ARC Strategic Planning Webinars

In June 2010 the Appalachian Regional Commission held a series of webinars to obtain citizen input for a six-year (2011–2016) strategic plan that will guide future ARC economic and community development efforts in the Appalachian Region. These webinars provided an opportunity for residents of Appalachia to contribute to a plan that will address issues, opportunities, and challenges the Region will face over the next six years. (ARC's current strategic plan, Moving Appalachia Forward [PDF file: 1.7 MB], covers the period 2005 to 2010.)

To accommodate all participants from the general public in Appalachia and to better analyze input geographically, ARC conducted a webinar for each of the three Appalachian subregions of Northern, Central, and Southern Appalachia. It conducted a fourth webinar targeted to members of the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA).

The webinars' more than 300 participants were able to provide input on a variety of key issues facing the Region via electronic polling and online comments. The issues included, but were not limited to, jobs and business development; infrastructure and capital; community and leadership development; education, training, and health; the environment; and energy.

The lists below detail the priority issues identified by participants of each of the four webinars. This information will be presented at the August 5 ARC meeting in North Carolina and will inform the development of the Commission's new strategic plan.

DDAA Webinar: Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Assisting existing businesses in the Appalachian Region
Extending infrastructure to support job creation
Developing regional solutions to problems
Recruiting new industries to Appalachia
Investing in long-term planning and strategic planning
Developing public/private partnerships
Improving efficiency of existing water/sewerage systems
Diversifying the local economic base
Improving the energy efficiency of buildings
Encouraging sustainable economic use of natural resources

Southern Appalachia Webinar: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
(This webinar included residents of the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.)

Growing jobs with local assets and local resources
Investing in clinical care in areas without basic services
Improving the college graduation rate for Appalachia
Investing in high-tech worker training and retraining
Promoting an entrepreneurial education at all levels of education
Diversifying the local economic base
Developing regional solutions to problems
Assisting existing businesses in the Appalachian Region
Investing in long term planning and strategic planning
Developing public/private partnerships
Encouraging sustainable economic use of natural resources

Central Appalachia Webinar: Wednesday, June 16, 2010
(This webinar included residents of the states of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.)

Diversifying the local economic base
Growing jobs with local assets and local resources
Developing regional solutions to problems
Encouraging sustainable economic use of natural resources
Assisting existing businesses in the Appalachian Region
Improving the college graduation rate for Appalachia
Investing in long-term planning and strategic planning
Investing in clinical care in areas without basic services
Preventing the pollution of surface water and ground water
Conserving the natural places in Appalachia for ecotourism

Northern Appalachia Webinar: Thursday, June 17, 2010
(This webinar included residents of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland.)

Assisting existing businesses in the Appalachian Region
Investing in broadband infrastructure
Growing jobs with local assets and local resources
Investing in clinical care in areas without basic services
Diversifying the local economic base
Developing public/private partnerships
Developing regional solutions to problems
Recruiting new industries to Appalachia
Increasing the availability of capital
Conserving the natural places in Appalachia for ecotourism