By Jean Hardiman
Editor’s Note: To view “Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia” in its entirety, visit www.arc.gov.
Invest in education, technology, infrastructure and broadband. Foster long-term community engagement. Create a community with a quality of life so attractive people want to live there. Spend time preparing leaders for the next generation. These are just a few of the best practices for economic resilience that were discovered in a study recently conducted by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
In February, ARC released “Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia,” a report that highlights communities in Appalachia and elsewhere that have proven to be economically resilient in light of downturns in traditional industries.
Among the 10 communities across the country highlighted for their resilience was Harrison County, WV, a community that not only bounced back from a decline in coal mining but lost very little—if any—ground. The nine other communities studied for this report faced a variety of different struggles, from declines in timber or manufacturing to significant economic jarring caused by the 2008 recession. The solutions that fueled their rebound included identifying and growing assets, building networks and collaboration, cultivating entrepreneurship or combining a variety of these efforts.
Researching Economic Resilience
The study was done as part of ARC’s POWER Initiative. POWER, which stands for Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, aims to help areas suffering from coal industry-related job losses by helping them diversify their economies, according to ARC Director Wendy Wasserman.
“ARC was particularly interested in how communities demonstrate resilience in the face of dramatic economic disruptions,” she says. “This interest is also reflective of ARC’s mission to innovate, partner and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.”
Organizations like Downstream Strategies, the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development and Dialogue + Design Associates were contracted through a competitive request for proposal process to help conduct the research for the study.
“Their methodology included an analysis of 35 statistical indicators to yield a resilience score for each one of the Appalachian region’s 420 counties,” says Wasserman. “The team then followed up with dedicated field research to learn more about the experiences behind what the statistics were showing. They also looked at community experiences outside the region as potentially informative case studies.”
Replicating Successful Practices
The 10 communities studied for the report speak to one glaring truth that other struggling communities can embrace: sustainable resilience is rooted in multi-sector development. Wasserman points to Harrison County as a prime example of this statement.
“There, the education, health and entrepreneurial sectors are growing in tandem,” she says. “The local economic development corporation’s commitment in multi-sector, community-based development is paying off.”
Harrison County had a lot of great advantages that not all communities can replicate, according to Evan Hansen, president of Downstream Strategies, an environmental science and policy research company based in Morgantown, WV, that contributed to the study. Among those are having a major health care center and proximity to natural gas operations, interstates and a major educational institution like West Virginia University. However, the county’s efforts to renovate its downtown, create a farmer’s market that doubles as a business incubator and emphasize healthy living throughout the community are things other communities—particularly in West Virginia—can easily do.
One opportunity, according to Hansen, is the fact that West Virginia is home to a large number of what were once beautiful downtown areas. “All they need is a little attention, a little tender loving care,” he says.
Cities can also focus on healthy living, arts and music to help attract young people. “Things that make people want to move there and live there—those are the lessons we can take away that can be used across the state,” he says.
According to Wasserman, the study highlighted the fact that it didn’t matter what perpetuated an economic disruption in the 10 communities. Regardless of the cause, the communities demonstrating resilience share common characteristics like investing in education and technology infrastructure, cultivating strong community networks and partnerships, supporting robust entrepreneurial development and moving multiple sectors forward simultaneously
“The biggest takeaway from this research is confirmation that diversification is key to economic resilience and so are partnerships,” she says. “The private and public sectors both have a role to play.”
Resilience at Work
The good news for West Virginia exceeds the borders of Harrison County because many of the best practices highlighted in the study are already in place in different areas of the state. For instance, Coalfield Development, based in Wayne County, helps put unemployed West Virginians—many of whom are former coal miners—back to work doing community construction projects. The program also provides participants with mentoring and higher education credits. Meanwhile, the WV Hive Network, an incubator in Beckley, connects entrepreneurs with resources and expertise to help them get their small businesses off the ground and help ensure a higher success rate
In North Central West Virginia, residents in Buckhannon meet weekly for Create Buckhannon meetings that provide a neutral space where creative ideas are tossed around and locals can come together to spark change. In Southern West Virginia, one of the ways the town of Williamson has fought the devastation of economic decline is by establishing the Williamson Health & Wellness Center, dedicated to building a culture of health through holistic community and clinical intervention. Regardless of income, residents can get primary, dental and behavioral health care services there. Focused on the entire state, Generation West Virginia is working to create an active network of young residents, helping them hone leadership skills and voice the concerns of the younger generation
“Unfortunately, a common narrative is to use despair and defeat to describe Appalachian communities experiencing economic transition,” says Wasserman. “This research turns that narrative on its head with real-life examples focusing on the region’s strengths, opportunities and assets.”
10 Winning Communities
The 10 communities featured in ARC’s report, “Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia,” may have faced different challenges but used similar approaches to turn things around
- Fannin County, GA: This community’s tourism-driven economy is boosted by entrepreneurs and created growth by identifying and enhancing assets in the community.
- Flathead County, MT: This historically timber-driven community diversified its economy by cultivating entrepreneurship and resources for startups.
- St. Clair County, AL: St. Clair County focused on quality of life and engaging the community over time to recover from the 2008 recession.
- McKracken County, KY: Pride in the river town’s heritage and community engagement over time have helped this region plot a vibrant course for its future.
- Holmes County, Ohio: This Amish community has maintained resilience through its unique craftsmanship and tourist opportunities and by investing in infrastructure and manufacturing.
- Chanango County, NY: This community overcame the 2008 economic shock by drawing on its manufacturing history and moving multiple sectors forward.
- Dickinson County, Iowa: This tourist destination has avoided population and economic decline by working with neighbors and growing next-generation leadership.
- Lee and Itawamba Counties, MS: This longtime furniture manufacturing community recovered from the 2008 recession by building networks, fostering collaboration and investing in education and business development.
- McKean County, PA: This rural county has slowed population decline by moving multiple sectors forward for economic development, all while maintaining a focus on nature and conservation.
- Harrison County, WV: Harrison County weathered the decline in the coal industry by building networks and fostering collaboration. Along with the increase in natural gas production, it also has a thriving health care industry and prominent criminal justice and legal operations based in the county and has developed its aviation and entrepreneurial sectors, strengthening its resilience.
