ARC Announces Appalachian Leadership Institute Class of 2024-2025 

Sixth class of ARC’s nine-month economic development training program comprises 40 fellows from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors across all 13 Appalachian states.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 23, 2024—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced the 40 fellows selected for the 2024-2025 Class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI), a leadership training opportunity that equips Appalachian community leaders to use economic development as a tool to drive positive change. The sixth ALI class comprises a diverse network of public, private, and nonprofit leaders from all 13 Appalachian states.

The nine-month curriculum, which kicked off with an orientation session in Knoxville, TN this week, is anchored by six multi-day seminars across the Appalachian Region. Each seminar focuses on one of ARC’s strategic investment priorities and includes skill-building workshops, best practice analysis, networking, and site visits to see ARC investments in action.

“The Appalachian Leadership Institute supports the enduring work of Appalachia’s changemakers, while helping them advance their skillsets and build upon valuable regional connections with likeminded leaders,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “I send my sincerest congratulations to our newest round of ALI fellows knowing their passion and purpose will ensure an even more vibrant future for Appalachia’s communities.”

The 2024-2025 Class of ALI fellows – who were selected via a competitive application process to reflect the Appalachian region’s wide range of economic development challenges, opportunities, and strategies – includes:

  • Alabama
    • Ryan Cate Gibson, CEO, Holistic Performance Group, Decatur
    • Paul DeMarco, Partner, Parsons, Lee & Juliano, P.C., Vestavia Hills
    • Eric Wright, Director of Planning and Development, East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, Anniston
  • Georgia
    • Adrienne Cloud, CEO, SMARTech Construction, Flowery Branch
    • Andrew Davenport, Founder, A New Veteran, Gainesville
  • Kentucky
    • Casey Cash, Infrastructure Development Coordinator, Bluegrass Area Development District, Lexington
    • Colby Hall, Executive Director, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), Pikeville
    • Caitlin Mason, Assistant Director of Economic Development, Cumberland Valley Area Development District, London
    • Jessica Miles, Membership & Grants Administrator, Appalachia Funders Network, Frenchburg
  • Maryland
    • Delanie Blubaugh, Program Manager, The Greater Cumberland Committee, Cumberland
    • Annaston Cree, Western Maryland Field Representative, U.S. Congressman David Trone MD-06, Frederick
    • Kevin Simmers, Founder/Executive Director, Brooke’s House, Hagerstown
  • Mississippi
    • Cole Bryan, Executive Director, Dream Center Golden Triangle, West Point
    • Hannah Maharrey, Executive Director, Good Samaritan Health Services, Tupelo
    • Paige Watson, Director of Main Street Program, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Starkville
  • New York
    • Eric Ball, Deputy Mayor, Village of Walton, Walton
    • Fileve Palmer, Regional Development Specialist, Southern Tier West Regional Development Board, Salamanca
    • Ana Stahlman, Adult Employment Counselor, Seneca Nation, Salamanca
  • North Carolina
    • April Austin, Executive Director, Caldwell Senior Center, Lenoir
    • George Ivey, North Carolina Development Director, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Asheville
    • Silas Shields, Grants Specialist, Cherokee County Local Government, Murphy
  • Ohio
    • Eli Cole, Development Specialist, Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, Waverly
    • Tara Gilts, Philanthropy Advisor, OhioHealth Foundation, Athens
    • Chandler Grooms, Tourism Development Director, Pike County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Waverly
  • Pennsylvania
    • Kendy Alvaraz, Mayor, Borough of Lewisburg, Lewisburg
    • Kurt Bauman, Vice President, Community & Economic Development Services, Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, Pittston
    • Stephanie Desaulniers, Founder, Business by Dezign, Mifflintown
    • Cynthia Traore, Business Development Administrator, Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission, Towanda
  • South Carolina
    • Cortney Burgess, Founder, The I’mPerfect Project, Anderson
    • Leigh Huckins, Population Health Manager, Addiction Medicine Center, Prisma Health, Greenville
  • Tennessee
    • Heath Guinn, Founder, Sync Space, Kingsport
    • Tammy O’Dell, Director of Grants, Motlow State Community College, Lynchburg
    • Lottie Ryans, Director of Workforce and Literacy Initiatives, First Tennessee Development District, Johnson City
  • Virginia
    • Mandy Archer, Program Administrator, Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development Enterprise Zone Program, Galax
    • Dana Cronkhite, Director of Economic Development, Dickenson County, Clintwood
    • Thomas Lawson, Regional Planner, LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, Duffield
  • West Virginia
    • Maverly Davis, Director of Lending, New Economy Works WV, Charleston
    • Heather Foster, Chief Impact Officer, AmeriCorps Mid-Atlantic, Charleston
    • Katie Sams, Director of Business Development, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, Parkersburg
    • Liz Vitullo, Assistant Vice President of Economic Innovation, West Virginia University, Morgantown

The program will prepare these fellows to build effective economic and community development strategies, integrate their local assets into wider regional development strategies, identify public grants and other community development resources, and use new connections to forge strong regional partnerships.

“ARC’s Appalachian Leadership Institute is a valuable program that allows participants to learn more about each of ARC’s strategic investment priorities and the needs of the region,” said ARC States’ Co-Chair Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “I’m proud of the three Tennesseans chosen to participate in this class and look forward to seeing how they’ll use their leadership skills to engage in their communities.”

Upon completion of the program, fellows will continue to build and share knowledge with hundreds of other leaders in the Appalachian Leadership Institute Alumni Network, a peer working group fostering collaborative solutions to build a stronger future for Appalachia.

To learn more about the program, visit: arc.gov/leadership. To meet the 2024-2025 class of fellows and learn more about their work to strengthen Appalachian communities, visit: https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/leadership/class-of-2024-2025/.

About the Appalachian Leadership Institute   
The Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive regional leadership training program developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact. Learn more at www.arc.gov/leadership.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission   
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.