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development

agency representing a unique partnership of federal, state, and local government.

Established by an act of Congress in 1965, the Commission is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the president. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts

with boards made up of elected officials, businesspeople, and other local leaders. Each

year Congress appropriates funds, which ARC allocates among its member states. The

governors draw up annual state Appalachian strategies and select for ARC approval

projects to implement them. ARC projects include a safe and efficient highway system;

education, job-training, and health-care programs; water and sewer systems; housing;

and other essentials of comprehensive economic development.

Appalachia

Appalachia, as defined in the legislation from which the Appalachian Regional

Commission derives its authority, is a 200,000-square-mile region that follows the spine

of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It

includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,

Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,

Tennessee, and Virginia.

HART

G EORGIA

A LABAMA

T ENNESSEE

D W

K ENTUCKY

O HIO

W ISCONSIN

NEW JERSEY

V IRGINIA

N ORTH C AROLINA

S OUTH C AROLINA

LLINOIS NDIANA

M ICHIGAN

N EW Y ORK

M A RY LA N D P ENNSYLVANIA

MISSISSIPPI

WEST VIRGINIA

2004
iii

Contents

Preface iv

Highlights v

Introduction 1 

Accomplishments and Challenges 3

Development of a New Strategic Plan 3

Guiding Principles and Regional Development Roles 4

Challenges to Implementing the Strategic Plan 4

Strategic Plan for Appalachia, 2005–2010 5

General Goal 1: Increase job opportunities and per capita income in Appalachia 

to reach parity with the nation. 5

General Goal 2: Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete 

in the global economy. 9

General Goal 3: Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to make the

Region economically competitive. 12

General Goal 4: Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce 

Appalachia’s isolation. 15

Regional Priorities 17 

Delivering Results and Measuring Performance 18

Performance Measures 18

Performance Goals 18

Human Resources 19

Program Management 19

Communication 20

Appendices 21

Appendix A: Strategic Planning Process Overview 23

Appendix B: ARC Organizational Structure 26

Appendix C: Program Evaluations and Research Used in Preparing 

the Strategic Plan 32
Preface

Now more than ever, the Appalachian Regional Commission has a key role in helping

the people of Appalachia who are building a better future: creating jobs, building 

infrastructure to foster business and community growth and to connect the Region 

with national and international markets, and developing an educated, healthy workforce

prepared to participate fully in the global economy. 

Appalachia has made significant progress in addressing its historical challenges, but

ARC’s mission has not yet been completed. In fiscal year 2004, over 90 counties were

still classified as severely distressed. Increased global competition and technological

change have resulted in job losses and restructuring in many key Appalachian industries. Because of its rugged terrain and high proportion of rural residents, Appalachia is

at risk of falling behind in the implementation and use of modern technology and

telecommunications, a necessary component of competitiveness in today’s economy. 

In this time of national economic recovery and rapid change in the way business is 

conducted worldwide, ARC is working to ensure that Appalachia’s leaders and citizens

have the capacity, capability, and resources they need to build and strengthen their local

economies. The Commission’s structure as a federal-state-local partnership and as a

regional agency makes it uniquely suited to help guide and foster the local efforts

required for change. 

This strategic plan is a guide for ARC to take targeted and measurable action toward 

its vision of bringing Appalachia into full economic parity with the nation. It outlines

goals and objectives that provide clear guidance for priorities and a basis for annual

evaluation. It calls for alignment of resources to maximize results and for performance

measurement that ensures the ARC partnership is effective and accountable. It creates a

framework for building on past accomplishments to help move Appalachia forward.

iv
v

Highlights

ARC’s Vision for Appalachia

Appalachia will achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.

ARC’s Mission

ARC’s mission is to be a strategic partner and advocate for sustainable community and

economic development in Appalachia.

General Goals

1: Increase job opportunities and per capita income in Appalachia to reach 

parity with the nation.

2: Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the 

global economy.

3: Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to make the Region 

economically competitive.

4: Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce 

Appalachia’s isolation.

Ten-Year Performance Goals

Assuming ARC’s annual funding remains at the current level, the Commission is 

committed to the following ten-year performance goals:

• 200,000 jobs will be created or retained.

• 200,000 households will be served with new or improved water 

and sewer infrastructure.

• 200,000 citizens of the Region will benefit from enhanced 

education and job-related skills.

• 250 miles of the Appalachian Development Highway System will 

be opened to traffic (based on the current level of transportation 

funding from the U.S. Congress).
vi
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 1

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) was

established by Congress in 1965 to address the

profound economic and social problems in the

Appalachian Region that made it a “region apart”

from the rest of the nation. In passing the Appalachian

Regional Development Act, Congress established a

mandate to focus attention and resources on reducing

the socioeconomic gap between the Appalachian

Region and the nation through a variety of activities,

including advocacy, regional planning, research, and

grant making.

The Commission’s 2002 reauthorization extended

ARC’s nonhighway programs through fiscal year

2006 and continued the Commission’s work in providing basic infrastructure and health care, and developing local leadership. It also established the

Interagency Coordinating Council on Appalachia to

maximize the benefits of federal investments in the

Region, authorized programs in telecommunications,

entrepreneurship, and job-skills training, and reinforced ARC’s commitment to economically distressed

counties and areas in Appalachia by mandating that at 

least half of Commission nonhighway project dollars

go to activities that benefit these counties and areas.

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s unique

structure is designed to ensure an active federal-statelocal partnership. There are 14 Commission members:

the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a 

federal co-chair. Each year the 13 governors elect one

of their peers to serve as the states’ co-chair of the

Commission. The federal co-chair has one vote and

the 13 governors share one vote on Commission 

decisions. All program strategies, allocations, and

other policy matters must be approved by both a

majority of the governors and the federal co-chair.

This consensus model ensures close collaboration

between the federal and state partners in carrying out

ARC’s mission. Local participation is provided

through multi-county local development districts, with

INTRODUCTION 
2 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

boards made up of elected officials, businesspeople,

and other local leaders. 

Because of its partnership approach, ARC is able to

identify and help fund innovative grassroots initiatives

that might otherwise languish. In many cases, ARC

functions as a predevelopment agency, providing

modest initial project funding that is unavailable from

other sources. This modest investment leverages other

funds, particularly private funds.

Unlike economic development agencies that are 

primarily categorical grant makers, the Commission

performs advocacy, regional planning, and research

activities in combination with its special grant 

programs. No other entity has this regional mandate

for Appalachia.

ARC serves as an advocate for the Region by forming

partnerships with nonprofits and other agencies; 

convening regional and subregional forums; identifying regional initiatives and grant priorities for ARC

funding support; setting policies that guide investment

of flexible ARC funds, and participating in the work

of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Appalachia,

which is chaired by the ARC federal co-chair. 

Research and regional planning activities include

developing a knowledge base of problems and opportunities that supports the work of regional leaders;

examining the effectiveness of alternate approaches;

supporting strategic planning activities in the states;

and partaking in public policy development that benefits the Region. 

1960 Fiscal Year 2004

Definition of Distress in 1960:

Distressed counties have an unemployment rate that is at least 1.5 times the U.S. 

average of 5.1 percent; a per capita market income that is two-thirds or less of the

U.S. average of $1,639; and a poverty rate that is at least 1.5 times the U.S. average

of 22.1 percent; OR they have 2 times the U.S. poverty rate and qualify on the 

unemployment or income indicator.

Data Sources:

Unemployment: Census data from USDA Economic Research Service, 1960.

Income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1960.

Poverty: Office of Economic Opportunity data from USDA Economic Research Service, 1960. 

Definition of Distress in Fiscal Year 2004:

Distressed counties have a three-year average unemployment rate that is at least 1.5

times the U.S. average of 4.3 percent; a per capita market income that is two-thirds or

less of the U.S. average of $25,676; and a poverty rate that is at least 1.5 times the 

U.S. average of 12.4 percent; OR they have 2 times the U.S. poverty rate and qualify

on the unemployment or income indicator.

Data Sources:

Unemployment: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999–2001.

Income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2000.

Poverty: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2000.

NEW YORK

GEORGIA

SOUTH 

CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

MISSISSIPPI

TENNESSEE

INDIANA OHIO Y VA A

MA A

WEST

VIRGINIA

ILLINOIS

WI SCO NSI N

MICHIGAN

VIRGINIA KENTUCKY

NEW YORK

GEORGIA

SOUTH 

CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

MISSISSIPPI

TENNESSEE

INDIANA OHIO Y VA A

MA A DELAWARE

WEST

VIRGINIA

NEW JERSEY

ILLINOIS

WI SCO NSI N

MICHIGAN

VIRGINIA KENTUCKY

0 100 50

Miles

0 100 50

Miles

223 Distressed Counties 91 Distressed Counties

DELAWARE

NEW JERSEY

1960 Fiscal Year 2004

Definition of Distress in 1960:

Distressed counties have an unemployment rate that is at least 1.5 times the U.S. 

average of 5.1 percent; a per capita market income that is two-thirds or less of the

U.S. average of $1,639; and a poverty rate that is at least 1.5 times the U.S. average

of 22.1 percent; OR they have 2 times the U.S. poverty rate and qualify on the 

unemployment or income indicator.

