Gov. Jim Justice: ARC and West Virginia — partners in a state of improvement
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This commentary is part of a series from governors of the 13 states in the Appalachian Regional Commission. ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region.
For every home improvement project, big or small, you need the right tools to get the job done. That’s one way to think about the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Since 1965, ARC has been committed to investing in Appalachia by providing essential resources to build our communities, upgrade our infrastructure and develop our regional economy.
ARC is a federal-state-local partnership, which includes 13 states in the Appalachian region, from southern New York to northern Mississippi, focusing on economic development in 420 counties across the Appalachian region. West Virginia has a unique position within ARC because our entire state falls within the commission’s 420-county footprint. No other state holds this distinction.
I know that ARC is committed to West Virginia. As it is with all of Appalachia, the ARC is devoted to moving our state forward. So am I.
One way I have demonstrated this commitment is by elevating our State Development Office to a cabinet-level department within my administration, creating the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. This department administers West Virginia’s ARC program. This allows us to better tell Appalachia’s story and market ourselves to the outside world.
As a partner with ARC, each year I work to identify top priorities affecting West Virginia and its citizens. These include providing basic infrastructure, such as water and wastewater systems, to our most vulnerable West Virginians; addressing substance use disorder and creating a recovery ecosystem that assists with workforce reentry; and revitalizing our communities affected by reductions in coal extraction, in part by addressing abandoned and vacant buildings. Our partnership with the ARC also allows us to provide business support and assistance to increase economic opportunities and investment in the deployment of critical broadband infrastructure.
Other targeted investment priorities include workforce development; technical and capital assistance to businesses; developing our emerging economic sectors, such as technology, tourism and advanced energy; and developing commercial and industrial sites.
Some of our most recent priority investments in West Virginia include:
• Economic opportunities: $7.8 million invested in entrepreneurial strategies to strengthen the state’s economy
• Critical infrastructure: $3.4 million invested in developing our critical infrastructure, including broadband, transportation and water/sewer systems
• Workforce: $2 million to boost the education, skills and health that West Virginians need to work and succeed
• Additional priorities: $1.1 million to develop our leadership and community capabilities and leverage our natural and cultural resources
ARC investments have been critical to our state’s community and economic development needs while maximizing our assets and allowing for continued growth in our economy.
I thank everyone involved with ARC for all that you do for the people of West Virginia. I know that with the strong partnership between ARC and our state, we can continue to develop and improve Almost Heaven West Virginia, ensuring a brighter future for our great state and the great people who call it home.
Jim Justice is the Republican governor of West Virginia.