ASHLAND, Ky., September 30, 2020 The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has named Amanda Clark, external affairs manager of Kentucky Power as a 2020-2021 Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow.   

As a Fellow, Clark will participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an extensive nine-month series of online skill-building seminars featuring regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis beginning in mid-October through July 2021. Topics include:

· Designing effective economic development project proposals;

· Integrating community assets into long-lasting economic development strategies;

· Identifying resources available to spur economic development;

· Locating and accessing investment capital from a variety of public and private sources;

· Preparing competitive applications for public grant opportunities; and

· Using expanded leadership skills to create strong coalitions.

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

“Kentucky Power is committed to enhancing the quality of life in our service territory.  Amanda exemplifies our culture of working strategically with our business community, government and economic development partners to facilitate growth,” said Kentucky Power president and chief operating officer Brett Mattison.  “We are proud that Amanda was chosen as an Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow.”

Clark was selected via a competitive application process. ARC received over 100 applications for the 2020-2021 Appalachian Leadership Institute class and selected 40 applicants. 

“Congratulations to the new class of Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows. The skills development and network-building opportunities offered by this program have proven to be valuable, and this past year has shown that effective local leadership is essential,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “This program has adjusted well to the present circumstance and offers a unique opportunity to learn first-hand from those who have provided leadership for their communities through difficult circumstances.”

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. This is the second year of the program.

More information, including a complete list of current Fellows, is available at www.arc.gov/leadershipinstitute. 

Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, provides electric service to approximately 165,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties, including Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Rowan. Kentucky Power is an operating company in the AEP system, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system. AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.

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.