Data Sources:

Unemployment: Census data from USDA Economic Research Service, 1960.

Income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1960.

Poverty: Office of Economic Opportunity data from USDA Economic Research Service, 1960. 

Definition of Distress in Fiscal Year 2004:

Distressed counties have a three-year average unemployment rate that is at least 1.5

times the U.S. average of 4.3 percent; a per capita market income that is two-thirds or

less of the U.S. average of $25,676; and a poverty rate that is at least 1.5 times the 

U.S. average of 12.4 percent; OR they have 2 times the U.S. poverty rate and qualify

on the unemployment or income indicator.

Data Sources:

Unemployment: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999–2001.

Income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2000.

Poverty: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2000.

NEW YORK

GEORGIA

SOUTH 

CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

MISSISSIPPI

TENNESSEE

INDIANA OHIO A A

MA A

WEST

VIRGINIA

ILLINOIS

WI SCO NSI N

MICHIGAN

VIRGINIA KENTUCKY

NEW YORK

GEORGIA

SOUTH 

CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

MISSISSIPPI

TENNESSEE

INDIANA OHIO A A

MA A DELAWARE

WEST

VIRGINIA

NEW JERSEY

ILLINOIS

WI SCO NSI N

MICHIGAN

VIRGINIA KENTUCKY

0 100

Miles

0 100 50

Miles

223 Distressed Counties 91 Distressed Counties

DELAWARE

NEW JERSEY

Distressed Counties in Appalachia
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 3

These unique planning and advocacy activities 

vastly multiply the influence and shape of ARC’s

grant programs. 

Accomplishments and Challenges 

In the mid 1960s, one in three Appalachians lived in

poverty and per capita income was 23 percent lower

than the U.S. average. In the previous decade nearly 

2 million more people had left the Region than had

moved into it. Since then, the Appalachian Region 

has experienced broad socioeconomic improvements,

the result of many macroeconomic and social factors,

including ARC’s activities. For example, the

Commission’s efforts have helped:

• Cut the Region’s poverty rate in half; 

• Reduce the infant mortality rate by two-thirds; 

• Double the percentage of adults age 25 and older

with a high school diploma; 

• Create over 400 rural health-care facilities; 

• Construct over 2,400 miles of new highways; 

• Provide water and sewer services to over 800,000

households; 

• Create over 1.6 million new jobs in addition to

766,000 generated by the Appalachian Development

Highway System (ADHS); and

• Cut the number of severely distressed counties from

223 in 1960 to 91 in fiscal year 2004. 

Although Appalachia has seen clear and substantial

progress since the early days of the Commission’s

work, the majority of the Region’s communities still

do not enjoy the same economic vitality and living

conditions that the rest of the country does. The

Region continues to battle economic distress, concentrated areas of high poverty, high unemployment

rates, educational disparities, high rates of disease,

and population outmigration. 

Development of a New 

Strategic Plan

In November 2003, ARC formally launched a comprehensive strategic planning process to help guide 

economic and community development work in the

Appalachian Region for the six years beginning in 

fiscal year 2005. In the first phase of the process,

Commission partners gathered information and input

by conducting a comprehensive review of socioeconomic changes in the Region; researching key development issues; holding consultations with ARC state

partners and advisory councils; and conducting five

field forums across the Region and in Washington,

D.C., with citizens, representatives of private, public,

and nonprofit organizations, and local development

district officials. Approximately 1,000 citizens participated in these field forums. In the second phase,

information from phase one was synthesized, and

ARC partners identified key issues and prioritized

development strategies and activities. The third phase

encompassed consensus building.

This process resulted in a strategic plan that 

defines ARC’s vision and mission and outlines four

general goals: 

ARC’s Vision for Appalachia

Appalachia will achieve socioeconomic parity with

the nation.

ARC’s Mission

ARC’s mission is to be a strategic partner and 

advocate for sustainable community and economic

development in Appalachia.

General Goals

1. Increase job opportunities and per capita income in

Appalachia to reach parity with the nation.

2. Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia

to compete in the global economy.
4 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

3. Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to

make the Region economically competitive.

4. Build the Appalachian Development Highway

System to reduce Appalachia’s isolation.

See Appendix A for more information on the strategic

planning process. See Appendix C for program 

evaluations and research used in preparing the 

strategic plan.

Guiding Principles and Regional

Development Roles

To meet its mission, ARC will rely on the following

guiding principles:

• Promote homegrown solutions.

• Create sustainable economic development. 

• Act as a strategic partner. 

• Serve as a catalyst for change. 

• Seed innovation.

• Support inclusive local decision making.

• Become a clearinghouse for ideas. 

• Capitalize on existing assets. 

• Encourage life-long learning.

These principles underlie ARC’s four regional development roles: advocate, knowledge builder, investor,

and partner. 

• Advocate. ARC is an advocate for the Region with

federal and state agencies, nonprofits, and other

organizations. This advocacy produces increased

levels of technical assistance, funding, and policy

attention. 

• Knowledge Builder. ARC’s knowledge base uniquely

positions the agency to provide focus on problems

and development opportunities. ARC builds expert

knowledge through research, regional forums, 

advisory councils, and community meetings.

• Investor. ARC creates economic opportunities in 

the Region by making its funds available for seed

capital, gap funding, and investments in innovative 

programs. In addition, the Commission leverages

over eight times the amount of its investment by

attracting other investors.

• Partner. The ARC development approach is based

on a unique federal-state-local government partnership that expedites project development and solves

problems that cannot be addressed by one level of

government alone.

ARC’s guiding principles and regional development

roles provide the necessary framework for successfully

implementing the Commission’s new strategic plan.

This approach underlies ARC’s strategy to invest in

people; in basic infrastructure, including highways;

and in job creation.

Challenges to Implementing the

Strategic Plan

ARC can effectively and efficiently implement its FY

2005–2010 strategies and achieve its performance

goals, assuming that it obtains sufficient resources to

carry out its planned activities. However, several

external factors might affect ARC’s ability to achieve

its goals.

• Economic downturns, which generally hit deeper in

the Appalachian Region and last longer, could adversely

impact achievement of ARC’s performance goals. 

• Government regulations and policies could influence ARC efforts to achieve the performance goals. 

• ARC is a partnership of 13 states and the federal

government that works in concert with 72 local

development districts. Budget constraints and policy

redirection within the Appalachian states and local

development districts can hinder the pursuit of ARC

goals.

• Inconsistent or inadequate funding would impact

ARC’s ability to implement its strategic plan.

• Unanticipated demographic shifts in the Appalachian

Region, such as an increase in population aging and

high levels of settlement by people with low educational attainment and language skills, could affect

achievement of ARC’s performance goals.
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 5

Changes to the Region’s economic base present

significant opportunities and challenges to

Appalachia. The new economy offers opportunities

for the Region in knowledge-based industries and sectors such as services and health care. At the same

time, shifting demands present challenges to traditional

manufacturing, mining, and agriculture.

In partnership with other agencies, ARC will help

local and state leaders diversify local economies, support entrepreneurship, increase domestic and global

markets, and foster new technologies in order to

address job shifts throughout the Region. In addition,

ARC will encourage local leaders to build on the

opportunities presented by Appalachian highway 

corridors and to examine heritage, cultural, and recreational assets that can create job opportunities while

preserving the character of the Region’s communities. 

Strategic Objective 1.1: 

Foster Civic Entrepreneurship

As a community or region seeks to develop a healthy,

competitive, and sustainable economy, it needs to

build the capacity of three interdependent elements:

individual leaders, organizations, and the community

as a whole. Leadership development skills; broad 

citizen involvement; strategic planning processes; and

collaborations among business, government, nonprofit,

and philanthropic organizations contribute to a sense

of empowerment and sustained economic well-being.

These activities foster broad-based civic engagement

and support strategic readiness to take advantage of

economic opportunities.

Selected Strategies: 

• Support the development of broad-based leadership

structures and transformative institutions for change,

such as community development foundations and

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR APPALACHIA, 2005–2010

General Goal 1: 

Increase Job Opportunities and Per Capita Income in 

Appalachia to Reach Parity with the Nation
6 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

community development financial institutions.

• Build the capacity to collaborate among government, business, and nonprofit and philanthropic 

sectors by increasing skills in consensus building,

communication, networking, knowledge and 

understanding of economic and social trends, and

other elements of civic capacity.

• Support strategic planning initiatives for local

organizations and agencies to capitalize on economic

development opportunities.

• Encourage partnerships and promote regional efforts

in economic development.

