The DDAA Board met in Greenville, SC in early December 2024 to discuss important business and plan for 2025.
Most importantly, however, the Board would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. No matter what you have planned, let’s all aim to be kind to one another and continue supporting our neighbors in Appalachia.
DDAA is looking forward to new training and networking opportunities in 2025. We hope to see you at the Annual Conference on March 10-13, 2025 in Arlington, VA!
By: Eleanor Mixon and Angela Kirkpatrick, Community Development Planners, Catawba Regional Council of Governments
Union County, South Carolina, was added to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) region in 2021. Since that time, the county and its municipalities have spent much time learning about the great opportunities now available to them through ARC. One of the Union County localities, the Town of Jonesville (Jonesville), just completed its first construction project with ARC, namely the Streetscape Improvements Project. As is common in many ARC Distressed Counties, Jonesville had to be creative in funding the local match requirements. A 20% match can often limit a community’s ability to qualify for grant funding, and Jonesville was no exception.
Project Description
The Town of Jonesville experienced a population boom in the 1890s with the opening of Jonesville’s first knitting mill. However, Jonesville was devastated by the offshoring of the textile industry, the closure of its mill in the 1990s, and the recession of 2009. The closing of the mill resulted in lost jobs and the reduction of expendable income. Following years of losing local businesses, the Town Council and community leaders decided that there was an urgent need to revitalize the Town of Jonesville to attract businesses and new residents and provide amenities that contribute to the quality of life. Jonesville’s 2020 Strategic Master Plan focused on the Main Street business district as one of the key areas for revitalization and business growth. A visibly attractive downtown is more appealing to business owners and customers alike, so by improving the downtown “curb appeal” through streetscape improvements on Main Street, Jonesville aimed to encourage business retention and creation to revitalize the downtown area. Improvements included asphalt paving, concrete sidewalk, stamped asphalt, curb and gutter, ADA ramps, landscaping, signage, streetlights, trash receptacles, and benches. This project was the crucial next step toward downtown redevelopment as Jonesville strives to become a welcoming and thriving community again.
Funding Sources
The Town of Jonesville cobbled together funding from the four sources listed below to complete the Streetscape Improvements Project. Each funding source was vital to the completion of this project.
Insight from this project
Complex projects such as this one often result in insight that is useful for future projects, and this project was no different. First, distressed localities often struggle to find funding for vital projects and so must be creative with paring funding sources from local, state, and federal sources. Partners are crucial to the success of these projects. Second, it is important to recognize during project development which costs are eligible for which funding sources. In this particular case, Union County “C” Funds could only pay for costs associated with road improvements. Therefore, the budget had to be structured around “C” Funds paying for those specific costs. This project is a great example of using multiple funding sources to complete a project that would have otherwise not been feasible for a distressed community.
Now complete, the Town of Jonesville’s new Main Street looks amazing and has received many compliments. Jonesville is excited to hold its Christmas parade on a refreshed Main Street this year and looks forward to all that is to come as a result of this project.
By: Heather Feldman, Executive Director, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission
Georgia Mountains Regional Commission’s (GMRC) Workforce Development; hereinafter referred to as WorkSource Georgia Mountains (WSGM), in collaboration with Hall County Salvation Army and Good News at Noon Ministries, launched a three-week program aimed at empowering persons experiencing homelessness. This program offered comprehensive welding training to equip participants with essential skills and enhance their employment prospects. The program utilized a mobile welding lab provided by Workforce Innovators of America, stationed at the premises of Good News at Noon, to eliminate the transportation barrier. Both Good News at Noon and Hall County Salvation Army contributed classroom space and computer access, ensuring participants had a conducive learning environment. This collaboration underscores a commitment to leveraging resources and expertise across multiple community organizations.
Participants underwent training and earned certifications in high-demand fields. These included American Welding Society certifications, Forklift operation certifications, CPR certifications, and OSHA-10 safety certifications. The comprehensive skill set aims to equip participants with technical proficiency and essential workplace safety knowledge. Beyond technical training, the initiative included support for resume preparation and job interview skills through the Technical College System of Georgia’s Business Services Unit. Additionally, collaboration with the Georgia Department of Labor provides insights into the Federal Bonding Program, enhancing employment prospects for participants with backgrounds.
WSGM was instrumental in ensuring the program’s success by connecting stakeholders, providing essential resources and support to participants (such as covering tuition, offering supportive services, mentoring, and case management), and overseeing the effective implementation of the project.
Three weeks after the class, 6 out of 8 participants completed their training program. Two out of these 6 participants secured employment in their respective fields, which is a great outcome. There’s been a notable increase in interest in the program among the homeless community, indicating its positive reception and potential impact. The Boys and Girls Club stepped in to support a single-parent father during the summer, which helped eliminate a barrier to teen care. This support enables the father to search for a job and remain in stable housing at the Salvation Army. These accomplishments show significant progress and impact in both training outcomes and community support.
