Appalachian Regional Commission Meets in Washington

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chairman Jesse L. White Jr. and Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton, ARC's 2001 states' co-chairman, presided jointly over a meeting of the Appalachian Regional Commission on February 25 in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, the Commission approved resolutions on state planning requirements, the allocation of ARC funds, and the designation of economically distressed counties.

The Commission also passed a resolution to form a partnership with the national nonprofit group PowerUP to create at least 13 new computer labs and education sites in communities throughout the 13-state Appalachian Region. "By partnering with PowerUP, ARC can provide hundreds of additional youngsters the opportunity to bridge the 'digital divide' and have greater access to new technologies," Federal Co-Chairman White said.

Launched in 1999 and supported by more than a dozen nonprofits, corporations, and federal agencies, PowerUp has provided computers, Internet access, staff training, and educational materials to several hundred communities throughout the country, mostly at boys and girls clubs and other youth-oriented community organizations. So far 11 PowerUP sites have been established within the Appalachian Region, and the new partnership will seek to more than double that number within the next 12 months.

In his first report to the Commission as states' co-chairman, Governor Patton urged his fellow governors to join him in emphasizing the strengths of Appalachia and its people. He said that in recent years a "new Appalachia" has emerged, offering major corporations a positive economic climate in which to locate companies and market goods.

"There is now a thriving and growing middle class in Appalachia that simply did not exist 40 years ago," said Patton, a native of eastern Kentucky. "Appalachia is home to technical colleges, flexible manufacturing centers, business incubators, and electronic villages that are the envy of the country, if not the world. As ARC states' co-chairman, my focus will be on expanding this new Appalachia and building on its strengths."

Patton also called on his fellow governors to join him in urging Congress to increase the federal appropriation for ARC's nonhighway program. Patton noted that a budget increase for ARC was needed to compensate for the impact of inflation on Commission spending in recent years and to help the Appalachian Region bridge the digital divide.

As reported by Federal Co-Chairman White, ARC has now served as a model for two new federal initiatives to improve economic development in rural communities: the Denali Commission in Alaska and the Delta Regional Authority in the Mississippi Delta. White also noted that in December, Congress approved the New Markets Initiative, which provides incentives for private businesses to invest in underserved communities like many found in the Appalachian Region.

DDAA Honors Maryland Senator Sarbanes, Tennessee Representative Wamp

More than 300 local development officials and staff members from the 71 planning districts in the Appalachian Region gathered in Arlington, Virginia, in March for an annual training conference sponsored by the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA).

The conference—"Prosperity in Appalachia: Tools, Resources, and Strategies for the 21st Century"—offered a series of training workshops, including one on how to incorporate e-commerce projects into a community's economic development strategy, and another on the importance of economic development strategies meeting the test of sustainability. The conference also included a new "Tour of the States" exhibit, which showcased successful projects undertaken by local development districts in all 13 Appalachian states.

At separate awards ceremonies during the conference, the DDAA paid tribute to Senator Paul S. Sarbanes of Maryland and Congressman Zach Wamp of Tennessee's Third Congressional District for their longtime support of economic development programs in Appalachia. The Tri-County Council for Western Maryland in Cumberland nominated Sarbanes for the association's Congressional Award, citing his consistent support of ARC programs in the state's three Appalachian counties: Allegany, Garrett, and Washington.

Five local development districts serving the 50 Appalachian counties in Tennessee nominated Wamp for his Congressional Award. They cited Wamp for his leadership in helping create the East Tennessee Technology Corridor, an effort designed to replace jobs lost as a result of cutbacks by the U.S. Department of Energy at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Gayle Faulkner Lawson, a longtime community activist and educator in Harlan County, Kentucky, also was honored at the conference. She received the John D. Whisman Vision Award, which the DDAA presents each year to an individual who has provided exemplary service and leadership in Appalachia and demonstrated a commitment to the ideals of state and federal cooperation.

Established in 1976 by the executive directors of Appalachia's local development districts, the DDAA provides professional and technical training opportunities for local economic development officials and community leaders throughout the Appalachian Region.

Two New Governors Join ARC

Two newly elected governors—Michael F. Easley of North Carolina and Robert E. Wise Jr. of West Virginia—have become members of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

A native of Nash County, North Carolina, Easley served as the state's attorney general for eight years prior to becoming governor in January. As attorney general, he helped create an environmental crimes task force and a citizens' rights division to combat hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse. He also spearheaded efforts to reach the national tobacco settlement. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, the governor earned a law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

A longtime resident of West Virginia, Wise served 17 years representing West Virginia's Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives prior to becoming governor in January. As a senior member of Congress, Wise served on the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He authored the Wise Amendment to the Clean Air Act, which provided job training funding for displaced workers. The governor earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his law degree from the Tulane University Law School. He worked as a public-interest lawyer prior to his election to the West Virginia senate in 1980.

New York, West Virginia Governors Select New State Alternates

New York Governor George E. Pataki and West Virginia Governor Robert E. Wise Jr. have named new state alternates to represent them on the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Governor Pataki has named Randy A. Daniels, New York's new secretary of state, as his ARC state alternate. Daniels replaces former secretary of state Alexander Treadwell, who recently was named chairman of the New York Republican State Committee. Daniels is also currently the vice chairman of the State University of New York board of trustees, and was formerly a senior vice president at the Empire State Development Corporation.

Governor Wise has selected Robert D. Lewis, newly appointed director of community development in the West Virginia Development Office, as his ARC state alternate. Lewis previously served as the West Virginia state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development programs. Lewis replaces Fred Cutlip, who recently retired as director of community development after serving 34 years in state government.