• Provide training and consultation services to local

governments and nonprofit organizations engaged in

economic development.

Strategic Objective 1.2: Diversify

the Economic Base

For Appalachia to compete in the global economy, the

Region must expand efforts to diversify its economic

base to provide new employment opportunities.

Prosperity and stability for Appalachian communities

will depend on their ability to find new business and

economic opportunities that can build on the Region’s

strengths while diversifying its base. 

Selected Strategies:

• Encourage the establishment and development of

workforce training programs, entrepreneurial development, and export creation, and the promotion of

technological advances and technology-related 

businesses and services.

• Expand efforts to modernize and strengthen 

existing businesses.

• Develop new businesses that can expand the 

economic foundation of the Region.

• Raise awareness about economic development tools

communities can use to strengthen and diversify

their economic base.

Strategic Objective 1.3: Enhance

Entrepreneurial Activity in the

Region 

Locally owned businesses play an important role in

creating sustainable local economies and improving

the quality of life in Appalachian communities, 

especially in economically distressed areas. Many

communities need assistance in developing support

for business incubators and providing entrepreneurial

training and financial services. 

Selected Strategies:

• Improve access to investment capital for local 

businesses by developing new venture capital 

funds, subordinated debt funds, and micro-credit

lending programs.

• Educate current and future entrepreneurs through

new training programs in middle schools, high

schools, and community colleges.

• Nurture new businesses by creating technical 

assistance networks through business incubators,

business associations, and private-sector resources.
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 7

Strategic Objective 1.4: Develop

and Market Strategic Assets for

Local Economies

A recognized way of strengthening communities and

their economies is through the identification and

development of local cultural, heritage, and natural

assets. This approach to development recognizes 

and builds on indigenous resources, experience, 

wisdom, skills, and capacity in Appalachian communities. Creating local homegrown economic 

opportunity is central to this asset-based approach.

Appalachia’s arts, crafts, music, and heritage resources

and its natural and recreational assets can be leveraged for the economic benefit of the Region. 

Selected Strategies:

• Identify local and regional assets for development.

• Create strategies that help existing and new local

businesses capitalize on indigenous assets.

• Support efforts to maximize the economic 

benefits of the Appalachian heritage tourism and

crafts industries through awareness and marketing

opportunities.

Strategic Objective 1.5: Increase the

Domestic and Global Competitiveness

of the Existing Economic Base 

Many Appalachian communities have embraced not

only new domestic business development strategies

but also global strategies that promote increased international business activity in order to be competitive.

By helping local firms find new markets at home and

abroad, communities can assist in job creation.

Foreign direct investment is another effective

approach that can generate additional job opportunities and help communities enhance their competitive

advantage.

Selected Strategies:

• Support research opportunities in global and 

domestic development.

• Support technical assistance and ongoing business

consultation to help medium and small businesses

connect to national and international markets.

• Promote foreign direct investment in Appalachia.

Strategic Objective 1.6: Foster the

Development and Use of Innovative

Technologies 

Information technology represents an important

opportunity to close the job gap in Appalachia

through high-value-added industries such as telecommunications and computing services. Appalachian

communities should partner with federal and privatesector research labs, research universities, and other

technology organizations to help create and retain

technology-related jobs. 
8 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

Selected Strategies:

• Assist in the creation of telecommunications and

computing enterprises.

• Provide assistance for expanding existing hightechnology operations in the Region.

• Promote partnerships with and leverage research

opportunities generated by government-sponsored

and private-sector research labs.

• Expand and create technology research initiatives 

in the Region’s colleges and universities.

• Increase support for public-sector science and 

technology programs. 

• Support the commercialization of new technologies

developed by federal labs, universities, and other

sources.

Strategic Objective 1.7: Capitalize

on the Economic Potential of the

Appalachian Development Highway

System

The ADHS presents perhaps the greatest community

and economic development opportunity in the 

Region. To maximize its potential, programs and

activities must be designed to capitalize on the 

system’s connectivity.

Selected Strategies:

• Support local and regional economic and community

development initiatives that effectively use completed

sections of the ADHS.

• Encourage strategic planning to help direct and

select appropriate development along future 

segments of the system.

• Promote cooperative projects and programs 

between economic development officials and 

highway officials.
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 9

I

n order to compete in the twenty-first-century economy, the people of Appalachia must have the skills

and knowledge required to develop, staff, and manage

globally competitive businesses. In addition, the

Region’s communities must provide adequate health

care in order to keep existing businesses and develop

new ones.

ARC will continue to support local efforts to make all

of the Region’s citizens productive participants in the

global economy. The Commission’s focus will be to

address a range of educational issues, such as workforce skills, early childhood education, dropout prevention, and improved college attendance; and health

issues, such as the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in areas with documented shortages

and the promotion of better health through wellness

and preventive measures. In addition, ARC will 

develop partnerships with other organizations to

address the high incidence of life-threatening diseases

in the Region.

Strategic Objective 2.1: Foster Civic

Entrepreneurship

Appalachia needs to develop strong leaders, organizations, and communities to promote the Region’s

competitiveness. Capacity-building activities that

strengthen collaborative relationships among communities, agencies, and individuals, that encourage 

innovative and achievable first steps, and that provide

an increase in awareness of, and dialogue on, strategic

opportunities contribute to improved community

responsibility and use of resources.

Selected Strategies:

• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships

between training institutions and businesses to

improve workforce readiness.

General Goal 2: 

Strengthen the Capacity of the People of Appalachia 

to Compete in the Global Economy
10 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

• Strengthen school-based civic education through

service learning and youth community development

efforts.

• Support greater involvement of young people in

community activities such as tutoring, peer 

mediation, and serving on advisory boards. 

• Promote community-based dialogue and management of critical local health issues.

Strategic Objective 2.2: Enhance

Workforce Skills through Training

As the changing global economy affects Appalachian

communities and businesses, many adults in the

Region find it difficult to retain their jobs or seek new

ones without significant retraining and additional 

education. Most new jobs are in sectors that require a

higher level of education. To respond to new economic

opportunities and weather economic uncertainty,

workers must continually build skills and experience.

Selected Strategies:

• Support the development of new workforce training

and vocational education programs.

• Create innovative ways to re-tool the skills of the

Region’s workforce.

• Support the expansion and modernization of 

existing workforce training and vocational education programs.

Strategic Objective 2.3: Increase

Access to Quality Child Care and

Early Childhood Education 

Access to quality child care fosters the development

of children and enables their parents and guardians to

take advantage of job opportunities. In addition, 

studies have shown that the benefits of high-quality

early childhood education programs, especially for

children from low-income families, last at least into

early adulthood. Many families in Appalachia often

do not have the resources, in terms of finances or

time, to take full advantage of such services.

Selected Strategies:

• Support efforts to initiate and expand early childhood education programs.

• Support local and regional efforts to increase access

to early childhood education programs.

• Support efforts to increase access to quality 

child care. 

Strategic Objective 2.4: Increase

Educational Attainment and

Achievement

Research has shown that high levels of educational

attainment and achievement are associated with better

health for individuals and their children, longer life

expectancies, and higher salaries. While progress has

been made in improving levels of educational attainment and achievement in Appalachia, resources are

still needed to close a widening gap in educational
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 11

attainment between the Appalachian Region and the

rest of the nation. To strengthen Appalachia’s economic

competitiveness, more Appalachians need to graduate

from high school and continue with post-secondary

education at community colleges, universities, or 

professional schools.

Selected Strategies:

• Support local and regional efforts to better prepare

students, out-of-school youths, and adults for postsecondary-level training.

• Maintain support for and seek expansion of the

Appalachian Higher Education Network and other

programs that increase college-going rates.

• Support dropout prevention programs.

Strategic Objective 2.5: Provide

Access to Health-Care

Professionals

Activities and policies that improve the supply and

distribution of Appalachia’s professional health-care

workforce (physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, dentists, medical technicians, etc.) can help ensure

that health care is comprehensive, affordable, and 

tailored to the specific needs of each community. Many

communities in remote areas of the Region find it difficult to recruit and retain health-care professionals. 

Selected Strategies:

• Support local efforts to expand access to health-care

programs and recruit health-care professionals

through the J-1 Visa Waiver Program and 

other programs.

• Support educational institutions that train 

health-care professionals.

• Provide support to primary-care systems.

Strategic Objective 2.6: Promote

Health through Wellness and

Prevention

Appalachia suffers from disproportionately high rates

of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease,

cancer, and diabetes. This has a significant adverse

effect on workforce participation and productivity,

and impedes opportunity for economic growth.

Education on positive health behaviors is key to

developing a stronger workforce and ensuring the

long-term viability of the Region. 

Selected Strategies:

• Promote nutrition education, physical activity, and

early screening as a means of eliminating or reducing the incidence of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and

heart disease. 

• Support programs that help eliminate drug and/or

alcohol abuse.

