Prepared on behalf of the

 Appalachian Regional Commission

Strengthening Economic 

Resilience in Appalachia

A Guidebook for Practitioners
Fritz Boettner, Evan Fedorko, 

Evan Hansen

Downstream Strategies

911 Greenbag Road

Morgantown, WV 26508

www.downstreamstrategies.com

Alan Collins, Brianne Zimmerman

West Virginia University

Downstream Strategies Consultants

Stephan J. Goetz, Yicheol Han 

The Northeast Regional Center for 

Rural Development

The Pennsylvania State University

7 Armsby Building

University Park, PA 16802-5602

https://aese.psu.edu/nercrd

Christine Gyovai,

Emily Carlson,

Alexandria Sentilles

Dialogue + Design Associates

2573 Pea Ridge Road

Charlottesville, VA 22901

www.dialogueanddesign.com

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements | 1

We thank the following Advisory Team members for 

participating in calls and providing valuable feedback: 

Jim Baldwin, Cumberland Plateau Planning District 

Commission

Shannon Blevins, University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Dee Davis, Center for Rural Strategies 

Eric Dixon, Appalachian Citizen Law Center

Peter Hille, Mountain Association for Community 

Economic Development

Debra Horne, Mayor of Town of Dungannon, VA

Leasha Johnson, Mingo County Redevelopment 

Authority

Justin Maxson, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation

Leslie Schaller, Appalachian Center for Economic 

Networks

Jennifer Simon, Ohio University

Barbara Wycoff, One Foundation

We thank the following Focus Group participants for their 

valuable insight: 

Jimmie Adkins, LENOWISCO PDC 

Philippa Belsches, Just Transition Fund 

Shannon Blevins, UVa-Wise Office of Economic 

Development

Dee Davis, Center for Rural Strategies

Eric Dixon, Appalachian Citizens Law Center

Peter Hille, MACED

Ginny Kidwell, Tennessee Institute of Public Health

Jennifer Simon, Ohio University

Ada Smith, Appalshop 

Kent Spellman, Rails to Trails Conservancy

Report Authors and Contributors

We thank the following interviewees: 

Jonathan Belcher, Virginia Coalfield Economic 

Development Authority 

Dee Davis, Center for Rural Strategies 

Ta Enos, Pennsylvania Wilds Center 

Anthony Flaccavento, Rural Scale 

Michelle Foster, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation 

Peter Hille, Mountain Association for Community 

Economic Development 

William Isom, Sustainable and Equitable Agricultural 

Development Task Force 

Leasha Johnson, Mingo County Redevelopment 

Authority 

Jake Lynch, West Virginia Community Development Hub

Deborah Markley, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship 

Erik Pages, EntreWorks Consulting 

Leslie Schaller, Appalachian Center for Economic 

Networks

Ada Smith, Appalshop 

Kent Spellman, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy 

Bonnie Swinford, Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club 

Tom Torres, Appalshop Board Executive Committee 

Stephanie Tyree, West Virginia Community Development 

Hub 

Thomas Watson, Rural Support Partners 

Barbara Wycoff, One Foundation
Executive Summary

The Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia project, sponsored by the 

Appalachian Regional Commission, was conducted by Downstream Strategies, 

Pennsylvania State University, Dialogue + Design Associates, and other partners. The 

purpose of this project was to define and quantify economic resilience and understand 

the underlying factors that allow communities to buffer economic shocks. In addition, 

our team explored and documented strategies and policies that local leaders can use to 

enhance the future economic prospects of coal-impacted communities throughout the 

Appalachian Region. The four goals of this research project were to: 

1. Develop a comprehensive, quantitative framework to explore economic 

 resilience; 

2. Identify strategies for strengthening local economic resilience; 

3. Conduct up to 10 in-depth case studies; and 

4. Produce a guidebook that interprets and integrates findings of the research, 

 written specifically for local economic development practitioners.

Executive Summary | 2

Introductions

The economies of many counties and subregions in the Appalachian Region have 

historically depended on a few dominant industries, such as mining and manufacturing. 

In recent years, Appalachian coal production—particularly production in the Central 

Appalachian coal basin—has plummeted. Coal companies have gone bankrupt and jobs 

have been lost, with devastating impacts on families, communities, counties, and states. 

The Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia project explored the economic 

resilience of communities and regions across the country to understand what makes 

an economy strong enough to rebound from or adjust to major economic downturns. 

Additionally, we explored best practices, strategies, and policies that local leaders can 

use to enhance the future economic prospects of coal-impacted communities throughout 

the Appalachian Region.

Process

About the Guidebook

This guidebook summarizes project findings, presents case studies, and suggests best 

practices and strategies for communities to employ in order to build resilience. It is 

designed for use by economic development practitioners, local government officials, 

nonprofit organizations, and others working in the Appalachian Region. Finally, this 

guidebook provides practicable insights into how communities are approaching economic 

development today.
Acknowledgements ..................................................

Executive Summary ..................................................

Summary of Results .................................................

National Picture of Resilience ................................

Case Studies of Economic Resilience ....................

1. Fannin, Georgia

2. Flathead, Montana

3. St. Clair, Alabama

4. McCracken, Kentucky

5. Holmes, Ohio

6. Chenango, New York

7. Dickinson, Iowa

8. Lee & Itawamba, Mississippi

9. Harrison, West Virginia

10. McKean, Pennsylvania

Best Practices Introduction...................................

Community Feedback Process................................

Best Practices for Strengthening Economic 

Resilience in Appalachia ..........................................

1. Invest in education, technology, infrastructure, and 

broadband.

2. Engage the community over the long term.

3. Create communities where people want to live.

4. Grow youth engagement and next-generation 

leadership.

5. Identify and grow the assets in the community and 

region.

6. Build networks and foster collaboration.

7. Move multiple sectors forward for economic 

development and grow value chains.

8. Cultivate entrepreneurs and develop resources for 

business start-ups.

Summary ....................................................................

Endnotes ....................................................................

Notes: 

• Links to all tools and examples are included as hyperlinks 

in the text as well as in the endnotes.

• Please note that when Region is capitalized throughout 

 the Guidebook, it refers to the entire Appalachian Region. 

 When it appears in lowercase, region applies to a smaller 

 or more specific geographic area. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents | 3

1

4

6

8

30

31

33

50

52

2
Economic Resilience Across Appalachian 

Communities

Economic Resilience Across Appalachian Communities | 4

1

The three economic resilience measures described above were combined to form 

an index of economic resilience (see map on page 7). This index paints a picture of 

where resilience exists and the factors allowing a community to withstand economic 

shocks. We performed two statistical analyses that explore the determinants of 

resilience. The first analysis assessed each county across the United States using a total 

of 35 variables, which are divided into demographic/mobility, economic/industry, and 

community/health variables.

Summary of Results

We define economic resilience as the capacity of a local economy—town, county, or 

region—to recover or bounce back from an “economic shock.” Economic shocks can come 

in many forms, such as the Great Recession of 2008 or a major employer shutting its 

doors. Understanding what makes a community resilient to an economic shock is very 

important and can help communities in the transitioning Appalachian economy. Economic 

resilience measures focuses on three data points: (1) time of shock—in many cases, the 

beginning of the 2008 recession—and how the effects played out, (2) the response of 

affected counties or regions, and (3) the relationship between the shock and recovery. 

In combination with stakeholder input, these measures help us identify regions with 

high resilience while teasing out the underlying and contributing factors that make them 

resilient. Further exploring those locales provided insight into the types of policies and 

practices that can be implemented in local communities to promote economic resilience.

Index of Economic Resilience 

Demographic and Mobility Economic and Industry Community and Health 

• Proportion of young adults

• Number of people migrating in 

and out of the county

• Number of people commuting 

out of the county

• Population

• Portion of residents with college 

degrees

• Labor force participation

• Innovation potential

• Industry diversity 

• Availability of educational 

facilities

• Broadband

• Recreational opportunities

• Employment in arts, 

entertainment, and recreation

• Agritourism and direct farm 

sales
Economic Resilience Across Appalachian Communities | 5

Neighbor Effect

2 The second analysis provided insight into how investments or policies in one 

county or region could have a positive or negative impacts on neighboring 

counties or regions. For example, while certain policies are best dealt with 

as single-county issues, others may be more efficiently implemented as a 

joint effort with surrounding counties (or even at the state level). 

Policies may be complementary (cooperative) or competitive across county 

lines. Cooperative strategies strengthen the resilience of surrounding counties, 

while competitive strategies weaken the resilience of surrounding counties. For 

example, policies that increase the diversity of industries and innovation potential, 

and policies that increase participation of the workforce, were found to have 

strictly county-level impacts. These approaches neither help nor hurt resilience 

in neighboring counties. On the other hand, competitive and ultra-competitive 

policies in a county tend to reduce the resilience of surrounding counties and the 

total region. Examples include those that attract college-educated people and 

those that increase the portion of the population aged 65 and over.

Summary of Results Learning from Examples

3 The study identified counties or regions across the United States and within 

Appalachia that have rebounded after experiencing significant economic 

shocks. Ten case study areas were selected to provide insight into how 

communities are evolving their approach to economic development both 

inside and outside the Appalachian Region. These case studies are mapped and 

summarized on the following pages, and more details about each location are 

provided in the following section.

What Does It All Mean?

4 To create results that will help on-the-ground practitioners, our team 

conducted interviews; formed an advisory group of community and 

economic development leaders; and surveyed economic development 

practitioners, elected officials, and others on best practices and strategies 

for strengthening economic resilience in the Appalachian Region. Results were 

synthesized into eight best practices with associated strategies. More detail 

about these can be found on pages 33 – 49.