The Building Futures program directly supports GMRC’s vision for economic development and improved quality of life by equipping students with valuable welding skills, which in turn contributes to economic vitality by increasing their employability and earning potential. Additionally, by enhancing the skills of marginalized individuals, GMRC supports a more inclusive economy, where all community members can contribute meaningfully. The initiative facilitated collaboration among different stakeholders, including local governments, community organizations, and educational institutions. By working together to provide training and job opportunities, GMRC promoted cooperation and open communication, which are essential for realizing its vision of a region that values diverse communities and resources. Additionally, GMRC aims to improve the quality of life in the region, and this program contributes to this goal by offering individuals a way out of homelessness through meaningful employment and economic stability. It supports sustainability by tapping into human potential, thus preserving and enhancing the region’s social and economic resources for future generations.
The Building Futures program targets homeless individuals, who often face significant barriers to employment. The course offers a pathway out of homelessness and toward economic stability through training and gaining sustainable employment. This not only enhances their quality of life but also contributes to the overall well-being of the region. The program’s collaborative nature fosters a sense of community and collective effort, which are essential for its success and the broader goal of economic development and quality of life improvement.
By providing training and pathways to employment for this group, the program expands the labor pool, making it more inclusive. This inclusivity is crucial for sustaining a competitive advantage, as it ensures a broader range of talents and perspectives in the workforce. Aligned with GMRC’s vision of valuing diverse communities and resources, the program promotes cooperation, open communication, and a shared commitment to economic and social enhancement.
Heather J. Feldman
Executive Director
Whitney Blair
Workforce Development Director and Project Lead
By: Richard Zink, Executive Director, Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
The Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board’s annual local government training conference at Houghton University continues to be a cornerstone event for local government officials in the region. The target audience for this day long training includes Municipal Clerks, Mayors, Supervisors, Planning & Zoning Board Members, Code Enforcement Officers, Justices, and Court Clerks. This year’s event hosted 270 local government officials, 30 exhibitors, and 42 speakers highlighting the event’s significance and impact. The conference offers an invaluable opportunity for professional growth, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas, all aimed at promoting effective governance and sustainable regional development.
Key Features
The conference included a variety of sessions and activities designed to address the needs and interests of local government officials:
Benefits to Attendees
By: Kathy Zook, Appalachian Regional Commission Program Manager, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (Eastgate) is pleased to share the news that after the past year of working with our communities and Procured Planners during the planning process of the Appalachian Community Grant Program (ACGP), award notices were recently announced by the DeWine Administration for successful projects. During the course of the year, the district has come together tirelessly to collaborate and strengthen our partnerships as a region with the private sector, elected officials, non-profit sector, local communities, Regional Chamber and Eastgate to identify projects of importance as submitted in our ACGP development grant on December 8, 2023. As the lead applicant for our successful ACGP grant, Eastgate appreciates the $19,628,618 awarded by the Ohio Department of Development and Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA) for the 10 projects in our three-county district through the Appalachian Waterfront Development Initiative. These 10 projects will provide sustainable, regional, transformative change for future economic and community development within our Appalachian region. The successful projects are listed below:
Appalachian Waterfront Development Initiative:
MAH
$6,016,699 Total MAH
TRU
$8,221,615 Total TRU
ATB
$5,400,304 Total ATB
Total MAH $6,016,699
Total TRU $8,221,615
Total ATB $5,400,304
Eastgate ACGP Development Grant Total $19,628,618
Eastgate also celebrated its 2024 Annual Meeting in May. The meeting celebrated Eastgate’s accomplishments in the past year, including the successful funding of all nine Mahoning River dams, awarded ACGP funding, and more. Read more about the annual meeting here.
By: Chelsea Robertson, Executive Director, Southern Tier Regional Central Regional Planning & Development Board
Two small rural LDD’s located in Northern Appalachia were successful in obtaining a $4.5 million grant from ARC’s ARISE program to provide new and innovative workforce initiatives as a two state partnership. The Twin Tiers ARISE program (TTAP) consist of a total of 8 counties that fall on the southern tier of New York and northern tier of Pennsylvania. Southern Tier Central Regional Planning & Development Board (STC) and Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission (NT) began working on this partnership to address regional workforce issues during COVID, but the ARISE money provided the funding necessary to pull together the region’s additional 4 partners and to devise a workforce strategy to address the declining youth workforce participation rates and to capitalize on the region’s commutation patterns.