• Encourage the development of initiatives and

investments that promote healthy lifestyles.
12 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

I

n order to compete in the global economy,

Appalachia must have the infrastructure necessary

for economic development, including water and sewer

systems, telecommunications systems, and efficient

connections to global transportation networks. But

barriers such as rugged terrain and low population

density have hindered the Region from developing

adequate infrastructure.

ARC will address the lack of adequate water and

sewer systems and telecommunications systems and

services in the Region, and will build partnerships to

address the critical issue of intermodal connections to

improve access to the global market.

Strategic Objective 3.1: Foster Civic

Entrepreneurship

Developing the regional infrastructure necessary to

make Appalachia competitive requires a cadre of

visionary leaders and effective organizations that are

able to strategically mobilize communities toward

their goals. 

Selected Strategies:

• Build the organizational capacity required to meet

increasing demands related to technology, environmental standards, and changing revenue sources.

• Provide training, consultation, and financial support

for local leaders and organizations to build their

capacity to address infrastructure challenges.

• Support partnerships and regional efforts among

local and state governments, nonprofit agencies, and

citizens engaged in infrastructure development.

• Encourage water and wastewater infrastructure

development through “self-help” projects that use

the skills and commitment of local communities.

• Support strategic planning initiatives for local

organizations and agencies to capitalize on 

economic development opportunities created by the

Appalachian Development Highway System.

General Goal 3: 

Develop and Improve Appalachia’s Infrastructure to 

Make the Region Economically Competitive
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 13

Strategic Objective 3.2: Build and

Enhance Basic Infrastructure 

Communities must have adequate water and wastewater treatment systems and decent, affordable housing to sustain businesses, generate jobs, protect public

health, and ensure a basic standard of living for residents. Many Appalachian communities continue to

lack this basic infrastructure, compromising the

Region’s ability to pursue basic development activities. Investing in basic infrastructure is an investment

in the wellness, as well as the economic potential, 

of Appalachia.

Selected Strategies:

• Make strategic investments that leverage federal,

state, private, and local capital for the development

and improvement of water and wastewater systems. 

• Support continued efforts to expand the Region’s

stock of safe, affordable housing.

Strategic Objective 3.3: Increase the

Accessibility and Use of

Telecommunications Technology

Communities across the Appalachian Region, especially those in rural or economically distressed areas,

face serious challenges in taking advantage of new

information, computing, and telecommunications

technologies that have the potential to expand their

economic development horizons. Changing regulations have resulted in access issues for rural communities and reluctance on the part of service providers

to make capital investments in less-dense areas where

it is more difficult to generate adequate returns on

investments.

Selected Strategies:

• Make strategic investments in telecommunications

infrastructure to increase local and regional connectivity.

• Help citizens learn to use information technologies

to access distance-learning opportunities and to

identify markets and consumer groups.

• Promote the adoption of e-commerce methods by

existing and new businesses.

• Support telemedicine applications for communities. 

• Encourage the use of telecommunications applications for use in education and government initiatives.

• Provide planning assistance for telecommunications

development that coincides with other public infrastructure development.

Strategic Objective 3.4: Build and

Enhance Environmental Assets

Cleaning up defunct industrial sites, promoting environmentally sensitive industries, and providing

responsible stewardship and use of Appalachia’s natural assets can play a vital part in putting the Region

on an equal economic footing with the rest of the

nation. This includes the reclamation of former industrial sites and mine-impacted lands for viable use. 

Selected Strategies:

• Raise awareness of and leverage support for the

reclamation and reuse of brownfields properties in

industrial areas and mine-impacted communities. 

• Encourage eco-industrial development that can

responsibly take advantage of the Region’s naturalresource assets.

• Support regional planning and economic development policies that promote good stewardship of the

Region’s natural resources.

Strategic Objective 3.5: Promote the

Development of an Intermodal

Transportation Network

In the twenty-first century, growth and prosperity

depend on the ability to develop intermodal transportation systems with fast, efficient, and dependable

access to worldwide suppliers and markets.

Appalachian communities and businesses must 

continue to strengthen support for intermodal 
14 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

transportation strategies designed to improve access to

Appalachia’s transportation network (including 

aviation, local transit systems, railway systems, and

inland waterways) as well as to increase the responsiveness of that network to the needs of businesses,

communities, and residents.

Selected Strategies:

• Provide funding for studies on enhancing 

economic development opportunities presented by

intermodalism.

• Support analysis of strategic locations for

inland ports. 

• Help create the organizations required to move

intermodal connectivity forward.

• Sponsor regional forums to discuss the potential for

intermodal development.

• Construct access roads that link economic 

development opportunities to the Appalachian

Development Highway System and 

other major highways.
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 15

For Appalachia to compete economically with

communities across the nation, it must have a

safe and efficient transportation system connecting it

to national transportation networks. Because of its 

difficult terrain, Appalachia was largely bypassed by

the national interstate highway system, leaving the

Region with a network of winding, two-lane roads,

which presented a major barrier to development.

When ARC was established, Congress, recognizing

the importance of overcoming the Region’s geographic

isolation, authorized the construction of an 

interstate-quality highway system in Appalachia. The

Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS)

was created, and is being built, to enhance economic

development opportunities in the Region by providing

access to markets for goods, to jobs for workers, to

health care for patients, and to education for students. 

The strong partnership of ARC, the U.S. Department

of Transportation, and state departments of transportation will continue to oversee the planning and construction of the Appalachian Development Highway

System. ARC will work to identify and overcome 

barriers to the timely completion of the ADHS.

Strategic Objective 4.1: Foster Civic

Entrepreneurship

Long-term strategic planning by local and regional

leadership is critical to taking full advantage of the

economic and community-building opportunities 

presented by existing and planned ADHS corridors.

New outreach and awareness efforts are needed to

help communities fully integrate the ADHS into their 

economic development planning. 

Selected Strategies:

• Support local and multi-jurisdictional forums to

promote communication and mutual understanding,

and resolution of the barriers to completing the

remaining ADHS miles.

General Goal 4: 

Build the Appalachian Development Highway System 

to Reduce Appalachia’s Isolation 
16 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

• Encourage collaboration among state departments of

transportation, the U.S. Department of

Transportation, and other state and federal agencies

involved in the Region’s economic development.

Strategic Objective 4.2: Promote

On-Schedule Completion of the

ADHS 

Timely completion of the ADHS is an essential step

toward fostering economic growth and enabling

Appalachia to become a significant contributor to the

national economy. When completed, the system will

connect the 13 states in the Region with nationwide

and global economic opportunities. 

Selected Strategies:

• Work with federal and state departments of transportation to identify and overcome barriers to the

development of ADHS sections in the locationstudy phase.

• Assist federal and state departments of transportation in solving design problems and moving ADHS

sections to the construction phase.

• Support efforts to obligate the maximum amount of

the annual appropriation for ADHS construction,

and work with state departments of transportation to

accelerate construction of the final phases of the

highway system.

• Promote a development approach for the ADHS that

preserves the cultural and natural resources of the

Region while enhancing economic opportunity.

Strategic Objective 4.3: Coordinate

Work on ADHS State-Line

Crossings

Completing the ADHS in a timely manner will require

close coordination of activities on those segments of

the system that cross state lines.

Selected Strategy:

• Coordinate technical information, funding disbursements, and construction scheduling between adjoining states to facilitate completion of state-line crossings of ADHS corridors.

HART

BINGHAMTON ELMIRA JAMESTOWN

ERIE

WILLIAMSPORT

SCRANTON

HARRISBURG

CUMBERLAND

HAGERSTOWN

ELKINS

MORGANTOWN

WHEELING

PARKERSBURG

COLUMBUS

STATE COLLEGE

ALTOONA

CINCINNATI

HUNTINGTON

BECKLEY PIKEVILLE

LONDON

BRISTOL

ASHEVILLE

SPARTANBURG

KNOXVILLE

GREENVILLE

CHATTANOOGA

COOKEVILLE

HUNTSVILLE

TUPELO

BIRMINGHAM

ATLANTA

NASHVILLE

BALTIMORE

WASHINGTON, DC

RICHMOND

RALEIGH

COLUMBIA

ANNAPOLIS

MONTGOMERY

MEMPHIS

FRANKFORT

DAYTON

CHARLOTTE

TOLEDO CLEVELAND

GREENSBORO

ROANOKE

INDIANAPOLIS

AKRON

PITTSBURGH

LEXINGTON

ALBANY

CHARLESTON

CLARKSBURG

JOHNSTOWN

LOUISVILLE

CHICAGO

Status of the Appalachian Development Highway System

Adequate or Complete—

September 30, 2003

To be Completed

Interstate System
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 17

I

n consultation with its partners, ARC may identify

a limited number of strategic objectives annually as

regional priorities. Regional priorities can reflect the

need to redouble efforts in one or more goal areas to

meet the Commission’s ten-year performance goals.