1. Invest in education, technology, infrastructure, and broadband.

2. Engage the community over the long term.

3. Create communities where people want to live.

4. Grow youth engagement and next-generation leadership. 

5. Identify and grow the assets in the community and region. 

6. Build networks and foster collaboration.

7. Move multiple sectors forward for economic development and grow value 

chains.

8. Cultivate entrepreneurs and develop resources for business start-ups.
National Picture of Resilience and How it 

Relates to Appalachia

National Picture of Resilience and How it Relates to Appalachia | 6

Chenango County, 

New York

Dickinson County, Iowa and 

the Iowa Lakes Corridor

Flathead County, 

Montana

Fannin County, 

Georgia

Harrison County, 

West Virginia

McCracken County, 

Kentucky

Holmes County, 

Ohio

Lee and Itawamba Counties, 

Mississippi

St. Clair County, 

Alabama

McKean County,

Pennsylvania

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Chenango County, New York has drawn upon 

its rich manufacturing history to recover from 

the 2008 economic shock.

Dickinson County has worked closely with its 

neighbors to build a small region of economic 

resilience in Northern Iowa.

Like much of Appalachia, Flathead County, 

Montana has had to diversify its economy in 

the face of a declining extraction industry 

(timber).

Fannin County has made natural assets 

the centerpiece of its economic planning, 

recognizing their importance to numerous 

industries.

Harrison County was able to shake off the 

storm of the 2008 economic crisis, losing 

little, if any, ground.

Holmes County is in the heart of Ohio’s 

Amish Country, presenting a unique cultural 

landscape for economic resilience.

These two rural counties are at the heart of a 

traditional furniture manufacturing industry 

and experienced significant job loss following 

the 2008 recession.

Just to the northeast of Birmingham, St. Clair 

County experienced a jarring halt to economic 

growth in 2008 but has banded with their 

neighbors to turn the tide.

Rural McKean County in far northern 

Pennsylvania has made significant investments 

towards economic transition.

McCracken County has called upon its citizens 

and river-town heritage to craft a plan for a 

new economic future.
National Picture of Resilience and How it Relates to Appalachia | 7

3

2

10

7

8

4

6

5

9

1
 Case Studies of Economic Resilience in Appalachia | 8

The study identified counties or regions across the United States and within 

Appalachia that have rebounded after experiencing significant economic shocks. 

Our team selected ten case studies from 112 candidate counties from across 

the country. As illustrated below, the case studies were selected to include 

several characteristics that made them meaningful for practitioners in 

the Appalachian Region.

• Identified as highly resilient from the economic 

 analyses;

• Suggested by multiple interviewees in the 

 qualitative analysis;

• A high degree of applicability to the 

 Appalachian Region;

• Exhibit collaborative planning 

 for economic development 

 and/or community 

 development; 

• Strongly correlated 

 with multiple 

 best practices and/or 

 strategies.

Case Studies Were Chosen 

Based on the Following 

Criteria: 

Case Studies of Economic Resilience 

in Appalachia
Case Studies for Strengthening 

Economic Resilience in Appalachia

 

 

Flathead County, Montana

Fannin County, Georgia

Harrison County, West Virginia

Lee & Itawamba Counties, Mississippi

Holmes County, Ohio

St. Clair County, Alabama

3

4

5

6

7

8

McKean County, Pennsylvania

McCracken County, Kentucky

9

10

Chenango County, New York

 Case Studies for Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia | 9

1

2 Dickinson County, Iowa
Chenango County, 

New York

 Case Study 1: Chenango County, New York | 10

Case 

Study 1 :

Introduction

Chenango County is in southcentral New York, approximately 

40 miles northeast of Binghamton. 

It is intersected in the southeast 

by Interstate 88 but is otherwise 

served by state and local roads. 

Chenango County is a relatively 

sparsely populated county, falling 

into the bottom third of New 

York counties in terms of both 

total population and population 

density. The county boasts 

nearly 80,000 acres of public 

land, including 22 state forests.

Chenango County was found to be 

the 289th most resilient county 

(91st percentile) in the United 

States according to our quantitative models of resilience. The county’s largest economic sectors 

are agriculture, food processing, financial services, and advanced manufacturing. Chenango County 

has experienced numerous economic disruptions over the years, but the economy has consistently 

weathered those storms, making it an ideal candidate for further study on economic resilience.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Manufacturing

Total

Chenango County experienced very 

little employment loss during the 

2008 economic crisis, and has grown 

since then thanks to growth in the 

manufacturing sector.

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 1: Chenango County, New York | 11

Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

Chenango County is within Appalachia, and like much of that region, 

its economic history is dominated by two large, legacy sectors 

(agriculture and manufacturing) with uncertain futures. The 

county’s planners recognize both the cultural and economic 

values of these sectors, and they have engaged in a plan to 

support them while also expanding the capability of the 

county’s workforce to support diverse growth. 

For more information, visit: http://www.co.chenango.ny.us/

Chenango County’s resilience, in light of the economic downturn, 

appears to be built upon a well-established foundation of 

small manufacturers. Manufacturing has a long history in 

the county; the core of the sector was born in the 1880s 

when numerous products were invented and subsequently 

manufactured there. Manufacturing’s overall share of local 

employment has decreased since its heyday, but the stability 

of that sector, as well as a growth spurt around 2010 (as visible 

in the jobs chart), were the bedrock of the county’s resilience 

following the 2008 economic crisis. Much of the growth in 2010 

is directly attributable to two entities: Chobani, which experienced 

significant growth at that time, and Raymond Corporation, which 

opted to relocate international capacity to the county. 

Today, county officials and business organizations have begun to recognize the need for careful 

planning to preserve the steady economy of the area. Chenango County’s primary economic 

development entity, Commerce Chenango, led a large stakeholder group of elected officials and 

business leaders to develop a strategic plan for economic development in 2011, which was then 

updated in 2014. The plan outlines a set of six goals and accompanying strategies, all of which are 

aimed at improving Chenango’s business climate as well as improving quality of life for residents, a 

best practice identified in this study. The plan relied heavily on an analysis of existing conditions in 

the county. Avoiding “one size fits all” solutions, it identified assets in place that can be supported 

and moved forward, which is another best practice identified by the study. The plan also recognizes 

that while the two most historically important sectors—manufacturing and agriculture—within 

the county have declined, they remain important. Adapting to changes in the global economy for 

these (and other) sectors will require flexible, responsive strategies. Those strategies are most 

clearly embodied in this plan’s commitment to workforce development, a vital strategy identified 

by the research team, within the county. Commerce Chenango and partners have made workforce 

development a priority, and in order to maximize access to these programs for residents, they 

have included support services such as daycare, transportation, and counseling as components of 

workforce development offerings. 

Applications in Appalachia
Dickinson County, 

Iowa

 Case Study 2: Dickinson County, Iowa | 12

Case 

Study 2 :

Introduction

The Iowa Lakes Corridor region, 

anchored by Dickinson County, is a 

four-county region in north-central 

Iowa, bordering Minnesota. The 

region is well known among Iowans 

as a vacation spot, due in large 

part to its numerous lakes, public 

land, and other tourism amenities. 

Unlike the Iowa Lakes region as 

a whole, which has experienced a 

population decline since the 1990s, 

Dickinson has grown in population 

over this time period, and the 

Iowa Lakes Corridor Development 

Corporation (ILCDC) and others 

are working to mimic Dickinson’s 

positive trends across the entire 

region. Dickinson County’s 

employment rebounded slowly but steadily following the 2008 economic crisis, and the 

county was in the top 10% of U.S. counties for economic resilience according to our models. 

As a tourism destination, Dickinson 

County’s employment trends exhibit a 

very seasonal pattern, and following 

the 2008 crisis, overall employment 

dipped. The Iowa Lakes Corridor has 

established itself as a hub of small 

manufacturing, and that sector has 

helped spur growth since the recession.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Manufacturing

Total

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 2: Dickinson County, Iowa | 13

Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

Like much of Appalachia, the Iowa Lakes region counts natural 

amenities among its principal attractions. Economic development 

professionals have worked hard to promote the region as a 

welcoming and scenic place to work and live. This promotional 

effort underlies the joint effort by the counties in the Iowa 

Lakes region to increase their planning resources, enabling 

the region to collaborate, plan for success, and continue 

strengthening their resilience.

For more information, visit: https://dickinsoncountyiowa.org

and https://vacationokoboji.com

Dickinson County’s ability to overcome the negative effects of 

the 2008 recession is traceable to several key factors, each 

of which has been recognized and supported by planners and 

policy makers within the county and region:

 • A well-known and well-established tourism industry,

 • A thriving small manufacturing sector (Dickinson County 

 is 456th of 3,055 U.S. counties in terms of manufacturing 

 employment), and

 • Strongly integrated local and statewide institutions of 

 higher education.

The county, through the ILCDC and other partners, has implemented several strategies that have 

maintained and improved resilience, including several best practices identified as part of this work: 

creating communities where people want to live, moving multiple sectors forward, identifying and 

growing assets in the community and region, and cultivating entrepreneurs. These strategies have 

been implemented through a number of programs:

1. Entrepreneurship support programs. Entrepreneurship development and support is a 

cornerstone priority of ILCDC’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. The ILCDC provides resources to 

aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as specialized programming for youth, such as the Entrepreneurship 

Academy. One notable and innovative program is the Okoboji Entrepreneurship Institute at Iowa 

State University. Students from Iowa Lakes Community College, which has locations in the Iowa Lakes 

region, are among those eligible to participate in an intensive, advanced study of entrepreneurship. 