Commutation Map of the TTAP Region Current Youth Workforce Participation Rates
This $4.5 million dollar grant was matched with an additional $4.5 million of in-kind service donation from a total of six strategic partners. Direct collaboration among partners will maximize the value of existing services and training provided by current partners. Coordinated action is necessary to remove training/participation barriers and strengthen the engagement between training providers and potential workforce participants. Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission will lead collaborative efforts between the region’s TTAP workforce partners: the Business Education Partnership (BEP) program in PA, GST BOCES, Career Development Council, Corning Community College and CSS Workforce NY programs in NY. While Southern Tier Central Regional Development Board will manage many aspects of the projects data analytics, administration, and reporting. Organizations involved in the newly-funded Twin Tiers ARISE Program can help young people find well-paying employment. The Twin Tiers ARISE Program will work with employers: businesses, non-profits, and governments to engage the youth workforce.
“Thanks to support from the Biden-Harris Administration, ARC’s ARISE grants are making transformational, cross-boundary impacts on our Appalachian states,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The work of our newest ARISE grantees will help boost workforce opportunities across the region by providing integral job training in growing career fields, which in turn will allow Appalachia to compete economically on a national and global level.” By working together, these six organizations will be able to tap into additional training and career exploration opportunities. Over the next 5 years, this program will be able to serve thousands of young people who may not have experienced youth-workforce collaboration opportunities. TTAP will create greater connections with the region’s employers and TTAP partners will enhance the services offered the region’s youth. By 2029, about 400 new individuals will be employed in the region who otherwise might not have joined the workforce.
By: Richard Zink, Executive Director, Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
In 2023, Southern Tier West (STW) launched the Community Geographic Information System (CGIS) program to help local municipalities manage and use geographic information effectively. They used advanced ESRI software to provide powerful mapping and data analysis tools to municipalities in the region.
The program’s core is ESRI’s ARCGIS Online, a cloud-based system that allows seamless collaboration and data sharing among municipalities. STW secured a Small Enterprise Agreement Local Government-Based license, enabling 50 municipalities to use ARCGIS Online. To make it accessible, STW resold these licenses to municipalities, reducing the financial burden.
Each ARCGIS Online license includes 50 creator accounts for making maps, 50 viewer accounts for accessing data, and 50 licenses for ARCGIS Desktop Advanced or Standard. STW also created 15 customizable surveys for efficient data collection using mobile devices.
The impact has been significant, with 36 municipalities joining in the first year and 21 actively collecting data. In the second year, 23 municipalities are still actively participating. STW provides monthly training programs and on-site field training to enhance municipalities’ skills in data collection and using ARCGIS tools.
STW’s CGIS program is a model of innovation, showing how technology can empower local governments and drive positive change in communities.
By: Chris Chiles, Executive Director, KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission
Rural counties in West Virginia have long been affected by the growing digital divide as the state has historically been one of the least broadband-connected in the country. This lack of broadband service has had a particularly crippling effect on the economy and quality of life in Southern West Virginia where income, educational attainment, and labor participation are persistently low following years of decline in the coal industry. This situation, however, is poised to dramatically change through the last-mile construction and deployment of fiber to the premises for 13,432 unserved residences, businesses, and community institutions in Logan and Mingo Counties.
Slated for completion in early 2025, this project has come to fruition through both an investment of $19.6 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program and the unique partnership of both private and public entities such as American Electric Power/Appalachian Power Company (AEP/APCO), the Logan and Mingo County Commissions, GigaBeam Networks, the Logan County Economic Development Authority, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority, and Region 2 Planning and Development Council.
The project’s foundation is built upon a $60 million dollar investment by AEP/APCO that uses a portion of the strands on their planned fiber optic cable expansion to construct a highspeed broadband middle-mile and FTTP network. The last-mile fiber to the premises buildout is coinciding with AEP/APCO’s middle-mile buildout efforts. The project is currently progressing on schedule with last-mile construction having started in January 2024 for Logan County and last-mile construction for Mingo County targeted to commence later this spring.
By: Scotty Wampler, Executive Director, Cumberland Plateau PDC
Significant federal, state and local investments in broadband continue to pay dividends in Virginia as many previously unserved communities received high-speed internet for the first time in 2023. In fact, multiple holistic and universal coverage projects happening throughout the southwestern section of Virginia are anticipated to conclude by the end of 2024, including ongoing efforts occurring in the four counties and twelve towns served by the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (CPPDC).
Those counties — Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell — are benefitting from a $68.3 million investment in new broadband infrastructure, which includes approximately $49.4 million in grant funding secured by CPPDC through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) to extend high-speed broadband to homes that are currently unserved or underserved. Those funds, matched by approximately $17.5 million from Point Broadband and $1.4 million from the planning district, support two concurrent projects that will deliver high-speed broadband service to a total of nearly 15,000 homes in the four-county area.
