FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been chosen to serve as the 2023 states’ co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
In the role, Beshear will work with federal co-chair Gayle Manchin and other governors to boost economic growth across 423 counties in 13 states, the Appalachian Regional Commission said Wednesday in a media release. In addition to facilitating investments, the states’ co-chair also hosts the commission’s annual conference.
The ARC said it invested nearly $240 million in the region last year, which attracted nearly $1.6 billion in private investments. The projects funded will create or retain more than 22,000 jobs and provide training for new opportunities in emerging sectors.
“I am honored to have been chosen by governors of both parties to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission,” Beshear said. “ARC investments are building better lives for current and future generations here in Kentucky and across the ARC region.”
Manchin, the wife of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, said she welcomes Beshear and looks forward to collaborating with him and other governors “as we advance ARC’s mission to bring economic parity and transformational opportunities to the region’s 26 million people.”