The regional priority status can support and promote

innovation in a particular goal area, or use ARC

resources to focus on a sector of unique opportunity

or underperformance.

Regional priorities support the strategic plan by coordinating a concerted effort by the 13 Appalachian

states and federal government to address an area of

critical importance. The designation of a strategic

objective as a regional priority can involve the allocation of additional resources to that strategic objective.

The targeted resources may be special advisory councils with the charge to develop region-wide activities,

or regional priority status may involve the use of special funds earmarked for a specific strategic objective. 

Regional Priorities

HART

G EORGIA

A L ABAMA

T ENNESSEE

D W

K ENTUCKY

O HIO

W SCONSIN

NEW JERSEY

V IRGINIA

N ORTH C AROLINA

S OUTH C AROLINA

LLINOIS N DIANA

M ICHIGAN

N EW Y ORK

M A RY LA N D P E NNSYLVANIA

MISSISSIPPI

WEST VIRGINIA

2004
18 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

Performance Measures

As an investor in grassroots economic development,

ARC’s performance is in large measure dependent on

the achievements of its local, state, and regional partners. To measure its effectiveness, ARC will look at

the following four areas of performance:

• Leverage. ARC will measure additional public and

private financial and technical support attracted by

Commission investments. 

• Jobs. ARC will gauge its involvement in job-generating programs by both the quantity and the quality

of jobs created.

• Employability. ARC will measure improvements in

high school graduation rates, increases in college

attendance and graduation rates, the number of participants completing workforce training programs,

and the number of children served in early childhood education programs.

• Infrastructure Development and Connectivity.

ARC will look at the number of citizens served;

connections made between modes of transportation,

particularly between railways and highways; and

highway miles opened to traffic.

Performance Goals

Assuming ARC’s annual funding remains at the 

current level, the Commission is committed to the 

following six-year and ten-year performance goals:

Six-Year Performance Goals

• 120,000 jobs will be created or retained.

• 120,000 households will be served with new or

improved water and sewer infrastructure.

• 120,000 citizens of the Region will benefit from

enhanced education and job-related skills.

• 150 miles of the Appalachian Development

Highway System will be opened to traffic (based on

the current level of transportation funding from the

U.S. Congress).

DELIVERING RESULTS AND MEASURING PERFORMANCE
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 19

Ten-Year Performance Goals

• 200,000 jobs will be created or retained.

• 200,000 households will be served with new or

improved water and sewer infrastructure.

• 200,000 citizens of the Region will benefit from

enhanced education and job-related skills.

• 250 miles of the Appalachian Development

Highway System will be opened to traffic (based on

the current level of transportation funding from the

U.S. Congress).

The Appalachian Regional Commission tracks the

programs it supports and reports its findings regarding

performance on a yearly basis. ARC’s current performance and accountability report can be found on

the ARC Web site at www.arc.gov. 

Human Resources

ARC is composed of the governors of the 13

Appalachian states and a presidential appointee representing the federal government. The governors elect

one of their members each year to serve as the states’

co-chair; the federal representative serves as the 

federal co-chair. 

Each year, the governors develop state Appalachian

strategies, including projects for ARC funding that

will help carry out these strategies, and submit them

to the Commission. The strategies are reviewed and

approved at a meeting of all the governors and the

federal co-chair. 

After the states submit project applications to ARC,

they are reviewed by ARC’s program analysts. The

process is completed when the federal co-chair

reviews each project and formally approves it. 

To meet its strategic objectives, the Appalachian

Regional Commission relies on experienced, professional staff to deliver the following five critical

skill sets:

• Networking and Grassroots Empowerment.

Providing stakeholders with access to critical partners and essential organizational support.

• Technical Expertise. Guiding leaders in the Region

through infrastructure and program development

and delivery.

• Leadership and Advocacy. Representing the priorities of the Region to state and federal leaders. 

• Oversight, Management, and Quality Control.

Ensuring a high-quality result.

• Communication. External and internal communication of ARC plans, programs, and activities.

Federal and Commission staff are centrally located in

Washington, D.C., to deliver services to the entire

Region. State-funded staff are located in each of the

13 Appalachian states, with a regional representative

located in Washington, D.C. Provision of staff by

each of the states exhibits their commitment to the

ARC partnership. This unique partnership serves to

reduce the federal overhead expenses of operating the

program while concentrating efforts on high-quality

program management.

Program Management

ARC is committed to an administrative structure that

encourages the highest-quality performance and supports the greatest amount of organizational flexibility.

ARC manages programs and activities by providing

staff focus in the following five areas:

• Support to Local Development Districts. ARC

staff provide support and services to the local development districts, including information and technical assistance for planning and grant making, professional development training, and administration.

See Appendix B for a directory of the local development districts.

• Program Support. ARC staff implement programs

in partnership with federal and local organizations.

Upon request, ARC staff provide technical assis-
20 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD

tance to partners on infrastructure, human resource

development, and organizational capacity building.

• Planning and Research. ARC staff assist stakeholders by reviewing relevant state strategies, collecting data, and assisting with the creation of performance measures. ARC planners and researchers

evaluate projects, manage the research portfolio for

the Commission, and collect and analyze data to

assess the effectiveness of the ARC strategic plan.

• Outreach. ARC staff provide communications support both internally and externally, to stakeholders

and strategic decision makers; support ARC-sponsored events and meetings; and create and support

regional councils, working groups, and task 

forces to focus on specific regionwide challenges

and opportunities.

• Finance and Administration. ARC staff perform

all financial management, accounting, and budget

support functions for the organization; maintain the

grants management information system and other

information technology operations; manage the

ARC Web site, publications, and other administrative functions; and handle procurement and supply. 

Communication

In order to ensure the implementation of the ARC

strategic plan, the Commission will communicate the

goals, objectives, and strategies of the plan throughout

the agency and to the regional partners. Communication within the agency will involve an ongoing

process of sharing the challenges and opportunities of

moving the Region to national socioeconomic parity.

ARC will communicate the new plan and strategies to

the regional partners through newsletters, conferences,

Commission meetings, and local development district

workshops. This will be an ongoing process, with regular reporting at conferences and events.

ARC staff will be accountable for monitoring and

communicating progress in achieving the mission,

goals, and objectives.
ARC STRATEGIC PLAN 2005–2010 21

Appendices

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Strategic Plan

2005–2010

Appendix A: Strategic Planning Process Overview 23

Appendix B: ARC Organizational Structure 26

Appendix C: Program Evaluations and Research 

Used in Preparing the Strategic Plan 32
22 MOVING APPALACHIA FORWARD
APPENDIX A 23

ARC’s nine-month strategic planning process encompassed

three phases: discovery, synthesis, and consensus. The

process included extensive participation by Appalachian citizens, the federal co-chair, the Appalachian governors’ ARC

alternates, representatives of the Region’s 72 local development districts, and other key stakeholders, including congressional staff, members of local governments, community

development corporations, and local business groups. 

Phase I—Discovery and Listening: Socioeconomic

Review, Consultations, and Field Forums

Socioeconomic Review

A socioeconomic review was prepared by the Commission,

providing an overview of critical challenges and opportunities

facing the Appalachian Region. Topics included demographic

and socioeconomic trends in Appalachia, transportation

infrastructure, health, education, water and wastewater 

systems, information and telecommunications technology,

and trends in national and regional economic distress. In

addition, 50 issue papers were developed to provide background for discussion during subsequent stages of the

strategic planning process. 

Consultations

Two consultations, one in Maryland and one in West

Virginia, brought together experts on key issues affecting the

Region for presentations and discussions on a wide range

of regional development challenges and opportunities. The

federal co-chair, the Appalachian governors’ ARC alternates,

officials from the Appalachian states and local development

districts, and other key stakeholders participated. 

Field Forums

Five public field forums provided an opportunity for citizen

input on local and regional issues and concerns. The

forums encouraged participation and feedback and offered

attendees the opportunity to engage in discussion, provide

written comment, and participate in electronic voting on

regional issues. Forums were held in Dalton, Georgia; State

College, Pennsylvania; Ashland, Kentucky; Kingsport,

Tennessee; and at the annual conference of the

Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) in

Arlington, Virginia. More than 1,000 citizens participated in

the forums, which provided a diverse group of stakeholders

with an organized and inclusive way to express opinions

and offer insights into the challenges facing Appalachia’s 

future development. 

Phase II—Synthesis: Analysis and Program Review

The Commission analyzed input from the two consultations

and five field forums to identify critical issues for

Appalachia. Staff conducted a review of current programs

and examined recent ARC grant, advocacy, and technical

assistance activities to provide a programmatic and policy

context for the strategic planning process. This phase

included discussions on ARC’s roles in investing in the

Region and high-priority activities for the Commission.

