Aaron Poynter to Represent Kentucky in Intensive Regional Leadership Development Program

October 6, 2022, Russell Springs, Kentucky — The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) named Aaron Poynter, Director of Reentry Programming, Cumberlands and South Central Workforce Development Boards, to participate in the 2022-2023 class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, a free leadership and economic development training opportunity for individuals currently living and/or working in one of ARC’s 13 Appalachian states. The 2022-2023 class comprises a diverse network of professionals representing all 13 Appalachian states and a wide spectrum of perspectives and sectors, including tourism, healthcare, education, civil service, and more.

The nine-month curriculum is anchored by six multi-day seminars across the Appalachian region focusing on each of ARC’s strategic investment priorities, which aim to strengthen economic and community growth in Appalachia. The fourth class will run from October 2022 through July 2023, focusing on skill-building seminars and best practice reviews to prepare fellows to:

• Design effective economic development project proposals
• Integrate community assets into long-term economic development strategies
• Identify resources available to spark economic and community development
• Locate and access investment capital from a variety of public and private sources
• Prepare competitive applications for public grant opportunities
• Use expanded connections and leadership skills to create strong regional partnerships

"Congratulations to the incoming 2022-2023 class of Appalachian Leadership Institute fellows! These leaders are already growing their Appalachian communities and will be even better equipped to drive positive change after their work with this program,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “I am eager to see this class of fellows collaborate across state lines to set big goals that will help the entire Appalachian region thrive.”

Appalachian Leadership Institute fellows were selected via a competitive application process to reflect the Appalachian region’s wide range of economic development challenges, opportunities, and strategies.

Upon completion of the program, Aaron will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Alumni Network, a peer-to-peer working group of experts helping foster collaborative solutions that will build a stronger future for Appalachia.

"It's a blessing to be able to be a part of something like this. I never would have imagined some years ago being able to have this opportunity, and I hope that I'm able to bring back ideas, contacts, and networking to really help our region," said Poynter. "That's why I want to do it is because this is an amazing organization to be affiliated with. Anything I can do to help our region or our state, that's what I'm focused on. I want to be able to share with everybody else the great things that we are doing. I think it's going to be tremendously valuable."

To learn more about the program, visit: arc.gov/leadership. To meet the 2022-2023 class of fellows and learn more about how they are working to transform their Appalachian communities, visit: arc.gov/appalachian-leadership-institute-class.

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 Center for Public Policy; 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 agency 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. Learn more at www.arc.gov.