2. Housing and quality of life. The ILCDC includes housing as one priority in its 2016-2020 plan. 

Recognizing that quality of life extends beyond access to parks and other natural amenities, the 

ILCDC seeks to ensure that the people of the region—both existing and prospective residents 

alike—have access to high quality, affordable housing. This priority recognizes that there are current 

housing needs, and no new growth can happen if these needs are not addressed. 

3. Workforce development for the future. Iowa Lakes Community College is now a leading entity 

in workforce development for the region. The program, based at the Estherville campus in Emmet 

County, is now over 10 years old and is recognized by the wind industry as among the best in the country. 

Applications in Appalachia
Flathead County, 

Montana

 Case Study 3: Flathead County, Montana | 14

Case 

Study 3 :

Introduction

Flathead County borders Canada, 

and the western portion of Glacier 

National Park lies within the 

county. Approximately 94% of the 

county is national or state forest 

land, wilderness, agricultural 

land, or corporate timber land. 

Timber is very important to the 

local economy, but production 

dropped precipitously in recent 

decades—from 245 million 

board feet in 1981 to 91 million 

board feet in 2014. This decline 

mirrored that of the state as a 

whole; however, Flathead County 

remains the largest timberproducing county in Montana.

Employment in Flathead County dropped almost 10 percent during the Great Recession, but 

then started to grow again, almost reaching pre-recession numbers by 2015. It was included 

as a case study because its economy has historically been dependent on timber harvests. 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Education & health services

Total

Leisure & hospitality

Flathead County experienced 

significant loss to employment 

following the 2008 recession, after 

many years of high growth. Leisure 

and hospitality have remained a strong 

(and seasonal) sector, but education 

and health services employment has 

emerged as an important component 

of Flathead County’s recovery.

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 3: Flathead County, Montana | 15

Resilience Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

Similar to the decline of the coal industry in much of the Appalachian 

Region, Flathead County has witnessed a steep decline in the 

timber industry. Still, it recovered from the Great Recession 

by taking advantage of its natural beauty and location as a 

gateway to Glacier National Park. Many parts of Appalachia 

also boast striking natural beauty and locations within easy 

reach of millions of U.S. residents.

For more information, visit: http://www.fcvb.org/ and 

https://flathead.mt.gov/

Flathead County’s key resilient features are its natural 

beauty and gateway location. Taking advantage of its 

proximity to Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake, the 

largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, the 

county offers numerous outdoor tourism opportunities and 

accommodations, including guest ranches. 

The Flathead County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) 

has strategically invested in projects to bring a diversity of jobs and 

economic investment to the county. FCEDA guaranteed funds to attract United 

Airlines to add a Chicago flight to the Glacier Park International Airport, resulting in additional 

visitors to Glacier National Park, which has led to additional county revenues. 

FCEDA invested in numerous local breweries, thereby supporting those entrepreneurs and developing 

resources for expansion in that sector, a best practice identified in this project. 

Also, FCEDA and business and community leaders are redeveloping Kalispell’s seldom-used railroad 

tracks, which now cuts through the city core. Plans include creating a rail-served industrial park to 

attract manufacturing and industrial jobs. Additionally, it plans to transform the city center with 

a new park, which will beautify a blighted strip, attract investment, and revitalize the downtown’s 

commercial center. The goal is also to provide housing for all income levels in the city center to 

attract a young, educated workforce—thereby creating communities where people want to live, a 

best practice identified in this project. 

Applications in Appalachia
Fannin County, 

Georgia

 Case Study 4: Fannin County, Georgia | 16

Case 

Study 4:

Introduction

The Appalachian Trail starts in 

southern Fannin County, and 40 

percent of Fannin County’s land 

area lies within the Chattahoochee 

National Forest. The county borders 

Tennessee and North Carolina 

to the north, and Blue Ridge, the 

county seat, is less than a 100-mile 

drive from Atlanta. Chattanooga, 

Tennessee; Knoxville, Tennessee; 

and Greenville, South Carolina 

are all within a three-hour drive. 

The county is mountainous and 

largely rural—the largest city, 

Blue Ridge, has an estimated 

population of less than 1,400. 

Even so, the population of 

the county has approximately 

doubled in the last five decades, from about 13,000 in 1970 to about 25,000 in 2016.

After a period of intense growth, 

Fannin County’s employment began 

to drop in 2007, only to be impacted 

further by the 2008 economic crisis. 

The drop was tempered, however, by 

steady employment in the county’s 

largest sectors: trade, transportation, 

and utilities.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Trade, transportation, 

& utilities

Total

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 4: Fannin County, Georgia | 17

Resilience Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

Fannin County, located in the Appalachian Region, has capitalized 

on outdoor recreational opportunities that are available to many 

counties across the Region, including those that have historically 

relied heavily on coal jobs.

For more information, visit: www.fannindevelopment.com 

and http://www.fannincountyga.com/

Fannin County was identified for a case study because it 

showed higher resilience than expected. Self-employment 

was the dominant sector, accounting for 43% of employment, 

56th among all counties in the United States. More than 60 

businesses are located in downtown Blue Ridge, despite its 

small population. Tourism, with a focus on outdoor recreation, 

is a centerpiece of the economy. In 2005 the county was 

designated the Trout Capital of Georgia. More than 2 million 

people visit the Chattahoochee National Forest each year. 

The Blue Ridge Reservoir provides for flood control, electricity 

generation, and a variety of recreational opportunities. A marina 

provides access to the lake, and a canoe and kayak launch site below 

the dam provides access to the Toccoa River. Sunfish, trout, and bass fishing are popular, and Class 

I-II rapids are found below the dam release. A variety of outdoor-focused businesses are located 

in and near Blue Ridge, most of which are adjacent to the reservoir: cabin rentals; whitewater 

kayaking, rafting, and tubing outfitters; an RV park; lodges, motels, and bed and breakfasts; and 

even a treehouse. Together, these natural and man-made amenities have boosted tourism and helped 

Fannin County be resilient.

The 2018 Fannin County Joint Comprehensive Plan describes the county’s plans for ensuring economic 

resilience. A central strategic element of the plan is to take advantage of the county’s bountiful 

natural assets. The county lays out intentions to protect key natural assets, including cold water 

streams, forests, and agricultural land. Far from relying solely on these things, however, the county 

outlines intentions to improve the quality of life for residents through affordable housing programs 

and infrastructure investment. Alongside economic diversification measures, these strategies will 

help build Fannin County’s resilience to future economic shocks. 

Applications in Appalachia
Harrison County, 

West Virginia

 Case Study 5: Harrison County, West Virginia | 18

Case 

Study 5:

Introduction

Harrison County is located in northcentral West Virginia, which has been 

relatively prosperous when compared 

to other parts of the state. The county 

has a history of both coal and natural 

gas production. While it still produces 

coal, production is down, as it is across 

the state. In 2002, nine mines in the 

county produced 6 million tons, or 4% 

of the state total. In 2015, only two 

mines remained, which produced just 

0.1% of the state’s total production. 

In contrast, natural gas 

production is up due to the 

development of the Marcellus 

Shale. In 2015, Harrison County 

was the third-largest gas-producing county in West Virginia, responsible for 

11% of total production. In 2007, just as the shale gas boom was starting, 

the county ranked seventh in gas production and accounted for only 5% of the state’s total production.

The county’s two largest cities, Clarksburg (the county seat) and Bridgeport, are adjacent to 

Interstate 79, the major north-south highway that connects north-central West Virginia 

with Charleston, the state capital. This highway also provides for efficient access to 

adjacent Marion and Monongalia counties, which, together with Harrison County, are 

a bright spot in the state in terms of economic diversification, growth, and resilience.

Over the last 15 years, including during the Great Recession, employment grew slowly and steadily. 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Education & health services

Total

Harrison County’s resilience is demonstrated 

by employment numbers: growth has continued 

through the Great Recession with zero impact to 

total employment. The largest sector, education 

and health services, has been equally steady, 

shedding no jobs during the 2008 economic crisis 

or since.

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 5: Harrison County, West Virginia | 19

Resilient Features Resilience

Strategies for Resilience

Harrison County is, of course, deep in the heart of Appalachia. 

Transitioning away from the traditional economic activities of 

the region has been a long process, and Harrison County has 

made many intentional efforts to transition. Many efforts 

undertaken in the county are available to all Appalachian 

counties, such as developing business incubators, engaging in 

historic preservation, and working with the state’s land grant 

university.

The education and health services sector led growth after the 

Great Recession. Clarksburg is home to two major medical 

facilities: the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center and the newly 

built United Hospital Center. Clarksburg is also home to a 

U.S. district court and the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information 

Services Division. Development in other north-central West 

Virginia counties adds to the resilience in Harrison County. 

West Virginia University, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, NIOSH, and 

other large employers are located in Monongalia County. The 

Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center in Marion County houses the 

NASA IV&V Facility, MonPower’s operation center, and other hightechnology firms.

While both Clarksburg and Bridgeport have economic development authorities, the Economic 

Development Corporation was launched in 2015 to consolidate development efforts in the county. 