Phase III—Consensus: Development of the Plan

The Commission met to develop and prioritize investment

strategies, initiatives, and activities for inclusion in the new

strategic plan. This led to the development of an updated

vision for the Region and a reinvigorated mission and

regional framework for action, including general goals,

strategic objectives, and an approach for identifying 

regional priorities. 

The ARC 2005–2010 strategic plan was adopted by the federal co-chair and the 13 Appalachian governors in the fall of

2004. It outlines the Commission’s approach to investing in

the Region’s future and reinforces ARC’s commitment to its

role as strategic partner and advocate for sustainable community and economic development in Appalachia.

APPENDIX A

Strategic Planning Process Overview
Pha covery and Listenin

ER 2003 ER 2003–JANUA

Decemb

Cons

Program

essm

Cons

Program 

essm

CONSULT

senta

ssues

by key experts

Review of iss

level of signi

each issue

Open d ussion i

ilitated format/

new is s identi

senta

by key experts

Review of iss

level of signi

each issue

Open d ussion i

d format/

new is s identi

ioeconomic

Issue Re

Prepare on

summaries of each

l issue

North

South

DDAA

FIELD FORU

North Central

South

condensed 

ues/ra

significan

each issue

Condense

presentatio

issue

by experts

and ARC st

Open dis

format/new is

identi

rating

FEBR Y–APRIL 2004

24 APPENDIX A

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
Phase I Synthesis of Phase O Res Phase III: Consens and egic n Adopt

MAY–JUNE 2004 JULY–AUGUST

y ARC

meet

dings

issue

elem

gic p

THES

TING

Socio

econ

Develo

gener

SENS

TING

amen

2010

gic pl

COM SION

TING

APPENDIX A 25
26 APPENDIX B

The Partnership Model

The Appalachian Regional Commission has 14 members: the

governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal cochair, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the

Senate. Each year one governor is elected by his or her

peers to serve as the states’ co-chair. The partnership nature

of ARC is evident in its policy making: the governors and the

federal co-chair share responsibility for determining all 

policies and making spending decisions. The federal co-chair

has one vote, and the 13 governors share one vote, on all

Commission decisions. Accordingly, all program strategies,

allocations, and other policy must be approved by both a

majority of the governors and the federal co-chair. This 

consensus model ensures close collaboration between the

federal and state partners in carrying out the mission of the

agency. It also gives the Commission a character that 

distinguishes it from typical federal executive agencies 

and departments. 

An alternate federal co-chair, who is also appointed by the

president and confirmed by the Senate, has authority to act

as the federal co-chair in his or her absence. Each governor

appoints an alternate who oversees state ARC business and

serves as the state-level point of contact for those seeking

ARC assistance. Grassroots participation in implementing

ARC programs is provided through local development districts, multi-county agencies with boards made up of elected

officials, businesspeople, and other local leaders. (A list of

local development districts in Appalachia begins on page 28.)

In all, there are only 11 federal employees of the Commission,

including the federal co-chair’s staff and the staff of the Office

of Inspector General.

The Commission members appoint an executive director to

serve as the chief executive, administrative, and fiscal officer.

The executive director and staff are not federal employees.

Fifty percent of the cost for the Commission’s staff and other

administrative activities is paid by the federal government; 50

percent is paid by the 13 Appalachian states. The 48

Commission staff are charged with serving both the federal

and the state members impartially in carrying out ARC programs and activities, and they provide the technical program

management, planning and research, legal support, and

financial/administrative management necessary to conduct

these programs and activities.

Intergovernmental Cooperation

ARC’s program authority encompasses a full range of federal

domestic activities, including enterprise development, education and training, health care, export promotion, telecommunications, water and sewer infrastructure, and highway construction. Because of its limited appropriation, the Commission

has always emphasized collaboration with public and private

resources to accomplish its mission. ARC funding and technical assistance help communities leverage private and state

funds, as well as other federal funds. ARC’s highly flexible

funds are often referred to as “glue money,” which, although

often a small part of projects, helps make them possible.

A special provision of the Appalachian Regional Development

Act authorizes ARC to operate in part as a supplemental

grant program. This authority allows ARC funds to be used to

increase the allowable participation under federal grant programs, enabling grantees to participate in programs for which

they would otherwise be ineligible. In addition, it involves

appropriate federal entities to ensure not only program coordination but also compliance with all applicable laws, such as

environmental and labor requirements. Accordingly, about

half of past ARC grants have been administered under agreements with up to a dozen federal agencies, mainly the

Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural

Development, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, and the Federal Highway Administration. Other

agreements have involved such agencies as the Army Corps

of Engineers and the U.S. Departments of Energy, Labor, and

Health and Human Services. 

ARC has also joined with a range of national and regional

foundations in special projects and initiatives over the years.

APPENDIX B

ARC Organizational Structure
APPENDIX B 27

ARC Organization Chart

Federal Co-Chair

Office of 

the Federal

Co-Chair

Alternate

Federal

Co-Chair

Executive

Director

13 Governors/States’ Co-Chair

Office of the

States’

Washington

Representative

Regional

Planning and

Research

Regional

Program

Operations

Finance and

Administration

Governors’

Alternates

Office of

Inspector

General

Human

Resources

Local

Development

District

Program

Manager

Federal Representative = 1 VOTE 13 Appalachian Governors = 1 VOTE

General

Counsel
28 APPENDIX B

Local Development Districts

in the Appalachian Region

ALABAMA

1A/Northwest Alabama Council 

of Local Governments

P.O. Box 2603

Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35662

256/389-0500

ARC Counties: Colbert, Franklin, 

Lauderdale, Marion, Winston 

1B/North Central Alabama Regional 

Council of Governments

P.O. Box C

Decatur, Alabama 35602

256/355-4515

ARC Counties: Cullman, Lawrence,

Morgan

1C/Top of Alabama Regional 

Council of Governments

115 Washington Street, SE

Huntsville, Alabama 35801-4883

256/533-3330

ARC Counties: De Kalb, Jackson, 

Limestone, Madison, Marshall 

1D/West Alabama Regional 

Commission

4200 Highway 69, North, Suite 1

Northport, Alabama 35473-3505

205/333-2990

ARC Counties: Bibb, Fayette, Hale,

Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa

1E/Regional Planning 

Commission of Greater 

Birmingham

1731 First Avenue North, Suite 200

Birmingham, Alabama 35203

205/251-8139

ARC Counties: Blount, Chilton,

Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Walker

1F/East Alabama Regional Planning 

and Development Commission

P.O. Box 2186

Anniston, Alabama 36202

256/237-6741

ARC Counties: Calhoun, Chambers,

Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa,

Etowah, Randolph, Talladega,

Tallapoosa

1H/Central Alabama Regional 

Planning and Development 

Commission

125 Washington Avenue, Third Floor

Montgomery, Alabama 36104

334/262-4300

ARC County: Elmore

1I/South Central Alabama 

Development Commission

5900 Carmichael Place

Montgomery, Alabama 36117

334/244-6903

ARC County: Macon

GEORGIA

2A/Coosa Valley Regional 

Development Center

P.O. Box 1793

Rome, Georgia 30162-1793

706/295-6485

ARC Counties: Bartow, Catoosa,

Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon,

Haralson, Paulding, Polk, Walker

2B/Georgia Mountains Regional

Development Center

P.O. Box 1720

Gainesville, Georgia 30503

770/538-2626

ARC Counties: Banks, Dawson,

Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall,

Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens,

Towns, Union, White

2C/Chattahoochee-Flint Regional 

Development Center

P.O. Box 1600

Franklin, Georgia 30217

706/675-6721

ARC Counties: Carroll, Heard 

2D/Atlanta Regional Commission 

40 Courtland Street, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

404/463-3100

ARC Counties: Cherokee, Douglas,

Gwinnett

2E/Northeast Georgia Regional

Development Center

305 Research Drive

Athens, Georgia 30605-2795

706/369-5650

ARC Counties: Barrow, Elbert,

Jackson, Madison

2F/North Georgia Regional

Development Center

503 West Waugh Street

Dalton, Georgia 30720

706/272-2300

ARC Counties: Fannin, Gilmer, Murray,

Pickens, Whitfield

KENTUCKY

3A/Buffalo Trace Area 

Development District

P.O. Box 460

Maysville, Kentucky 41056

606/564-6894

ARC Counties: Fleming, Lewis

3B/FIVCO Area Development 

District

3000 Louisa Street

Catlettsburg, Kentucky 41129

606/739-5191

ARC Counties: Boyd, Carter, Elliott,

Greenup, Lawrence

3C/Bluegrass Area Development

District

699 Perimeter Drive

Lexington, Kentucky 40517

859/269-8021

ARC Counties: Clark, Estill, Garrard,

Lincoln, Madison, Powell

3D/Gateway Area Development 

District

P.O. Box 1070

Owingsville, Kentucky 40360

606/674-6355

ARC Counties: Bath, Menifee,

Montgomery, Morgan, Rowan

3E/Big Sandy Area Development 

District

100 Resource Drive

Prestonsburg, Kentucky 41653

606/886-2374

ARC Counties: Floyd, Johnson,

Magoffin, Martin, Pike

3F/Lake Cumberland Area 

Development District, Inc.

