Our Work In West Virginia In partnership with the West Virginia Development Office, ARC is supporting 30 projects in West Virginia totaling over $14.3 million in fiscal year 2020. These investments have been matched by nearly $10.8 million and are attracting an additional $3.1 million in leveraged private investments in…

Governor Justice is a native of Raleigh County, West Virginia. After graduating from high school, he attended Greenbrier Military School and then earned both his bachelor’s degree and his M.B.A. from Marshall University. He joined his family’s agriculture business in 1976, and in 1977 founded Bluestone Farms (now Justice Family…

Jennifer Ferrell currently serves as the Director of the Community Advancement and Development (CAD) division in the West Virginia Development Office. The CAD division administers state and federal grant programs which are designed to improve the quality of life to the citizens in West Virginia. Through these grant programs, the…

West Virginia, though improving in many measures, has the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people of any other state. Fortunately, the Mountain State also has an incredible host of ARC partners, local leaders, and community members committed to overcoming this challenge. This list includes West Virginia University Research Corporation and the Institute for Community and Rural Health (WVU…

“Revolutionary Unique” was one of the many businesses pitched at the Dare to DreamCompetition for high school students in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Creating a brighter economic future for Appalachia means investing in leadership skills and capacity of young doers, thinkers and leaders today. That’s why ARC…

In 2016, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) partnered with the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) to drive recreational tourism development in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Through ARC POWER funding, the partners launched a revolving loan…

It’s been a full year since the nation’s first confirmed COVID-19 case. With federal plans to amp up vaccinations as soon as possible, it’s important to take a look at how Appalachian states are responding to, and in some cases leading, vaccination…

Individuals overcoming substance use disorder (SUD) often face a series of overwhelming obstacles when reentering their communities. Workplace stigmas around addiction, a lack of transportation to services and unsupportive living situations can all stand in the way of successful long-term recovery. To help individuals navigate these types of barriers,…

“About 80% of West Virginia businesses have 20 or less employees,” said Alyssa Keedy, the Advanced Career Education Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Why is that the case? One reason is a disconnect between West Virginia workers and the skills needed by local employers. With many…

With only one in three adults physically active, West Virginia has high rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. These health outcomes directly affect workforce readiness and productivity, economic development, and overall quality of life in communities. To get West Virginians moving – and health trends moving in the…

From 2005 to 2015, 94% of the national job growth in the U.S. was in self-employed/independent contracting positions. The Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER)’s launched the Benefit U project in West Virginia, in partnership…