The North Central West Virginia Airport, located in Harrison County, is one of the five primary 

airports in West Virginia. An industrial park adjacent to the airport houses aviation companies, 

including a service center for Bombardier, one of North America’s largest aerospace and 

transportation companies. The Bridgeport Farmer’s Market, in addition to providing fresh, local 

produce, also serves as a business incubator. Small businesses have started selling at the Farmers’ 

Market before growing to occupy storefronts. This effort therefore cultivates entrepreneurs and 

develops resources for business start-ups, a best practice identified in this project. Healthy Harrison 

is “a coalition with a vision to measurably improve the health and wellness of the citizens in Harrison 

County.” It highlights local heroes to motivate, educate, and inspire the community to begin taking 

micro-steps towards a healthier lifestyle. 

Clarksburg’s downtown area, like many downtowns across the Appalachian Region, has struggled in 

recent decades as businesses moved away. The downtown still boasts numerous historical buildings 

that, if renovated and put to productive use, could be centerpieces of the city’s and the county’s 

economic development. The Robinson Grand Theater was purchased by the City of Clarksburg in 

2014, and efforts are now underway to restore it so that it can house the Robinson Grand Performing 

Arts Center—helping create communities where people want to live, a best practice identified in 

this project.

Applications in Appalachia
Holmes County, Ohio

 Case Study 6: Holmes County, Ohio | 20

Case 

Study 6 :

Introduction

Holmes County lies in 

northeastern Ohio and is one of 

the four counties entirely within 

the Amish Country region of the 

state. Nearly half of the residents 

of the county are Amish, and this 

plays heavily into the identity 

of the county. Manufacturing is 

the largest employment sector, 

but the county also boasts a 

robust agriculture sector, two 

industries deeply intertwined 

with the county’s Amish identity. 

Our models of economic resilience 

found the county to be the 169th 

most resilient in the country. As 

shown in the chart below, the 

county’s employment took a hit 

following the 2008 Great Recession but has since rebounded well beyond the total jobs at that time.

The Amish Country region is well 

known for agricultural products, as 

indicated by the seasonal fluctuations 

in the jobs chart, and also handmade 

products such as furniture, which are 

categorized within manufacturing. The 

county experienced an employment 

shock in 2008, but, buoyed by 

manufacturing, has recovered well.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Manufacturing

Total

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 6: Holmes County, Ohio | 21

Resilience Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

Holmes County lies within Appalachia, but the applicability of 

Holmes County’s successes to the rest of Appalachia is a bit 

tricky: the economic and cultural conditions of the county are 

unique and the result of a long history dating back to the Amish 

settlement of the early 1800s. Still, the county and wider 

region have demonstrated an intentional plan of identifying 

the strongest assets of the community and supporting 

those assets through infrastructure development, tourism 

marketing, and other activities, all of which have helped 

produce a resilient economy.

For more information, visit: http://www.visitamishcountry.com/

Holmes County’s ability to recover from economic shock appears 

to be largely attributable to the strong manufacturing sector 

within the county, which accounts for approximately 30% 

of total employment. The sector experienced only a minor 

shock in 2008 and remained steady throughout the turbulent 

period of the Great Recession. Holmes County also boasts a 

strong tourism sector, supported by its location within the 

Amish Country region of Ohio. Holmes County’s approach to 

tourism is somewhat unique, however: rather than supporting 

hotels and other features of multi-day tourism, the county has 

found that the majority of visitors travel by car for day trips that 

often focus on shopping for artisan goods, crafts, and other things not 

readily available in more urban areas.

Holmes County’s officials and residents recognize the stability of their county—and the importance 

of small manufacturing—and have pursued the recognized best practice of investing in infrastructure 

to promote growth and expansion of that sector and for the benefit of current and future residents. 

Most notable are two very large wastewater treatment projects completed in 2012, which tripled 

the capacity of each facility. More recently, the Holmes County Economic Development Council has 

collaborated with Ohio State University to study the business climate in the county as well as to plan 

for the future. Reaching out to the community for feedback has paid dividends and will enable the 

Council to make informed recommendations to public officials.

Applications in Appalachia
Lee & Itawamba 

Counties, Mississippi

 Case Study 7: Lee & Itawamba Counties, Mississippi | 22

Case 

Study 7 :

Introduction

Lee and Itawamba counties are 

adjacent counties in northeastern 

Mississippi, located along the 

Alabama border and only about 

100 miles from Memphis, 

Tennessee, the nearest major 

metropolitan area. In both 

counties, employment was 

impacted by the Great Recession, 

but the counties recovered 

relatively quickly. In Lee County, the 

professional and business services 

sector continued its gradual 

growth even through the recession. 

In Itawamba County, the dominant 

manufacturing sector saw large 

job losses during the recession, 

but the sector quickly recovered.

These counties experienced 

significant and sudden job losses 

after the 2008 recession, mirroring 

the loss of the area’s largest industry 

(manufacturing). Recovery took some 

time to begin, but has been significant 

since.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Manufacturing

Total

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 7: Lee & Itawamba Counties, Mississippi | 23

Resilience Resilient Features

Strategies for Resilience

In the past, Lee and Itawamba Counties recognized the need for 

investment and planning for future prosperity. Many entities have 

come to together to invest in the region and these efforts are 

beginning to bear fruit.

For more information, visit: http://trpdd.com/

Lee County is a national hub of the upholstered furniture 

industry, which began in the 1940s and continues to this day. 

In 2015, the furniture manufacturer H.M. Richards announced 

its intention to expand its Lee County plant, which will lead 

to the creation of an additional 500 jobs. Over the decades, 

furniture making has not just brought jobs from large 

employers—it has also spawned numerous entrepreneurs that 

have started their own furniture manufacturing companies. 

Tourism attractions in the area include the Mississippi Blues Trail 

and the Mississippi Country Music Trail, which are collections of 

historical markers across the state and include locations in both Lee 

and Itawamba counties. The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile recreational 

road managed by the National Park Service, cuts through Tupelo and brings tourists to the region.

Lee County and its county seat, Tupelo, the subjects of the 1999 book “Hand in Hand: Community and 

Economic Development in Tupelo,” have benefited from decades of intentional, sustained development 

efforts that continue to this day. Successful economic development efforts in this area have hinged 

on multiple efforts spanning decades that intentionally linked rural and urban areas to work toward 

common goals. Investments have been made in the county’s workforce by strongly supporting public 

schools and by expanding the local Itawamba Community College, which now maintains campuses in 

both Itawamba and Lee counties. Investing in education is one of the best practices identified in this 

report. According to the “Hand in Hand” report, the Community Development Foundation “has been 

the single most important driving force for community development in Tupelo and Lee County.” The 

Foundation works to attract new businesses and helps improve the efficiency of existing businesses.

Built in 2006, the Renasant Center for IDEAs is a regional business incubator for Tupelo and Lee 

County. It provides a variety of services, including business planning, counseling, networking 

opportunities, workshops on key business development topics, and shared use of business tools. 

The Renesant Center’s efforts help cultivate entrepreneurs and provide important resources for 

business start-ups, both of which are recognized best practices.

Applications in Appalachia
St. Clair County, 

Alabama

 Case Study 8: St. Clair County, Alabama | 24

Case 

Study 8 :

Introduction

St. Clair County is located in 

north-central Alabama, just to 

the northeast of Birmingham. It is 

crossed by two major interstates 

(I-59 and I-20) as well as U.S. 

Routes 411 and 231. The county’s 

population has grown dramatically 

since the 1980s and continues 

to grow today; it is among the 

fastest growing counties in the 

state. The county’s eastern border 

is formed by the Coosa River and 

two large lakes, both the result 

of dams on the Coosa River. The 

river, lakes, and surrounding area 

provide recreation opportunities 

for residents and visitors alike.

St. Clair County experienced large 

employment losses after 2008, though 

manufacturing, the largest sector, 

stayed relatively constant. Recovery 

from these employment losses was 

slow to start but has been significant 

since then.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Manufacturing

Total

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 8: St. Clair County, Alabama | 25

Resilient Features Resilience

Strategies for Resilience

St. Clair County has worked closely with neighboring Birmingham to 

ensure that positive developments in that urban area can be taken 

advantage of within the county. The county maintains a rural 

character and has worked carefully to improve the quality of life 

for residents with that in mind, a goal that many Appalachian 

counties can benefit from.

For more information, visit: https://www.stclairco.com/

St. Clair County performed well in our models of economic 

resilience. The county experienced a significant employment 

decline after the Great Recession (see employment chart). 

The shock had effects across sectors, including the county’s 

well-established manufacturing sector. Prior to the shock, 

the county had been experiencing steady and relatively 

rapid employment growth. St. Clair County has the benefit 

of favorable geography—it is crossed by two interstates 

and is close to three metropolitan areas: Birmingham to the 

southwest, Gadsden to the north, and Anniston/Oxford to the 

west. Recovery from such a shock was made possible by fortuitous 

geography and wise planning.

Many of the local governments of St. Clair County have recognized the favorable conditions for 

growth and taken further steps to enhance resilience and encourage economic growth. First and 

foremost have been changes to improve the quality of life for residents and create communities 

where people want to live in order to attract them to the county, both of which are best practices 

recommended by this study. Pell City built a new library, expanded park offerings, and engaged in 

proactive infrastructure investment designed to accommodate future growth. Growth is certainly 

something to plan for in St. Clair County, as Pell City and Moody are in the top ten of the fastest 

growing regions in the state.

The most active economic development entity in the region is the Birmingham Business Alliance, a 

seven-county organization devoted to economic development in the counties around Birmingham. 