P.O. Box 1570

Russell Springs, Kentucky 42642

270/866-4200

ARC Counties: Adair, Casey, Clinton, 

Cumberland, Green, McCreary,

Pulaski, Russell, Wayne
APPENDIX B 29

3H/Cumberland Valley Area

Development District

P.O. Box 1740

London, Kentucky 40743-1740

606/864-7391

ARC Counties: Bell, Clay, Harlan,

Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle,

Whitley

3I/Kentucky River Area 

Development District

917 Perry Park Road

Hazard, Kentucky 41701-9545

606/436-3158

ARC Counties: Breathitt, Knott, Lee,

Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, Wolfe

3J/Barren River Area Development 

District

P.O. Box 90005

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42102-9005

270/781-2381

ARC Counties: Edmonson, Hart,

Monroe

MARYLAND

4A/Tri-County Council for Western 

Maryland, Inc.

113 Baltimore Street, Suite 300

Cumberland, Maryland 21502

301/777-2158

ARC Counties: Allegany, Garrett,

Washington

MISSISSIPPI

5A/Northeast Mississippi Planning 

and Development District

P.O. Box 600

Booneville, Mississippi 38829

662/728-6248

ARC Counties: Alcorn, Benton,

Marshall, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo

5B/Three Rivers Planning and

Development District

P.O. Box 690

Pontotoc, Mississippi 38863

662/489-2415

ARC Counties: Calhoun, Chickasaw,

Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc,

Union

5C/Golden Triangle Planning

and Development District

P.O. Box 828

Starkville, Mississippi 39760-0828

662/324-7860

ARC Counties: Choctaw, Clay,

Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha,

Webster, Winston

5D/East Central Planning and

Development District

P.O. Box 499

Newton, Mississippi 39345

601/683-2007

ARC County: Kemper

5E/North Central Planning 

and Development District

711B South Applegate

Winona, Mississippi 38967

662/283-2675

ARC Counties: Montgomery,

Yalobusha 

5F/North Delta Planning 

and Development District

P.O. Box 1488

Batesville, Mississippi 38606-1488

662/561-4100

ARC County: Panola 

NEW YORK

6A/Southern Tier West Regional 

Planning and Development Board

Center for Regional Excellence

4039 Route 219, Suite 200

Salamanca, New York 14779

716/945-5301

ARC Counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, 

Chautauqua

6B/Southern Tier Central Regional 

Planning and Development 

Board

145 Village Square

Painted Post, New York 14870

607/962-5092

ARC Counties: Chemung, Schuyler,

Steuben

6C/Southern Tier East Regional 

Planning Development Board

375 State Street

Binghamton, New York 13901-2385

607/724-1327

ARC Counties: Broome, Chenango,

Cortland, Delaware, Otsego,

Schoharie, Tioga, Tompkins

NORTH CAROLINA

7A/Southwestern North Carolina

Planning and Economic 

Development Commission

P.O. Drawer 850

Bryson City, North Carolina 28713

828/488-9211

ARC Counties: Cherokee, Clay,

Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon,

Swain

7B/Land-of-Sky Regional Council

25 Heritage Drive

Asheville, North Carolina 28806-1914

828/251-6622

ARC Counties: Buncombe, Henderson, 

Madison, Transylvania

7C/Isothermal Planning and 

Development Commission

P.O. Box 841

Rutherfordton, North Carolina 28139

828/287-2281

ARC Counties: McDowell, Polk,

Rutherford

7D/High Country Council of 

Governments

P.O. Box 1820

Boone, North Carolina 28607

828/265-5434

ARC Counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, 

Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey

7E/Western Piedmont Council of 

Governments

P.O. Box 9026

Hickory, North Carolina 28603

828/322-9191

ARC Counties: Alexander, Burke, 

Caldwell
30 APPENDIX B

7I/Northwest Piedmont Council 

of Governments

400 West Fourth Street, Suite 400

Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101

336/761-2111

ARC Counties: Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, 

Surry, Yadkin

OHIO

8A/Ohio Valley Regional 

Development Commission

9329 SR 220 East, Suite A

Waverly, Ohio 45690-9012

740/947-2853

ARC Counties: Adams, Brown,

Clermont, Gallia, Highland, Jackson,

Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton 

8B/Buckeye Hills–Hocking 

Valley Regional Development 

District

Route 1, Box 299D

Marietta, Ohio 45750

740/374-9436

ARC Counties: Athens, Hocking,

Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry,

Washington

8C/Ohio Mid-Eastern 

Governments Association

P.O. Box 130

Cambridge, Ohio 43725

740/439-4471

ARC Counties: Belmont, Carroll,

Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey,

Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, 

Muskingum, Tuscarawas

PENNSYLVANIA

9A/Northwest Pennsylvania 

Regional Planning and 

Development Commission

395 Seneca Street

Oil City, Pennsylvania 16301

814/677-4800

ARC Counties: Clarion, Crawford, Erie,

Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango,

Warren

9B/North Central Pennsylvania 

Regional Planning and 

Development Commission

651 Montmorenci Avenue

Ridgway, Pennsylvania 15853

814/773-3162

ARC Counties: Cameron, Clearfield, 

Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter

9C/Northern Tier Regional 

Planning and Development 

Commission

312 Main Street

Towanda, Pennsylvania 18848

570/265-9103

ARC Counties: Bradford, Sullivan,

Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming

9D/Northeastern Pennsylvania 

Alliance

1151 Oak Street

Pittston, Pennsylvania 18640-3795

570/655-5581

ARC Counties: Carbon, Lackawanna,

Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill,

Wayne

9E/Southwestern Pennsylvania 

Commission 

425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2500

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219-1819

412/391-5590

ARC Counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, 

Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene,

Indiana, Washington, Westmoreland

9F/Southern Alleghenies 

Planning and Development 

Commission

541 58th Street

Altoona, Pennsylvania 16602-1193

814/949-6520

ARC Counties: Bedford, Blair,

Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon,

Somerset

9G/SEDA–Council of Governments

201 Furnace Road

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837

570/524-4491

ARC Counties: Centre, Clinton, 

Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, 

Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, 

Perry, Snyder, Union

SOUTH CAROLINA

10A/South Carolina Appalachian

Council of Governments

P.O. Drawer 6668

Greenville, South Carolina 29606

864/242-9733

ARC Counties: Anderson, Cherokee,

Greenville, Oconee, Pickens,

Spartanburg

TENNESSEE

11A/Upper Cumberland

Development District

1225 South Willow Avenue

Cookeville, Tennessee 38506-4194

931/432-4111

ARC Counties: Cannon, Clay,

Cumberland, De Kalb, Fentress,

Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett,

Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren,

White

11B/East Tennessee Development 

District

P.O. Box 19806

Knoxville, Tennessee 37939-2806

865/584-8553

ARC Counties: Anderson, Blount,

Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger,

Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon,

Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier,

Union

11C/First Tennessee 

Development District

207 N. Boone Street, Suite 800

Johnson City, Tennessee 37604-5699

423/928-0224

ARC Counties: Carter, Greene,

Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, 

Unicoi, Washington 

11D/South Central Tennessee

Development District

P.O. Box 1346

Columbia, Tennessee 38402-1346

931/381-2040

ARC Counties: Coffee, Franklin
APPENDIX B 31

11E/Southeast Tennessee

Development District

P.O. Box 4757

Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405-0757

423/266-5781

ARC Counties: Bledsoe, Bradley,

Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn,

Meigs, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie

VIRGINIA

12A/LENOWISCO Planning 

District Commission

P.O. Box 366

Duffield, Virginia 24244

276/431-2206

ARC Counties: Lee, Scott, Wise; and 

city of Norton

12B/Cumberland Plateau 

Planning District Commission

P.O. Box 548

Lebanon, Virginia 24266

276/889-1778

ARC Counties: Buchanan, Dickenson, 

Russell, Tazewell

12C/Mount Rogers Planning 

District Commission

1021 Terrace Drive

Marion, Virginia 24354

276/783-5103

ARC Counties: Bland, Carroll,

Grayson, Smyth, Washington, Wythe; 