Build-outs for both projects remain on schedule to conclude in late 2024. At that time, the planning district’s four counties are expected to reach 90-95 percent total broadband coverage (including all surrounding internet service providers). When complete, both active projects will have extended high-speed broadband to approximately one-third of the district’s population.
Thanks to a variety of public and private partnerships, CPPDC set the stage for this broadband expansion effort two decades ago through the development of a robust fiber broadband backbone network in all four counties that ultimately made the scope of the twin VATI projects significantly more feasible to accomplish. Early supporters of this network included the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA).
By: Nathan Ramsey, Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council
The pandemic caused disruption for us all. But for most of us, we were able to overcome the challenges we faced with help from our families, communities, and so many others. While the pandemic public health emergency has passed and the negative health impacts from COVID19 are less severe, we know many things in our life will never be the same. Prior to the pandemic I had only participated in a few remote meetings. I didn’t have a zoom account and I cannot recall ever using MS Teams. Now we can return to in-person meetings and events. I enjoy in-person meetings and usually learn far more by being there in the same room. But today I will participate in more remote meetings in one day than I did in total prior to the pandemic. Many of our staff offices are quiet as our team members are working from home on a regular basis.
Post pandemic, our region must be prepared for the transformative changes that are coming due to technological, labor market and economic disruption. We were reminded in the pandemic about the dangers of being too dependent on a few sectors in our economy. Our region had maintained the lowest unemployment rate in North Carolina for over five years prior to the pandemic. But early in the pandemic we held the distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the state. While our economy and labor market has generally recovered, many things are not back to the way things were. Housing costs have exploded so that we now have the highest housing prices in NC, purchasing or renting a place to live has never been more unaffordable.
To prepare our region in Western North Carolina for a more resilient, equitable and prosperous future, Land of Sky Regional Council in 2022 convened the Chambers of Commerce in our five-county region. These counties comprise our Council member governments as well as the areas included in the Asheville MSA. To help us develop this regional strategy we engaged Ernst & Young (EY US) Economic Development Advisory Services (EDAS) to supplement our internal capacity on our Economic & Community Development team. EY reviewed more than 20 existing strategic plans and studies in the region to identify themes for collaboration and partnership. While each of these five counties have economic, political and cultural differences, they all share much in common. Regional stakeholders included private sector leadership from the Chambers of Commerce and by extension the thousands of local businesses that are Chamber members.
The stakeholders identified our region’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities. The focus areas centered around five major topics: Place-based growth, Economic mobility and workforce development, Housing availability, Transportation and infrastructure and Regional marketing and branding. While many of these topics are also challenges at the state and national, even global level, our region is experiencing what is perceived to be even more severe challenges when benchmarked against state and national data. Business leaders recognized the lack of workforce and affordable housing is contributing to greater difficulty in recruiting and retaining their workforce. As the region grows, the region is experiencing infrastructure challenges in transportation, water/sewer capacity and other basic infrastructure. These leaders identified many areas for potential collaboration to increase the region’s talent supply and promote a shared regional identity.
Priorities were established for Housing Expansion and Diversification, Transportation and Infrastructure Improvement and Workforce Development. Guiding principles of this work included Leadership Collaboration and Awareness, Access and Reliability, Diversity and Inclusion, and Equity and Economic Mobility. To implement these priorities, EY EDAS recommended the formation of a Regional Business Council led by the region’s Chambers of Commerce. The most urgent need was to expand and diversify the region’s housing stock. The recommendation for a more regional approach could accelerate housing development for residents across income levels. This included an integrated approach to housing and infrastructure development which could possibly lead to a regional housing trust fund. Additional focus areas included transportation and infrastructure improvements including high-speed broadband, connecting greenway and trail systems, and enhanced mobility options.
We understand this work isn’t easy. While our local governments and partners have a long history of working together, meeting the challenges of today and beyond will require greater collaboration. We are excited about more opportunities for the public and private sectors to achieve common goals for a brighter future for everyone in our region. The Land of Sky CEDS is doubling down on greater collaboration so our region will have a brighter, more prosperous and equitable future for all. We cannot afford to leave anyone behind because our future depends on it. To learn more about our CEDS please visit the following links or contact us.
Regional Resiliency and Strategic Plan Alignment Report landofsky.org/pdf/LGS/CEDS/LOS_RegionalResiliencyStrategicAlignment_Report.pdf
Labor Shed and Target Industry Analysis Microsoft PowerPoint – 07.29.22 Land of Sky Labor Shed and Target Industry Analysis Report_FINAL (Revised table p.66 – 09.29.22).pptx
Land of Sky 2020 CEDS . (arcgis.com)
Nathan Ramsey, Executive Director/Workforce Director nathan@landofsky.org
Erica Anderson, Deputy Director/Economic & Community Development Director erica@landofsky.org