The Birmingham Business Alliance has developed and continues to update and improve a strategic 

plan called Blueprint 2020. The central element of this plan is to identify multiple local economic 

assets within the region (eight clusters are identified in the current iteration of the plan) and engage 

in targeted investment and other activities to support the growth of those assets, both of which 

are recognized as best practices for building resilience to economic shocks. The Alliance’s approach 

largely reflects traditional investment and business growth strategies, but its self-assessment 

and accountability is notable: the program areas and target clusters are reviewed annually and the 

region is compared to similar metropolitan areas for performance assessment.

Applications in Appalachia
McKean County, 

Pennsylvania

 Case Study 9: McKean County, Pennsylvania | 26

Case 

Study 9 :

Introduction

A rural and sparsely populated 

county on the New York border, 

McKean County’s economy has 

traditionally been based on 

oil, timber, and tourism. The 

county was selected based 

on feedback from interviews.

The Pennsylvania Wilds program, 

in particular, has heightened 

McKean County’s profile as a 

tourism destination and base 

of operations for artisans.

McKean County’s total employment has 

been in a slow decline over the period of 

the study, and was accelerated by the 

2008 recession. Overall employment 

continues to decline, but business 

and professional services has shown a 

slight increase.

0

4,000

8,000

12,000

16,000

20,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Professional & 

business services

Employment Trends

Year

Employment
 Case Study 9: McKean County, Pennsylvania | 27

Resilience Resilient Features Resilience

Strategies for Resilience

McKean County relies heavily on natural assets and tourism to 

improve economic resilience. Of important note to other regions 

of Appalachia is the regional strategy (Pennsylvania Wilds). 

Rather than single counties working to promote themselves 

in a crowded tourism marketplace, an entire region of 

Pennsylvania has banded together under a cohesive identity 

and brand. This is a strategy worth considering in other 

regions.

For more information, visit: www.pawilds.com and 

www.visitANF.com

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural 

Resources created seven conservation landscapes, including 

Pennsylvania Wilds, to encourage regions to work together “to 

drive strategic investment and actions around sustainability, 

conservation, community revitalization, and recreational 

projects.” This effort is built upon strong natural assets, local 

buy-in, and state-level investment support. The Pennsylvania 

Wilds area includes 29 state parks, 50 state game lands, and 

eight state forests, with more than 2 million acres of public land.

McKean County benefits from the coordinated Pennsylvania Wilds effort, which includes regional 

planning, community character and natural resource stewardship, public and private investments, 

operation of a regional value chain of local products and services tied to the regional brand, and a 

successful marketing campaign. This campaign is consistent with a best practice identified in this 

study, to identify and grow the assets in the community and region. The counties of the PA Wilds 

are bound together through a ground-breaking Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement, which 

is recognized under state law. County planners and other officials in the PA Wilds Planning Team, a 

regional stakeholder group housed at the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship (PA Wilds Center), 

the coordinating nonprofit for the Conservation Landscape. One of the PA Wilds Planning Team’s 

achievements is the PA Wilds Design Guide for Community Character Stewardship, an award-winning 

planning resource, which has been the foundation of regional façade and signage grant programs. 

Many businesses in McKean County have utilized these resources to improve properties and shape 

development. Elk County, adjacent to McKean County, is the center of the region’s elk population and 

home of the Elk Country Visitor Center, a world-class conservation facility. A sister visitor center, 

at Kinzua Bridge State Park in McKean County, opened in 2016. Together the sites pull many people 

to this part of the PA Wilds, with focuses on nature and heritage tourism. The Kinzua Bridge site is 

home to the first PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a gift shop operated by the PA Wilds Center under a 

public-private partnership with DCNR, which focuses on selling products from the Center’s regional 

value chain, called the Wilds Cooperative of PA. These stores help grow rural businesses, and profits 

from the gift shops are earmarked to support regional marketing to ensure continued demand. 

Applications in Appalachia
 Case Study 10: McCracken County, Kentucky | 28

McCracken County, 

Kentucky

Introduction

Case 

Study 10:

McCracken County is in far 

southwestern Kentucky, where 

the Tennessee River joins the Ohio 

River. The county seat and largest 

city, Paducah, is situated just 

downstream of that confluence. 

Much of the county’s culture 

and history is derived from its 

history as a bustling river town, 

where commerce and culture 

intermingled. The county grew 

steadily for much of the 20th 

century, but the population has 

remained steady since 2000. 

Employment Trends

McCracken County experienced a 

shock during the 2008 recession, 

but the county’s largest employment 

sectors, trade, transportation, 

and utilities, have stayed steady 

throughout the period, providing a 

bedrock of employment.

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

2000 2004 2008 2012

Trade, transportation, 

& utilities

Total

Year

Employment
 Case Study 10: McCracken County, Kentucky | 29

Resilience Resilient Features Resilience

Strategies for Resilience

Much like Central Appalachia, McCracken County grew and thrived 

alongside industries that have all but disappeared from America. 

Rather than focus on traditional economic development oriented 

around attracting a single large employer, Forward Paducah has 

opted to look inward and celebrate those who call McCracken 

County home. Given Appalachia’s deep culture, history, and 

population of proud residents, a planning process that seeks 

to identify and celebrate the assets in place is a natural fit for 

many locations within Appalachia.

For more information, visit: http://mccrackenky.com/

Forward Paducah has identified a number of business sectors 

they believe, with focused support, can lead McCracken 

County’s economy in the future. Those sectors are diverse and 

encompass a broad swath of livelihoods, from professional 

sectors such as finance and information technology, to locally 

traditional businesses such as river transportation support 

and artisans, to forward-thinking sectors such as advanced 

manufacturing. But planners have looked beyond traditional 

brick and mortar projects to find that Paducah’s thriving arts 

culture, with dedicated long-time residents at its core is a major 

asset to the resiliency of the community. Forward Paducah’s focus 

on diversity and supporting assets in place is the foundation of their 

drive towards resilience. 

The Forward Paducah effort includes a number of key strategies recommended by this study, 

including identifying and growing the assets in the community and region, creating communities 

where people want to live, moving multiple sectors forward for economic development, and engaging 

the community over the long term. Development of the plan began with a far-reaching stakeholder 

process that focused on identifying assets and opportunities for growth and development within 

the community. Paired with demographic research conducted by a consultant, the effort identified 

a diverse pool of economic sectors poised to grow in the 21st century. This pool was not derived 

entirely from quantitative analysis; instead, the planning process placed great emphasis on the 

cultural assets of the community and the desire of residents to maintain their status as a cultural 

hub of Western Kentucky. The consensus-driven stakeholder process in Paducah helped identify 

what the community wanted, create strategies to make those ideas a reality, and develop actions 

that the community would support and contribute to.

Applications in Appalachia
 Introduction to Best Practices: Community Research and Input | 30

The best practices and strategies developed in this project were developed from numerous 

engagements with practitioners in the Appalachian Region. Two rounds of interviews 

were held in early 2017 with a variety of leaders and practitioners, and a summary of 

the interviews is available in the Economic Resilience Technical Report (link below). 

Interviewees also identified tools, resources, and several other ideas that are 

included in the interview summary document, with quotes from interviewees 

interspersed throughout the following pages. In addition, a focus group 

was held to solicit feedback on the draft best practices and strategies, 

and an advisory team provided input to the development of the best 

practices, strategies, and overall approach throughout the project. A 

survey was also conducted in summer 2017 with practitioners across 

the Appalachian Region to prioritize the draft best practices and 

strategies and solicit new ideas, with 151 responses received. 

The response to one of the questions of the survey is available 

below, and the best practices and strategies in the guidebook 

are shown in the order of priority from the survey results. 

The economic strategies included with each of the 

best practices were developed by the project team 

and were drawn from the accompanying economic 

analysis. The full economic analysis is available 

in the Technical Report, as well. In addition, 

the “best practice highlights” included with 

each best practice were suggested by 

several interviewees and are included 

to highlight examples of successful 

implementation of best practices 

across the Appalachian Region. 

For the Economic Resilience 

Technical Report, visit:

www.arc.gov/resilience

Introduction to Best Practices: 

Community Research and Input 
Literature Review 

Nov. 2016 - Jan. 2017

Advisory Team Call

February 2017

Initial Interviews

Jan. - March 2017

Focus Group Meeting

April 2017

Secondary Interviews

April - May 2017

Survey 

May - June 2017

Final Advisory Team 

Call 

June 2017

Initial best practices, strategies, and 

possible case studies 

Documents sent in advance for review; 

feedback shared during and after the call 

or via email

Draft best practices, strategies, and case 

study ideas synthesized from interviews 

in a summary document and prepared for 

a presentation to a focus group

Suggestion for change of one best 

practice and for additional interviews to 

be conducted by the focus group 

Final best practices and strategies were 

synthesized from additional interviews 

and focus group feedback via email

151 responses were received and 

responses confirmed the draft best

practices and strategy identification by 

qualitative team

Ideas were shared about how to synthesize 

the quantitative and qualitative findings

 Community Feedback Process | 31

Community Feedback Process
Models and Solutions for Economic Resilience | 32

Fostering new 

entrepreneurs

Supporting 

grassroots 

collaborative efforts

Supporting workerowned businesses 

or cooperatives 

59%

44%

44%

Which Economic Models and Solutions 

Are the Most Important to Strengthen 

Economic Resilience?