and cities of Bristol and Galax

12D/New River Valley Planning

District Commission

6580 Valley Center Drive, Box 21

Radford, Virginia 24141

540/639-9313

ARC Counties: Floyd, Giles,

Montgomery, Pulaski; and city of

Radford

12E/Roanoke Valley–Alleghany 

Regional Commission

P.O. Box 2569

Roanoke, Virginia 24010

540/343-4417

ARC Counties: Alleghany, Botetourt,

Craig; and city of Covington

12F/Central Shenandoah 

Planning District Commission

112 MacTanly Place

Staunton, Virginia 24401

540/885-5174

ARC Counties: Bath, Highland,

Rockbridge; and cities of Buena Vista

and Lexington

WEST VIRGINIA

13A/Region 1–Planning

and Development Council

P.O. Box 1442

Princeton, West Virginia 24740

304/431-7225

ARC Counties: McDowell, Mercer,

Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wyoming

13B/Region 2–Planning

and Development Council

P.O. Box 939

Huntington, West Virginia 25701

304/529-3357

ARC Counties: Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, 

Mason, Mingo, Wayne

13C/Region 3–B-C-K-P Regional

Intergovernmental Council

315 D Street

South Charleston, West Virginia 25303

304/744-4258

ARC Counties: Boone, Clay, Kanawha,

Putnam

13D/Region 4–Planning

and Development Council 

425 Main Street, Suite A

Summersville, West Virginia 26651

304/872-4970

ARC Counties: Fayette, Greenbrier, 

Nicholas, Pocahontas, Webster

13E/Region 5–Mid Ohio Valley

Regional Council

P.O. Box 247

Parkersburg, West Virginia 26102

304/422-4993

ARC Counties: Calhoun, Jackson,

Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt,

Wood

13F/Region 6–Planning and

Development Council

7003-C Mountain Park Drive

White Hall, West Virginia 26554

304/366-5693

ARC Counties: Doddridge, Harrison, 

Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor

13G/Region 7–Planning

and Development Council

4 West Main Street

Buckhannon, West Virginia 26201-2297

304/472-6564

ARC Counties: Barbour, Braxton,

Gilmer, Lewis, Randolph, Tucker,

Upshur

13H/Region 8–Planning and

Development Council

P.O. Box 849

Petersburg, West Virginia 26847

304/257-2448

ARC Counties: Grant, Hampshire,

Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton

13I/Region 9–Eastern Panhandle

Regional Planning and

Development Council

121 W. King Street

Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401

304/263-1743

ARC Counties: Berkeley, Jefferson,

Morgan

13J/Region 10–Bel-O-Mar Regional

Council and Interstate Planning

Commission

P.O. Box 2086

Wheeling, West Virginia 26003

304/242-1800

ARC Counties: Marshall, Ohio, 

Wetzel; and Belmont County, Ohio

13K/Region 11–B-H-J Metropolitan

Planning Commission

124 North Fourth Street, Second Floor

Steubenville, Ohio 43952

304/797-9666

ARC Counties: Brooke, Hancock;

and Jefferson County, Ohio
32 APPENDIX C

ARC has a long history of using program evaluations to measure program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

These evaluations, plus Commission research, were used in the development of the strategic plan. Each year, one of the

Commission’s strategic goals is selected for review and analysis. The reviews are conducted by qualified independent, thirdparty organizations (e.g., private firms, universities) whose work is conducted under professional standards to ensure independence, relevance, and quality. Evaluations focus on the extent to which projects have achieved, or contribute to the

achievement of, their objectives. Particular emphasis is placed on assessing the utility and validity of the output and outcome

measures. ARC’s research activities focus on new program areas, problems and concerns of citizens, and the root causes of

economic distress. In recent years, the following evaluations have been published:

1. Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Community Capacity–Building

Projects. Westat Corporation, July 2004.

2. Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Telecommunications Projects:

1994–2000. Westat Corporation, June 2003.

3. Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Vocational Education and Workforce

Training Projects. Westat Corporation, January 2002.

4. Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Educational Projects: Final Report

(Vol. 1). Westat Corporation, March 2001.

5. Collected Case Study Evaluations of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Educational

Projects (Vol. 2). Westat Corporation, March 2001.

6. Evaluation of the Early Stages of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Entrepreneurship

Initiative. Regional Technology Strategies, March 2001; revised December 2001.

7. Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Infrastructure and Public Works

Program Projects. Brandow Company and Economic Development Research Group, June

2000.

8. Appalachian Development Highways Economic Impact Studies. Wilbur Smith Associates,

July 1998.

Research reports published in recent years include the following:

1. Housing and Commuting Patterns in Appalachia. Mark Mather, Population Reference Bureau,

January 2004.

2. Appalachia at the Millennium: An Overview of Results from Census 2000. Kelvin M. Pollard,

Population Reference Bureau, June 2003.

3. An Analysis of the Financial Conditions of Health Care Institutions in the Appalachian Region

and their Economic Impacts. Jeffrey Stensland, Curt Mueller, and Janet Sutton, Project

HOPE, December 2002.

4. Regional Technology Assets and Opportunities: The Geographic Clustering of High-Tech

Industry, Science and Innovation in Appalachia. Edward Feser, Harvey Goldstein, Henry

Renski, and Catherine Renault, Office of Economic Development, University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill, August 2002.

APPENDIX C 

Program Evaluations and Research Used in Preparing the Strategic Plan
APPENDIX C 33

5. Links to the Future: The Role of Information and Telecommunications Technology in

Appalachian Economic Development. Michael Oden and Sharon Strover with Nobuya

Inagaki, Martha Arosemena, Jeremy Gustafson, and Chris Lucas, University of Texas, June

2002; updated June 2004. 

6. Comparing Electricity Deregulation in California and Pennsylvania: Implications for the

Appalachian Region. Timothy J. Considine and Andrew N. Kleit, Center for Economic and

Environmental Risk Assessment, Pennsylvania State University, January 2002.

7. Analysis of Business Formation, Survival, and Attrition Rates of New and Existing Firms and

Related Job Flows in Appalachia. The Brandow Company, October 2001.

8. An Assessment of Labor Force Participation Rates and Underemployment in Appalachia.

David H. Bradley, Stephen A. Herzenberg, and Howard Wial, Keystone Research Center,

August 2001.

9. Handbook for Assessing Economic Opportunities from Appalachian Development Highways.

Economic Development Research Group and Cambridge Systematics, March 2001.

10. A Study on the Current Economic Impacts of the Appalachian Coal Industry and its Future in

the Region. Mark Berger, Eric Thompson, Steven Allen, and Jonathan Roenker, Center for

Business and Economic Research, University of Kentucky, March 2001.

11. Recent Trends in Poverty in the Appalachian Region: The Implications of the U.S. Census

Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates on the ARC Distressed Counties

Designation. Roger Hammer, Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, 

August 2000.

12. An Analysis of the Economic Development Role of Business Associations and Other

Intermediary Organizations Serving Appalachian Industries (Vol. 1). Lynn McCormick, Hunter

College at the City University of New York, April 2000.

13. Appalachian Migration Patterns, 1975–1980 and 1985–1990. Phillip J. Obermiller,

Appalachian Center, University of Kentucky, and Steven R. Howe, University of Cincinnati,

March 2000.

14. Progress and Challenges in Reducing Economic Distress in Appalachia: An Analysis of

National and Regional Trends Since 1960. Lawrence E. Wood and Gregory A. Bischak,

Appalachian Regional Commission, January 2000.

15. Demographic Diversity and Economic Change in Appalachia. Diane K. McLaughlin, Daniel T.

Lichter, and Stephen A. Matthews with Glynis Daniels and James Cameron, Population

Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, July 1999.

16. Foundation Funding in the Appalachian Region in the 1990s: Patterns, Trends, and

Prospects. Greg Bischak, Appalachian Regional Commission, March 1999.

17. Building on Past Experiences: Creating a New Future for Distressed Counties. Amy K.

Glasmeier and Kurtis G. Fuellhart, Institute for Policy Research and Evaluation,

Pennsylvania State University, January 1999.

18. The Economic Impact of Tobacco Production in Appalachia. Lawrence E. Wood, Appalachian

Regional Commission, November 1998.

19. Exports, Competitiveness, and Synergy in Appalachian Industry Clusters. Stuart A.

Rosenfeld, Regional Technology Strategies, February 1997.

20. Socio-Economic Review of Appalachia, Appalachia Then and Now: An Update of “The

Realities of Deprivation” Reported to the President in 1964. Andrew M. Isserman, 

West Virginia University, November 1996.
Photographs:

Cover: Ken Murray

Page 1: Ken Murray

Page 5: Ann Hawthorne

Page 6: Ann Hawthorne

Page 7: Ann Hawthorne

Page 8: Ken Murray

Page 9: Ken Murray

Page 10: Ann Hawthorne

Page 11: Ken Murray

Page 12: Thomas Arledge

Page 14: Ann Hawthorne

Page 15: West Virginia Division of Highways

Page 18: Chuck Wyrostok

Page 24 (left to right): Keith Witt, Ken Murray

Page 25, top row: Ann Hawthorne

Page 25, bottom row (left to right): Linda Spillers, Linda Spillers, Chuck Wyrostok, Ann Hawthorne

Moving Appalachia Forward: Appalachian Regional Commission Strategic Plan, 2005–2010 is available online

at www.arc.gov.

Appalachian Regional Commission

1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20009-1068

202-884-7799 info@arc.gov www.arc.gov