The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) named One Harlan County Executive Director Colby Kirk to participate in the inaugural class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute.

Kirk will participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an extensive nine-month program of skill-building seminars, best practice reviews, field visits, mentoring and networking.

The curriculum will be anchored by six multi-day seminars around the region with the first sessions taking place in Morehead on Oct. 21-24. Subsequent training sessions will beheld in Dalton, Georgia; Starkville, Mississippi; Beckley, West Virginia; Boone, North Carolina; Jamestown, New York; followed by a capstone graduation in Washington, DC in July 2020.

“We are excited for Colby Kirk to have this opportunity to learn and grow as a leader and to represent Harlan County in this program. We look forward to the knowledge and connections he will bring back home to our community to improve our economic development efforts,” said Dan Mosley, Harlan County Judge-Executive.

As part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, Kirk will work directly with public policy, community development, education, investment and other professionals who live and/or work in the region to:

• design effective economic development project proposals;

• integrate community assets into long-lasting economic development strategies;

• identify resources available to spur economic development;

• locate and access investment capital from a variety of public and private

sources;

• prepare competitive applications for public grant opportunities;

• use expanded leadership skills to create strong coalitions.

Upon completion of the program, Kirk will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network — a peer-to-peer working group committed to Appalachia’s future.

“Our hope is that the Appalachian Leadership Institute will help develop leadership and problem solving, bring advancement, and grow greater prosperity in the region,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “Leadership is the essential foundation on which all of our collective efforts to enhance Appalachia rest.”

Kirk was selected via a competitive application process. ARC received 180 applications for the 2019-20 Appalachian Leadership Institute class, resulting in an acceptance rate of 22 percent. Applications for the 2020-21 class will open in March 2020.

The Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive regional leadership training program developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, The Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy, Tuskegee University and Collective Impact.

More information about the Appalachian Leadership Institute is available at www.arc.gov/leadershipinstitute.