Expanding workforce 

development 

opportunities

Retraining displaced 

workers

Expanding existing 

businesses

Creating tax incentives 

& financing packages to 

attract new businesses

Recruiting new 

businesses via other 

means

Building social 

enterprises

Other

32%

21%

28%

21%

19%

34%

13%

For full survey summary, visit: www.arc.gov/resilience
Best Practices for Strengthening 

Economic Resilience in Appalachia

Best Practices for Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia | 33

 

Invest in education, technology, 

infrastructure, and broadband.

 Engage the community 

over the long term.

 Create communities where

 people want to live.

 Grow youth engagement and 

next-generation leadership.

Identify and grow the assets in

 the community and region. 

Move multiple sectors forward for economic 

development and grow value chains.

Build networks and 

foster collaboration.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 Cultivate entrepreneurs and develop 

resources for business start-ups.
• Create renewable energy projects throughout Appalachia as many businesses have a 

renewable energy requirement to locate in an area. 

• Develop public and private partnerships to create needed infrastructure. 

• Consider proximity to highways, markets, transportation options, and airports, which are all 

strong factors in determining the competitive advantage of an area for new build location or 

existing business expansion. 

• Expand public sewers throughout Appalachia using innovative technologies where needed. 

• Develop training opportunities for communities and organizations on communications, 

community outreach, and how to effectively use the internet and social media. 

• Foster broadband development as a key component for building remote work (telecommuting) 

possibilities, existing business expansion, and new business location. 

Invest in infrastructure including public water, public 

sewer, energy accessibility, and multi-modal transportation.

1 Invest in Education, 

Technology, Infrastructure,

 and Broadband

Best 

Practice

Develop broadband accessibility throughout Appalachia.

• Encourage educational attainment as a way to increase community quality of life and 

entrepreneurship opportunities and to attract high-level employment possibilities. 

• Develop free public vocational and higher education classes to prepare and train workers for 

employment and for entrepreneurship possibilities. 

• Develop both general and specialized educational offerings as a way to grow community and 

economic resilience, to grow needed skill-sets for specific sectors, and to develop new business 

opportunities and entrepreneurs. 

Foster educational opportunities from preschool to post-secondary

for a wide range of community members. 

Develop “learn and earn” models of workforce training where 

workforce training and academic classes are both offered around a 

specific topic, such as local food or renewable energy.

E Grow opportunities around technology in multiple sectors.

Best Practice 1: Invest in Education, Technology, Infrastructure, and Broadband | 34

A

B

C

D
Coalfield Development Corporation

Formally unemployed people (especially laid-off 

coalminers) are hired to work crews that staff 

different social enterprises. These work crews 

provide labor on community projects that create 

assets for local residents. Each week, crew 

members complete 33 hours of paid work, 6 credit 

hours of higher education, and 3 hours of personal 

development mentorship. At the end of their 2.5 

year contract, crew members have thus gained 

invaluable work experience, earned an associates 

degree, and gained clarity on life goals as well as 

the personal assets needed to attain those goals. 

For more information, visit: 

coalfield-development.org

The Hive Incubator in Beckley, WV

The Hive Incubator is a small business incubator 

in Beckley, West Virginia. The mission of the 

Hive is to connect entrepreneurs with the 

resources and expertise they need to grow 

successful businesses. Some of the resources 

provided include mentoring, coaching, technical 

assistance, and support tools for aspiring business 

owners. For more information, visit: wvhive.com

Economic Strategies

• The percentage of the population who live within 

one or more broadband service areas has mixed 

impacts on economic resilience across the 

economic regression models — some models show 

positive impacts, other show negative impacts. The 

economic analysis models also show consistently 

and robustly that the share of population with 

a college degree contributes substantially to 

economic resilience.

Best Practice 1: Invest in Education, Technology, Infrastructure, and Broadband | 35

Anchor institutions 

allow voices to come 

together and to speak 

for something greater 

than themselves.

“

“

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Engage under-engaged community members — those affected by 

decisions need to be part of the solution.

• Welcome community newcomers, or community members that return, by opening up leadership 

circles and creating the types of communities that will be attractive to them. 

• Tell stories about other communities that have strengthened their resilience.

• Develop opportunities for people within communities to identify both the problem and solution 

to community challenges and opportunities. Ideas that emerge from within the community 

should be prioritized for growing economic resilience. 

Create ongoing, neutral spaces for the community to gather across 

sectors and for all community members to feel valued, welcomed, 

and heard.

Consistently share ideas, challenges, and successes with the broader 

community.

2 Best 

Practice

9

A

B

C

Engage the Community 

Over the Long Term

Cultivate leadership and trust for long-term efforts and success. 

Create the space where leadership can come forward and flourish to 

create change together as a community.

D

• Connect with “sparkplugs and bridgemakers” in the community to sustain leadership, growth, 

and momentum.

• Foster creative long-range planning and strategic planning.

Develop a consistent forum for community engagement around a 

specific focus with a long-term facilitator or convener.

• Use innovative ways to engage the community using media, outreach, knocking on doors, 

sharing ideas, celebrating participant efforts, and making meetings fun.

E

Best Practice 2: Engage the Community Over the Long Term | 36

• Develop means for community members to engage with elected officials, to become elected 

leaders, and to partner in policy creation.
Economic Strategies

• If other factors stay constant, poverty reduction is a 

critical long-term strategy to support resilience, as is 

achieving greater ethnic diversity, higher labor force 

participation rates, and numbers of college graduates. 

In addition, poverty reduction promotes economic 

resilience both within a county and in surrounding 

counties.

“Celebrate what is 

positive! There are 

so many reasons for 

celebration. “

Best Practice 2: Engage the Community Over the Long Term | 37

Buckhannon, WV 

Almost every Thursday since 2009, Buckhannon 

residents have gathered at C.J. Maggie’s restaurant 

in Buckhannon for an affordable meal and a ‘Create 

Buckhannon’ session. During these sessions, 

residents meet with one another to discuss 

different ways to make the town healthier and 

more prosperous. Some of their most successful 

initiatives include the creation of a park, a weekly 

summer music festival and market, a city plan, 

various downtown improvements, and safe biking 

and walking routes. For more information, visit: 

trythiswv.com/have-a-community-conversation

Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga went from a divided and dirty city 

to one of the most livable cities in the United 

States. One very well-known and successful public 

engagement process called Vision 2000 was held 

to engage the community. Vision 2000 resulted 

in more than 200 projects and programs, created 

1,381 jobs and 7,300 temporary construction jobs, 

served over 1.5 million people, and precipitated a 

total financial investment of $793,303,813. The 

city has won three national awards for outstanding 

“livability.” For more information, visit: hwtcitv.

org/watch-online/history-makers/chattanoogaventure-and-vision-2000

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Grow community health and wellness. Focus on creating a high 

quality of life with strong community health and wellness, which 

attracts new businesses and residents.

• Tell and share stories, including new, positive stories. 

• Create peer learning opportunities among community members and leaders through in-person 

gatherings. Use audio and video to share stories and to identify points of contact to learn more 

about specific stories, people, and places.

• Create opportunities to ensure that basic needs are met for all community members, such as 

childcare and elder care programs, as well as other amenities geared to assist women, singleparent households, and vulnerable community members.

• Determine barriers and opportunities for community members to access social services, 

including ways to address addiction. 

• Address systemic forms of poverty by reaching out to people where they are and use a 

grassroots approach to grow economic resilience in communities. 

Cultivate a strong sense of place and pride in place through 

storytelling, arts, and cultural heritage opportunities, and value them 

as building blocks for a new economy in Appalachia.

3 Best 

Practice

A

Create Communities Where 

People Want to Live

• Use an intentional approach to address population decline in communities.

Welcome new and diverse people into communities. Encourage new 

residents, including telecommuters, young families, and immigrants.

Strengthen anchor institutions and businesses that strengthen thriving 

communities (i.e. a college, university, hospital, elder/youth co-care 

opportunities).

C

D

• Develop and grow colleges, universities, hospitals, and elder/youth co-care opportunities.

• Develop “third spaces” – neutral spaces where community members can come together 

outside of home and work (such as coffee shops, co-working spaces, and churches.)

• Examine land ownership, including absentee landowners, and how it impacts communities and 

the broader region.

• Promote local investing via community foundations and seed funding for local ideas. 

Best Practice 3: Create Communities Where People Want To Live | 38

B
Tell positive 

stories and change 

the narrative.

Williamson Health & Wellness 

Center, Williamson, WV 

Williamson, West Virginia experienced a decline 

in coal mining and economic prosperity as the 

town began to simultaneously notice numerous 

health issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, 

and obesity. In order to combat these growing 

concerns, the Williamson Health & Wellness 

Center was created. The Williamson Health & 

Wellness Center is dedicated to building a culture 

of health through holistic community and clinical 

interventions in order to stimulate a thriving local 

economy centered around wellness for the entire 

population. The Center provides a comprehensive 

package of primary care, dental, and behavioral 

health services to all residents of Mingo County, 

regardless of age or income. For more information, 

visit: williamsonhealthwellness.com

Economic Strategies

• The larger the portion of a county’s population that migrated 

into the county, the more economically resilient that county 

is. Larger populations promote greater economic resilience.

Community members that return to a community after leaving 

(boomerang migrants) may have even stronger effects on 

resilience to the extent that they know “how their communities 

work” better than those who are new to the community. 

Boomerang migrants may be retirees who spent working lives 

elsewhere or young families with small children who are seeking 

to return to their roots. In addition, greater recreational 

opportunities are robustly associated with greater resilience. 

• Population size has positive impacts both within and outside of 

the county level. Larger populations promote greater economic 

resilience. This also means smaller communities have a greater 

uphill battle in seeking to become resilient.

