WASHINGTON, D.C., January 11, 2018—Today, Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl announced that Appalachia’s 13 governors have elected Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to serve as ARC’s states’ co-chair for 2018. As part of ARC’s federal-state partnership structure, the states’ co-chair works directly with the federal co-chair to invest in economic growth and development across the Appalachian Region. As the states’ co-chair, Bryant will also host ARC’s 2018 annual conference, to be held in Mississippi this fall.

“Appalachia will benefit from Governor Bryant’s experience and commitment to sustainable and robust economic development,” said Gohl. “His leadership as states’ co-chair will be a valuable asset to the Commission and the Region.”

“I am honored that my fellow governors have chosen me for this role,” said Bryant. “ARC’s work in Appalachia has strengthened the Region economically and socially, and I look forward to continuing that work.”

Bryant is ARC’s 65th states’ co-chair, and the sixth governor from Mississippi to hold the position. He succeeds Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, who served as ARC states’ co-chair in 2017. The last ARC states’ co-chair from Mississippi was former Governor Haley Barbour, who held the position in 2008. Twenty-four Mississippi counties are part of ARC’s 420-county footprint, which stretches from northern Mississippi to New York’s Southern Tier.

Since its formation in 1965, ARC has invested in thousands of community-based projects contributing to the economic growth of Appalachia by training workers, creating jobs, and attracting additional investment capital to the Region. In fiscal year 2017 alone, ARC approved over $152 million in funding for 591 economic development projects across Appalachia. These investments are projected to help create or retain more than 21,000 jobs; train more than 30,000 students, workers, and leaders in new skills; attract more than $206 million in other project funding; and leverage more than $735 million in private investment in Appalachia. All of ARC’s investments are made in concordance with ARC’s Five-Year Strategic Plan for Capitalizing on Appalachia’s Opportunities.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 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.