January 3rd, 2022 by WCBC Radio

After being unanimously nominated last fall, Governor Larry Hogan was officially selected today to serve as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) states’ co-chair for 2022. As part of ARC’s unique federal-state partnership structure, the states’ co-chair works with the federal office of the ARC and fellow Appalachian state governors to invest in economic growth across the region’s 423 counties in 13 states.

Governor Hogan will be serving the 69th term as ARC states’ co-chair, and is the first states’ co-chair from Maryland since 1992.

“It’s a great honor to be the first Maryland governor in 30 years to serve as co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission,” said Governor Hogan. “The commission is a unique partnership, and this is a particularly critical time for us to work together across state and party lines to advance the economic growth and vitality of the region. I look forward to working closely with Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin and all my colleagues on the Commission.”

Governor Hogan will be working collaboratively with all 13 Appalachian states and the ARC federal office to advance the strategic investment priorities in ARC’s newly released 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. During FY 2021, ARC invested more than $163 million in the region, which is projected to leverage an additional $1.04 billion in private investments, create or retain nearly 21,000 jobs, and train over 25,000 students, workers, and leaders in new skills across the Appalachian region.

“I am honored to welcome Governor Hogan as ARC’s 2022 states’ co-chair,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “I look forward to collaborating with him and all of our Appalachian governors as we work toward the shared mission of bringing opportunity, hope, and economic parity to all 26 million of our Appalachian neighbors. On behalf of the Commission, I also want to thank Virginia Governor Ralph Northam for his work during his tenure as states’ co-chair in 2021.”