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ReImagine Appalachia’s 2022 Strategy Summit: Wrap Up

By Blog
Dana Kuhnline is ReImagine Appalachia’s Campaign Director

ReImagine Appalachia’s 2022 Strategy Summit: Wrap Up

By Dana Kuhnline

We are fit to bursting with excitement coming out of our two day virtual summit we just hosted. The summit included 12 incredible conversations, with over 300 registrants. We’re so thankful to our presenters, facilitators, notetakers, all the people who provided feedback during the planning process, and to our organizers. Now it’s time to get to work! Reach out to us to connect and learn how your group can get more involved. 

If you missed the summit, or are looking for some of the resources that were shared during the summit, we’ll be compiling those in this blog. 

The summit opened with a panel titled “Building Appalachia’s Bright Future: What’s next with new opportunities from federal funding?” We heard from experts in economic development, labor, climate and conservation, and racial and equity work about the opportunities – and the challenges – our region will see in 2022.  Below is a list of our panelists with links so you can learn more about their work (and links to their powerpoints, if applicable). A recording of the panel can be found here.

Speakers included:

We also hosted a series of breakout sessions. Here are the notes. Sessions for January 11th included: 

  • Securing community and labor standards in new federal spending
  • Mapping federal resources and making them accessible for local communities
  • Electrifying public transportation and manufacturing electric vehicles
  • Reviving the Civilian Conservation Corps and creating second-chance opportunities for workers
  • ReImagining Our States: State-Level Advocacy Strategy Session

The second day of the summit opened up with a panel titled: “Starting Local: What are lessons from local leaders that can build towards regional excellence?” We were joined by an incredible group of local electeds and changemakers who shared their priorities for 2022 for local work and regional collaboration. A recording of the panel can be found here.

Speakers included: 

  • Moderator: Patricia DeMarco, Vice President of the Forest Hills Borough Council (Website) 
  • Brittany Reno, Mayor, Sharpsburg, PA (Twitter)
  • Tito Brown, Mayor, Youngstown, OH (Twitter)
  • Rosemary Ketchum, Councilmember, Wheeling, WV (Twitter)
  • Rev. Marcia Dinkins, BLAC Representative and Executive Director, Ohio Interfaith Power & Light (Twitter)
  • Rob Dorans, Chief Legal Counsel, Building Trades in Ohio (Affiliated Construction Trades) and Councilmember, Columbus, OH (Twitter)

We also hosted a series of breakout sessions. Here are the notes. Sessions for January 12th included: 

  • Ensuring good union jobs for working Appalachians
  • Building a Local Government Network
  • Racial Justice and Community Standards in new federal spending 
  • Growing Clean and Efficient Manufacturing in Appalachia 
  • Faith Roundtable: Empowering communities of Faith to serve as conveners of cross-stakeholder partnerships and help bring federal funds into rural communities. 

January 30, 2022

ReImagine Appalachia in the Press

Working from the ground up

This work is best done together.

We’ve gathered visions from around the region and received input from scores of community leaders. Our endorsements come from organizations representing the voices of millions of residents across four states in the Ohio River Valley: Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

OUR PARTNERS

Expand opportunity through public investments

Create new opportunities for extractive industry workers and build career ladders for young people from all races and backgrounds.

CREATE GOOD JOBS

Publicly funded projects should come with strong wages, benefit and diversity requirements, and union rights.

GIVE COAL WORKERS PRIORITY

People moving out of extractive industries have skills we need to create the world we want.

BUILD CAREER LADDERS

Build pathways for women and people of color into union jobs and family-sustaining careers.

”We can create good jobs while putting our region’s energy dollars to better use.

Build a 21st century sustainable economy

National climate change legislation and federal economic stimulus packages are opportunities to bring much-needed resources into our region. We must be at the table, together, if we want to get a deal that works for us.

REPAIR DAMAGE DONE IN THE LAST CENTURY

Clean up abandoned properties and put them back to good use. And provide health care and secure pensions for coal workers, especially those with black lung disease.

MODERNIZE THE
ELECTRIC GRID

By upgrading our antiquated electric system, expanding broadband, and making our homes and businesses more energy efficient, we cut emissions, save money and create new jobs.

EXPAND MANUFACTURING BY MAKING IT MORE EFFICIENT AND CLEAN

Our vision grows manufacturing in the region. Federal investments will help us repurpose shuttered coal plants, turning them into eco-industrial parks. Together, we can spur more energy efficient manufacturing and reduce operating costs in a way that doesn’t involve lowering wages.

BUILD A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

By laying rail and expanding infrastructure for electric vehicles fueled by renewables, we can create good jobs while putting half of our region’s energy dollars to better use.

RELAUNCH THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

To absorb carbon, we can put people to work expanding our forests, wetlands, and sustainable farms. Give hiring priority to returning citizens caught up in the “war on drugs” and opioid epidemic.

”Everyone is more successful when people are paid a living wage.

Grow unions, raise wages for all workers

We must improve job quality for working people in all industries by raising the minimum wage and providing them with real rights to form a union.

Taking Action Now

Our work is time sensitive.

We’re working to ensure the people of Appalachia have a say in how our region rebuilds.

Get Involved