Chosen by his fellow Appalachian governors to serve as the Commission's 2019 states' co-chair, Cooper will work directly with the ARC federal co-chair in this leadership role to continue the agency's commitment to economic growth in the 13-state Appalachian Region.

ARC will host 150 students from 15 Appalachian based colleges and universities at the 18th annual Appalachian Teaching Project Conference in Washington, D.C. Supported by ARC and organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), ATP is an applied-research training program for college…

On October 11, ARC announced $26.5 million to continue expanding and diversifying the economy in Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities through the POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. These 35 awards are projected to create or retain over 5,400 jobs and leverage more than $193 million in private…

A suite of new research reports and resources to support entrepreneurial development in Appalachia outline core elements necessary for a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, analyze community case studies to provide insight into the unique challenges faced by communities in Appalachia, and offer recommendations to support future economic development across the Region.

$165 million for ARC is included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Appropriations Act which was signed into law by President Trump on September 21, 2018. This is the largest appropriation for ARC's nonhighway work in the agency's history.

$165 million for ARC is included in the final Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Appropriations Act which passed both houses of Congress this week. This is the largest appropriation for ARC's nonhighway work in the agency's history.

Three new resources released by ARC, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky offer a fresh approach to understanding health in Appalachia by focusing on community strengths and identifying local factors supporting a Culture of Health. The resources include case studies of ten “Bright Spot”…

Both bills provide $155 million for ARC’s nonhighway programs, including $50 million for the POWER Initiative to help Appalachian communities adversely impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector.

Each of the appropriations bills provides a total of $155 million for ARC’s nonhighway programs, including $50 million for the POWER Initiative to help Appalachian communities adversely impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector.

Sworn into the post on April 3, 2018, Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience working in Kentucky’s public and private sectors on infrastructure, workforce training, and regulatory issues.

Signed by President Trump on March 23, the omnibus bill provides the highest level of funding for ARC’s nonhighway programs in the agency’s history.

Developed by NORC at the University of Chicago and ARC, the Appalachian Overdose Mapping Tool integrates overdose mortality rates for Appalachia's 420 counties with data on socioeconomic factors including unemployment, poverty, disability, and others.

In February 2018, ARC released a state-by-state overview of the Commission’s fiscal year 2017 economic development investments in the Appalachian Region. The overview includes 13 state investment fact sheets, as well as a companion fact sheet outlining ARC’s regional investments during the fiscal year.

Signed by the president on February 9, the legislation continues agency funding, including ARC’s, at the FY 2017 level, minus a small across-the-board reduction. It also sets overall budget numbers to guide the congressional appropriations committees in drafting an omnibus appropriations bill for the rest of FY 2018.

On February 1, ARC issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 2018 POWER Initiative funding to help Appalachia's coal-impacted communities create a more vibrant economic future. The Commission is making up to $20 million available through the RFP.