• Greater recreational opportunities (which includes art 

programming for the creative classes and others) are robustly 

associated with greater resilience. This is an important 

result and consistent with findings from a rapidly expanding 

literature.

Best Practice 3: Create Communities Where People Want To Live | 39

“

“

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Identify, mentor, and support young leaders for the next generation.

• Develop mentoring, learning opportunities, idea exchanges, and programs to grow skills and to 

learn about entrepreneurship (like Appalachian Fellowship Program, with elected leaders, and 

across generations).

• Encourage youth and provide opportunities for them to be in positions of responsibility.

• Connect to schools and work with teachers, students, and parents in multiple ways. 

Keep bright, young people in communities, and bring smart, young, 

people from outside of communities in and welcome them.

Engage youth in arts, culture, and community-building opportunities.

Welcome new ideas, bold visions, and unlikely partnerships.

4 Best 

Practice

A

B

C

D

Grow Youth Engagement 

and Next-Generation 

Leadership

Develop programs by youth, for youth.

Build the capacity of local leaders to build the economy, and grow and 

engage local, diverse leadership across a community.

E

F

• Grow peer-to-peer learning networks, coaching opportunities, and leadership development 

opportunities to build capacity of local leaders. 

• Foster opportunities for young leaders to engage with elected officials in policy creation, become 

elected officials, and to engage with community-based initiatives. 

Best Practice 4: Grow Youth Engagement and Next-Generation Leadership | 40
Economic Strategies

• Having more residents in the 25-44 year old cohort

is robustly associated with greater economic

resilience. To the extent that these are younger

families with children in the early teenage years,

they would likely seek out places that provide good

opportunities for their growing children (good

schools, leadership opportunities, etc.).

“ Welcome new thinking 

and ideas from new 

people; celebrate 

young leaders. Be 

willing to experiment 

to generate new, bold, 

and crazy ideas. “

Best Practice 4: Grow Youth Engagement and Next-Generation Leadership | 41

Mountain Tech Media in 

Whitesburg, KY 

Mountain Tech Media (MTM) is a “missiondriven, diversified technology and multimedia

services company born and raised in Eastern

Kentucky.” MTM is a company that supports

organizations and is owned by young, 

independent professionals. 

Generation West Virginia 

Generation West Virginia (GWV) is the 

statewide organization dedicated to 

attracting, retaining, and advancing young 

talent in the Mountain State. GWV achieves 

this by:

• Developing and sustaining an activated

network of young people

• Providing accessible programs and

educational tools that empower and

inspire young leaders

• Identifying and communicating the

priorities, motivations, and needs of the

next generation of West Virginians

• Serving as a voice and a source of action for 

young people to impact policy at the local,

state, and federal levels

For more information, visit: generationwv.org

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Tell the stories of the community, especially positive stories, 

to change the narrative.

• Focus on integrating arts and creative placemaking into community and economic development 

efforts across the community.

• Create intergenerational learning exchanges between elders and youth, including gathering 

oral histories, as well as learning opportunities between towns and between practitioners.

Foster interconnection between rural and urban areas, in broader 

regions around resources, as well as food, recreation, and energy 

supply connections.

Identify and promote assets within the region and community 

through partnerships.

Share resources across the region such as marketing resources or 

research into regional trends.

5 Best 

Practice

A

B

C

D

Identify and Grow the 

Assets in the Community 

and Region

Link multiple destinations and activities to create more local business 

opportunities and encourage longer visits.

• Promote living wage jobs, especially those related to the tourism industry.

• Retain the vibrancy and uniqueness of communities; don’t allow the effects of tourism to 

significantly alter local community character or landscapes. 

E

Build local philanthropic opportunities, such as creating a community 

foundation, so that regions can capture and invest in economic 

development locally.

F

Best Practice 5: Identify and Grow the Assets in the Community and Region | 42
Economic Strategies

• Direct farm sales, to the extent that they are an asset 

for a community, are associated with greater resilience 

such that some regression models showed that more 

agritourism and recreation are both associated with 

greater resilience. In counties that are home to many 

farmers, this may be a viable strategy for attracting 

outside resources and enhancing resilience.

• Natural amenities of a county area have a stronger regional 

impact on economic resilience than a county-level impact. 

Thus, unique natural features and amenities should be 

viewed more broadly than only at the county level. 

“ Go to communities 

that are succeeding – we 

need a culture of being 

imaginative. We need 

sparkplugs that will keep 

trying new ideas. “

Best Practice 5: Identify and Grow the Assets in the Community and Region | 43

Best Practice Highlights

Lynch, KY

Lynch, Kentucky is using its assets as a former 

coal-mining town to create successful cultural 

heritage tourism opportunities. “Lynch is 

located in far southeastern Kentucky on the 

border with Virginia and was founded in 1917 by 

the U.S. Coal and Steel company. The company 

bought 19,000 acres for the town and built 

everything from houses and stores to a hospital 

and baseball field. At its peak, Lynch had about 

10,000 residents, but is down to below 1,000 

today. Between 1950 and 1970, the population of 

Lynch dropped by about half as the biggest coal 

companies left town and jobs declined. Today, 

there are no working coal mines. Like many 

coal towns across the region, Lynch and the 

two former coal towns nearby, Cumberland and 

Benham, are trying to chart a path forward that 

might include tourism. The Eastern Kentucky 

Social Club has long been at the center of 

African-American life in Lynch, and since 1970, 

it has hosted meetings for former and current 

black residents of the town to reunite and 

honor the contributions of black coal miners.” 

From the article: www.politico.com/magazine/

- Project interviewee story/2017/06/22/black-appalachia-215296
Use a systems approach to develop a long-term vision and explore 

community opportunities and needs to grow sectors, develop assets, 

and foster regional collaboration.

• Engage economists at the regional scale to share knowledge and best practices.

Cultivate grassroots efforts, community leadership, and effective 

communication using different tools.

Develop networks of communities, both local and regional, working 

towards a shared understanding of the opportunities, gaps, strengths, 

and unique elements of each community.

6 Best 

Practice

A

B

Build Networks and 

Foster Collaboration

25

• Determine the right level of partnership needed for effective engagement.

C

• Foster opportunities for generational leadership (both in terms of staff and organizations) to 

grow the work in the future and adapt to changing needs and opportunities of an initiative. 

• Develop structured Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs) between partner organizations, 

which may result in opportunities for greater funding.

Identify and grow a dedicated long-term entity or anchor D organization(s) to:

• Build capacity, move ideas forward, provide a consistent forum for collaboration, develop 

multiple funding streams, and help implement ideas. 

• Identify ways for funders and practitioners to work together as partners to shift the power 

structure. 

Work across silos and sectors; encourage entrepreneurial spirit and E mindsets for project growth and development. 

Develop long-term staffing capacity to move ideas forward and foster F economic transformation.

• Create a training program and a cohort of practitioners on how to accelerate the building of an 

economic resilience model from the bottom up.

Best Practice 6: Build Networks and Foster Collaboration | 44
Economic Strategies

• Migration and commuting can contribute to economic 

development (and resilience) via networking effects. 

Specifically, this means that migrants and commuters 

may bring (back) to the community new ideas and 

other resources for addressing local issues that might 

otherwise undermine resilience.

• The more direct measure of collaboration, social 

capital, has no effect on resilience in either economic 

analysis our team conducted; see the technical report 

for additional details. However, social capital does 

contribute to greater resilience in places with smaller 

populations, less in-commuting, and fewer individuals 

in the 25-44 year old age cohort. The latter result may 

be due to the fact that these (younger) families are 

preoccupied with raising children, taking care of aging 

parents, and launching careers and, as such, have less 

time to contribute to social capital-related collaboration 

activities and networking in their communities. 

“The future will be 

in partnerships. “

Best Practice 6: Build Networks and Foster Collaboration | 45

Newport, Tennessee 

By collaborating and tapping into different 

networks, members of the Tanner Preservation 

Alliance have been working to restore the Tanner 

School in Newport, Tennessee for several years. 

Built in the mid-1920s as a Rosenwald School, the 

facility primarily served the city’s African-American 

students. In a 2016 edition of the newspaper 

Newport Plain Talk, an article noted that “nearly 

5,000 Rosenwald Schools, including Tanner, Allen’s 

Chapel, Dawson’s Valley, Gum Springs, and Old Town, 

were built with money from the Rosenwald Fund, a 

program established in 1917. These schools were 

erected in 883 counties in 15 states from Maryland 

to Texas.” Today, Carlene Robinson works with the 

Tanner Preservation Alliance and Tennessee Picnic 

to continue the restoration work. 

For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/

tannerpreservationalliance

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Connect multiple opportunities to grow a value chain around what is 

being created locally.

• Engage both non-profit organization involvement as well as market-connected enterprises.

• Find ways to focus on ideas that come from within the community around sector-based 

economic growth (not ideas that are externally imposed on communities).

• Foster tourism and create not only service-sector jobs, but entrepreneurship and job 

opportunities with high wages and benefits.

• Use a systems approach to develop value chains; look across a region to determine what 

levers can grow economic resilience. 

• Develop a broader recognition of the interdependence between urban and rural areas. Create 

a deeper recognition of the value of rural.

Build grassroots support for economic diversification, and collaborate 

with public and private sectors.

Promising sectors include: advanced manufacturing, health care, 

renewable energy, outdoor recreation, local food systems and 

agriculture, technology and others.

