Trent Acker
Courtesy photo
PICKENS COUNTY — The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) named Pickens County Administrator Ken Roper and WorkLink Workforce Development Board Executive Director Trent Acker to participate in the 2021-2022 class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute.
In addition to representing Pickens County, Roper and Acker were the only two candidates selected from South Carolina.
As Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows, Roper and Acker will participate in an extensive, nine-month series of skill-building seminars featuring regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis. The program begins virtually in October and culminates with the Class of 2021-2022’s graduation in July 2022.
“I am honored to congratulate the 2021-2022 class of Appalachian Leadership Institute fellows. These phenomenal Appalachians are the driving force of change in their communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The work of this new class of fellows—and the ones who came before — gives me hope to the future of our region and is a testament to all that can be accomplished when Appalachians work together.”
Both Roper and Acker will work directly with public policy, community development, education, investment, and other professionals who live and/or work in the region to identify and implement best practices and strategies to inspire positive change in their communities; build a robust network of leaders across the region; integrate community assets into long-last economic development strategies; and appreciate the diversity and commonalties of the 13 states in the Appalachian Region.
Upon completion of the program, the participants will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network, a peer-to-peer working group committed to Appalachia’s future.
“Appalachia has a rich cultural and natural history, which the Appalachian Regional Commission has helped to nurture for decades,” said Roper. “I am proud to be an ambassador from Pickens County among this year’s class of fellows. This is a tremendous opportunity for me to work alongside other Appalachian leaders to exchange ideas, expand leadership skills, and make connections to benefit Pickens County and, by extension, all of upstate South Carolina.”
Appalachian leaders to exchange ideas, expand leadership skills, and make connections to benefit Pickens County and, by extension, all of upstate South Carolina.”
Acker said, “This opportunity to collaborate with leaders from across the Appalachian region over the next several months is exciting, not just in terms of personal growth, but because of the impact I think it will have on the communities our Workforce Development Board serves. I look forward to bringing back new ideas and best practices so they can be applied to our work in support of jobseekers and employers in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties.”
Each of these leaders was selected via a competitive application process. ARC received more than 115 qualified applications for the 2021-2022 Appalachian Leadership Institute class.
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.
More information about the Appalachian Leadership Institute is available at www.arc.gov/leadershipinstitute.
Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.