At the DDAA Annual Business Meeting on March 8, 2026, DDAA Past President Chris Chiles formally unveiled the organization’s new 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. The announcement took place during the DDAA Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia, where Local Development District (LDD) representatives, federal partners, and regional leaders gathered to discuss the future of community and economic development across Appalachia.

The new Strategic Plan builds on DDAA’s previous plan adopted in 2021 and reflects a year-long process of board discussions, member feedback, and strategic assessment. As DDAA represents 74 Local Development Districts serving 423 counties across the Appalachian Region, the Plan outlines how the organization will continue to strengthen its support for LDDs while responding to an evolving policy and economic landscape. With federal budgets tightening, communities recovering from natural disasters, and development priorities shifting, the Plan emphasizes both strengthening DDAA’s core services and selectively pursuing new initiatives that advance regional collaboration and innovation.

The Strategic Plan continues to organize DDAA’s work around five core areas: Leadership and Professional Development, Networking, Engagement, Advocacy, and Innovation. These focus areas reflect the services members most value—from training and peer learning opportunities to stronger engagement with federal partners and a more focused approach to advocacy for Appalachian communities. The Plan also introduces several new priorities, including expanded leadership development for new LDD staff and directors, stronger peer learning networks on emerging topics such as workforce and disaster recovery, and enhanced efforts to tell the story of the impact Local Development Districts have across rural America.

The new Plan reflects both continuity and adaptation. DDAA will continue to deliver high-quality training programs and conferences while expanding opportunities for collaboration, mentoring, and knowledge sharing among members. At the same time, the Plan recognizes the importance of strengthening partnerships with federal agencies, philanthropic organizations, and national development networks in order to position the Appalachian region for future opportunities.

The release of the Strategic Plan at the Annual Business Meeting marked an important milestone for the organization and reaffirmed DDAA’s commitment to supporting Local Development Districts as they work to build healthy, prosperous, and resilient communities throughout Appalachia.

As implementation begins, DDAA will continue working closely with its members and partners to translate the Plan’s goals into concrete actions that strengthen regional development efforts across the Appalachian Region. DDAA thanks Erik Pages of EntreWorks Consulting for his work in the development of the Plan.

The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) kicked off the day with its Breakfast and Annual Business Meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, bringing together over 150 members and partners from across the Appalachian region. The session opened with remarks from DDAA President Dennis Stripling, who welcomed attendees and previewed a program featuring updates from key partners at the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), along with important association business including financial reports, program updates, and the introduction of DDAA’s new 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.

Participants heard directly from several ARC leaders about federal and state initiatives impacting Appalachian communities. ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin provided an overview of ARC’s current priorities and the agency’s continued collaboration with governors, local development districts, and regional partners to strengthen economic growth and community capacity across Appalachia. Congressional Liaison Olivia Leonard followed with an update on ARC-related legislation, while ARC States’ Washington Representative Jim Hyland shared insights on federal policy developments and state-level program activities affecting the region.

The meeting also highlighted DDAA’s accomplishments over the past year and the association’s plans for the future. Reports from Treasurer Steve Pelissier and Training Committee Chair Michelle Jordan provided updates on DDAA’s finances and professional development programs, including upcoming training opportunities and peer learning initiatives. Immediate Past President Chris Chiles then presented the outcomes of the new 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and led the election of the 2026–2027 DDAA Board of Directors. The morning concluded with a look ahead to the day’s programming, as attendees prepared to continue the conference with the opening plenary session on federal initiatives, funding, and strategic priorities shaping the future of the Appalachian region.

In a small rural community like Westover Borough, water isn’t something many people think about until a problem arises.

For many years, this Clearfield County (PA) community relied on a single surface water source to serve every home and business in town. While the system worked, it left the community vulnerable. Any sort of disruption could have left the entire community without water, something no one should have to worry about.

In 2025, that vulnerability was addressed.

With support from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and assistance from the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, Westover completed a nearly $500,000 project to establish a second, reliable water source. The effort included drilling two test wells and one production well, along with major upgrades to the Borough’s existing water treatment plant.

Upon completion, the results were substantial. Daily water capacity increased from approximately 20,000 gallons to more than 70,000 gallons, more than tripling the available supply.

Today, 154 households and several local businesses are served by a stronger, more dependable water system. The added capacity not only improves reliability and public health, but also creates room for future residential growth and expanded tourism activity in the area.

In rural communities like Westover, infrastructure projects may not always serve massive amounts of people, but they serve everyone who calls that place home. With this project complete, Westover Borough has greater stability today and more opportunity for tomorrow, demonstrating how strategic investments can help prepare rural Appalachian communities for the future.

Across Appalachia, the future of the forest economy depends on collaboration that crosses state lines, sectors, and disciplines. Over the past three years following the closure of the Pactiv-Evergreen paper mill in Canton, NC  Land of Sky Regional Council and Southwestern Commission have been convening a growing interdisciplinary and multi-state Forest Sector Stakeholders group monthly to do just that—bring together economic developers, foresters, industry leaders, researchers, workforce organizations, and state and regional partners from North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

This group has been funded to grow and expand through Appalachian Regional Commission’s ARISE Planning grant. This stakeholder group has served as a consistent forum for shared learning, problem-solving, and strategy development. Monthly meetings have focused on understanding regional supply-chain challenges, identifying emerging market opportunities, and aligning workforce, research, addressing Helene Recovery, and economic development assets across the Southern Appalachian forest basin. The group reflects the full forest value chain from landowners and first processors to advanced manufacturers, community colleges, universities, and public agencies ensuring that solutions are grounded in real-world conditions and regional capacity to encourage a circular economy that benefits the entire spectrum across the three-state region.

This sustained collaboration has been complemented by technical and economic analysis led by RTI International and North Carolina State University’s SOFAC. Together with stakeholder input, these partners conduct supply-chain and market analyses, conducting industry interviews, and regional assessments that helped clarify both the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities for transformation.

The culmination of this work is the submission of a Southern Appalachian Forest Economy Cluster (SAFEC) ARISE Implementation grant application. The proposed cluster builds directly on the planning effort and reflects the same ARC counties across North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina, recognizing that the forest economy functions as an interconnected, multi-state system. SAFEC proposes a coordinated approach to modernizing the forest sector supporting advanced materials, industrialized construction, workforce development, and value-added manufacturing while strengthening resilience across rural communities.

Equally important, SAFEC represents a shift from planning to action. The Forest Sector Stakeholders Partnership will continue to play a central role as the initiative moves forward, providing governance, regional alignment, and on-the-ground insight to guide implementation.

This work demonstrates what is possible when Appalachia invests in long-term, cross-sector collaboration. By aligning research, industry, workforce systems, and regional leadership, the Southern Appalachian region is positioning its forest economy for sustainable growth—rooted in local assets and driven by shared purpose.

Stakeholders and partners are encouraged to stay engaged and watch for updates as the SAFEC proposal moves through the ARC review process and the region prepares for the next phase of coordinated, multi-state implementation.

Georgia’s Appalachian Regional Port—A Partnership for Prosperity

Recently, the Georgia Ports Authority announced that the Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in rural Murray County (GA) set a record in November 2025 with seven trains per week carrying nearly 4,000 containers—a 35% increase from November 2024.

The rail line serving the ARP connects the Port of Savannah, Georgia, the fastest-growing port on the East Coast and the nation’s fourth-busiest seaport, to Northwest Georgia, Northeast Alabama, and the Greater Chattanooga/Southeastern Tennessee area. Interstate 75 is the main artery connecting Atlanta to Chattanooga, 118 miles to the north.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has been a partner in creating and growing this major economic engine throughout the process, providing funding and initial credibility to the proposal.

In 2015, the Appalachian Regional Commission invested $300,000, and Murray County contributed $400,000 to purchase the 46-acre site. CSX Railroad contributed $7.8 million in private investment.

In 2016, ARC contributed $120,000 with a local match of $30,000 to prepare the Murray County Site Development Master Plan. The purpose of the grant was to “prepare an infrastructure master plan, including broadband and telecommunications, for future development around the Appalachian Regional Inland Port located in Murray County.”

In 2017, the $6.4 million City of Chatsworth/Chatsworth Sewerage System Improvements Project received $600,000 in ARC funding to “construct sewerage system improvements to serve northern Murray County, including the Appalachian Inland Port and surrounding industrial area.”

In 2018, ARC invested another $600k in the Murray County/Murray County South Industrial Park SSI to extend sewer service to the Murray South Industrial Park, enabling future development. The local match was $1.138 million, and a private company invested $6 million in a facility that created 58 jobs.

Most recently, ARC matched Murray County’s investment of $572,582 to develop more acreage in the South Industrial Park. It will construct a drive and extend water lines into the 349-acre Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) site. Interest in the park is primarily driven by its proximity to the ARP.

These investments have created many jobs and expanded the tax base in Murray County and beyond. The ARP is in the 15-county Northwest Georgia economic development region, where the economic impact of the Port of Savannah supports 45,800 full- and part-time jobs. Between FYs 2023 and 2024, a University of Georgia study found that the ARP supported an increase of about 5,600 jobs in Northwest Georgia. According to the Murray County Chamber of Commerce, “We have welcomed General Electric (GE) Logistics Center and Huali Floors, enhancing job growth in the region. Foss Floors and Polytech Fibers, LLC, are expanding. We welcomed Galaxy Group, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based manufacturer, to the Murray South Industrial Park, where they are building a facility. Green Galaxy Group purchased 41 acres for its back-to-the-U.S. manufacturing facility to make synthetic surfacing.”

The ARP has many benefits:

• Each round-trip container moved via the ARP offsets 710 truck miles on Georgia highways, improving safety and quality of life in a region where more than 60% of its workforce commutes outside the area for gainful employment.
• It is within reach of 75% of the continental U.S. in two days or less.
• It serves as an economic generator not only for Murray County, but for the Northwest Georgia, Southeastern Tennessee, and the Top of Alabama LDDs.
• According to an economic impact study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, port-supported employment across Northwest Georgia increased by 14 percent or more than 5,600 jobs between fiscal year 2023 and FY2024.

ARC’s endorsement and financial assistance in the development of the ARP and related projects will pay dividends for generations to come. It exemplifies transformational change produced by vision, leadership, and clear project goals. The Appalachian Regional Port is an excellent example of interstate cooperation that partners, innovates, and strengthens the region’s economy.

Boyd Austin, Executive Director

Northwest Georgia Regional Commission

baustin@nwgrc.gov