7 Best 

Practice

A

B

C

Move Multiple Sectors Forward 

for Economic Development 

and Grow Value Chains

29

D Connect to regional markets for sales of products and services.

• Grow and connect with the broader region’s economy and to market opportunities in regional 

urban centers. 

• Examine what financial and tax incentives can be made available to encourage businesses to 

locate in a particular area; expand programs and resources (such as loans and grants) to expand 

existing businesses and connect with regional marketing opportunities to promote localities and 

regions.

E Develop a coordinated strategy for economic growth.

Learn how other communities and regions build economic growth and F share ideas.

Best Practice 7: Move Multiple Sectors Forward for Economic Development and Grow Value Chains | 46
Economic Strategies

• Both innovation potential (which reflects greater opportunities 

for firms to innovate both in process and product spaces [Goetz 

and Han forthcoming]) and industry diversity lead to greater 

resilience, all else being equal.

• Having more in-migrants and in-commuters translates into 

greater resilience in part because they reflect more interregional connections, as mentioned earlier.

• Farming employment within a county has five times the impact 

regionally compared to the within-county impact on resilience. 

This suggests important regional spillover benefits from 

farming.

“We need to use systems 

thinking to generate 

multiple forms of wealth 

and wealth creation. “

Best Practice 7: Move Multiple Sectors Forward for Economic Development and Grow Value Chains | 47

Best Practice Highlights

WealthWorks Videos 

WealthWorks strives to bring together a 

community’s assets in order to meet the market 

demands for local and regional economic 

development. In doing so, WealthWorks provides 

a series of short videos detailing different 

concepts on how economic development is being 

achieved across the United States, particularly 

in Appalachia. For more information, visit: 

www.wealthworks.org

Opportunity Threads in 

Morganton, NC 

Morganton began as a textile mill town that 

dwindled when jobs moved offshore. The industrial 

poultry industry took root, diversifying the local 

population. Now local residents are bringing it 

back in a socially innovative, adaptive way, as 

a worker-owned cooperative, through textiles 

with coordinated opportunities in a related value 

chain. An interest in reinventing manufacturing 

is breathing life into Morganton’s increasingly 

diversified economy. For more information, visit: 

opportunitythreads.com

- Project interviewee
Create entrepreneurial ecosystems with locally centered markets.

• Identify CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) within Appalachia that could be 

strong resources for entrepreneurs or community groups. 

• Develop statewide programs to promote the growth of new industries within states. 

• Build the capacity of communities for entrepreneur-focused economic development through 

developing multi-year leadership teams; fostering leadership development, training, and 

coaching mentors; and building on ideas and assets that arise from within the community. 

• Connect to the assets of a community around how to transition businesses to a new generation.

• Conduct organizing within a community to think about economic development and what 

opportunities are there; talk to entrepreneurs about what opportunities are emerging.

Develop entrepreneur resources, business plan competitions, and 

opportunities to grow local businesses and access capital.

8 Best 

Practice

A

B

Cultivate Entrepreneurs 

and Develop Resources 

for Business Start-Ups

Connect with schools, colleges, and universities for training, 

mentoring, and research opportunities.

Advance possibilities for workforce training in specific sectors and 

industries, including for regional opportunities and displaced workers.

C

D

Use social enterprise resources and tools to develop community-based E businesses.

Develop opportunities for remote work and telecommuting. F

• Cultivate successful business accelerators, co-working spaces, and maker spaces.

Best Practice 8: Cultivate Entrepreneurs and Develop Resources for Business Start-Ups | 48
Opportunity SWVA in 

Southwest, VA

There has never been a better time for 

entrepreneurs in Southwest Virginia. Significant 

investments in broadband technology, research 

facilities, and the region’s rich catalog of cultural 

and recreational amenities make Southwest 

Virginia fertile ground for new and expanding 

ventures. SWVA communities are taking their 

next economic leap and working together to 

build a prosperous region. Entrepreneurs are 

a key partner in emerging local and regional 

strategies, and the stewardship of this place—

the towns and cities, the rivers and mountains—

make Southwest Virginia a worthy investment. 

Opportunity SWVA also works with the Clinch 

River Valley Initiative through the Hometowns on 

the Clinch program. For more information, visit:

myswvaopportunity.org

 35

Economic Strategies

• A clear impact of entrepreneurship (or self-employment) 

on resilience is evident, but a certain critical mass of 

entrepreneurs is needed. When there are too few or too 

many entrepreneurs in the community as a share of the 

workforce, the beneficial impact of entrepreneurship on 

resilience is weaker. The effect of entrepreneurship is 

also greater the closer the county is to a metro area with 

population of more than 250,000.

• Note that business density impacts resilience at a regional 

level; cultivating businesses in a community is beneficial 

for economic resilience not only for a given county, but in 

surrounding counties as well.

Best Practice 8: Cultivate Entrepreneurs and Develop Resources for Business Start-Ups | 49

“ Change comes from 

within the community. “

Best Practice Highlights

- Project interviewee
Summary 

This guidebook provides best practices, 

strategies, and case studies for economic 

development practitioners, local government 

officials, nonprofit organizations, and 

others working in the Appalachian Region. 

In this project, we applied integrated 

research techniques to identify policies, 

best practices, and associated strategies 

for growing economic resilience in the 

Appalachian Region by grounding the 

results with information from practitioners. 

Through our analysis, we identified 10 case 

study areas from which we gained further 

insight into how communities are evolving 

their approach to economic development 

both inside and outside the Appalachian 

Region. We further “ground truthed” our 

work by conducting interviews, conversing 

and gaining feedback from an advisory team 

of economic peers, and gathering community 

data from an extensive survey. 

A technical report document was produced 

and details our analysis, which can be found 

here: www.arc.gov/resilience

Summary | 50
Outcomes of This Project | 51

Outcomes of This Project

This project created the framework to examine, evaluate, and analyze information to 

draw conclusions on how Appalachia can be more economically resilient, now and into 

the future. This guidebook offers information that will inform planning, investment, 

and strategies across Appalachia.

Our team developed a quantitative assessment of conditions combined with 

qualitative research to ground information in practical strategies and useful 

information for practitioners. This output was presented through a series of 

case studies highlighting key factors through real-world examples, which 

create an understanding of positive transitions through challenging 

economic times.
Endnotes

Endnotes | 52

Cover Page

• Photo Credit: Sean Pavone, Stock Photo ID: 288322460

• Photo Credit: Matt Asasi: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

• Photo Credit: John Ramspott: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

• Photo Credit: Chewonski Semester School: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

legalcode

• Photo Credits: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Table of Contents

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Case Studies of Economic Resilience in Appalachia

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Case Study 1

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credits: Doug Kerr: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

Case Study 2

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Tom Gustafson

• Photo Credit: David Thoreson

Case Study 3

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Kjell: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

• Photo Credit: Sascha Brittner: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Case Study 4

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Jeff Gunn: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

• Photo Credit: Fannin County Development Authority 

Case Study 5

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Tim Keiser https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/

• Photo Credit: Swimmerguy269 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Case Study 6

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Alvintrusty https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

• Photo Credit: Maksim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Case Study 7

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Lee & Itawamba Counties
Endnotes

 Endnotes | 53

Case Study 8 

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Chris Pruitt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

• Photo Credit: Rudi Weikard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Case Study 9

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: PA Wilds

Case Study 10

• Chart and Map Credit: Downstream Strategies

• Photo Credit: Paul Sableman: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

• Photo Credit: Paduch’s Visitors Bureau 

Best Practices for Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 1

• Project for Public Spaces: https://www.pps.org

• ASPEN Institute: https://www.aspeninstitute.org

• KY Valley Educational Cooperative: https://www.kentuckyvalley.org

• Photo Credit: Coalfied Development Corporation

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 2

• Orton Family Foundation: https://www.orton.org 

• Next Generation and Art of the Rural: http://artoftherural.org

• Photo Credit: Kate Long, Create Buckhannon

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 3

• Photo Credit: Williamson Health and Wellness Center

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 4

• Appalachian Fellowship Program: http://www.appfellows.org

• Photo Credit: Mountain Tech Media

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 5

• Photo Credit: Sara Hoskins

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates
Endnotes

 Endnotes | 54

Best Practice 6

• Community Leadership Development: http://heartlandcenter.info

• BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies): https://bealocalist.org

• The Tupelo Model of Community Development: https://www.berea.edu/brushy-fork-institute/

the-tupelo-model-of-community-development/

• Kellogg’s Rural People and Rural Policy: 

www.wkkf.org/~/media/62543624E4AB4D12A001F245CFE056B5.ashx

• Brushy Fork Leadership Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ1B7HvTT0E

• Photo Credit: Courtesy of Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 7

• WealthWorks: https://www.wealthworks.org

• Appalachian Funders Network: https://www.appalachiafunders.org

• Photo Credit: Opportunity Threads

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

Best Practice 8

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) with an online Community Development Financial 

Institution (CDFI) Locator: https://ofn.org/cdfi-locator

• The Geographic Scope of CDFI Activity in the Southeast: https://www.richmondfed.org/

publications/community_development/community_scope/2016/community_scope_2016_

no2_p1

• Appalachian Conference on Social Enterprise: http://www.acose.org

• Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE): https://aceloans.org

• Center for Rural Entrepreneurship: https://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org

Summary and Outcomes

• Photo Credit: Christine Gyovai, Dialogue + Design Associates

• Photo Credit: Fannin County Development Authority 

• Photo Credit: Lee and Itawamba Counties 
DRAFT - NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION