50 years later: How people and place continue to shape Appalachia’s future

My connection to Appalachia didn’t begin when I became a community development professional; it began generations ago. Like many Appalachians, my story is woven into the history of our mountains and the communities that call them home. I chose to spend my career serving Eastern Kentucky because I believe in the people and places that shaped me.

As Mountain Association marks its 50th anniversary, I’m reminded of a truth that has endured through every economic shift and challenge our region has faced: Appalachia’s future has always been shaped by people willing to invest their time, talent, and resources in the places they call home. 

Fifty years ago, the leaders of eight community development organizations came together around a simple but powerful idea that the people of Appalachia were never the barrier to a resilient economic future. Too often, our people and communities lacked the voice, capital and resources, and opportunities needed to turn local ideas into local prosperity. 

That belief became five decades of impact. Since 1976, Mountain Association has been a partner, investor, and catalyst for economic growth throughout Central Appalachia. We’ve invested nearly $95 million across Eastern Kentucky since 2000, provided 66,190 hours of business expertise to 4,628 entrepreneurs since 2013, and facilitated more than 380 energy savings projects. This work has supported small businesses, communities, and nonprofits, and helped launch enterprises that continue to shape the region today.

These numbers reflect meaningful impact, but they tell only part of the story. Over the past five decades, we have watched entrepreneurs build businesses in towns many had written off. We have seen local leaders develop solutions to challenges ranging from food access and childcare to housing and workforce development. We have witnessed communities respond to economic change and natural disasters not by giving up, but by coming together. Those experiences reinforced the belief that resilience is not something communities discover in a crisis. It is something they build every day.

When coal employment declined, communities across Eastern Kentucky created new opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, arts and culture, and technology. More recently, devastating weather disasters have tested our communities once again. Neighbors help neighbors, local organizations step forward, and towns rebuild.

But resilience requires recovery and persistence. It means preparing for what’s next by strengthening local systems, investing in critical infrastructure, and building the capacity to navigate future challenges. This is why resilience has become central to Mountain Association’s work. Whether we’re helping businesses manage energy costs or supporting solar investments, financing equipment that creates affordable housing, revitalizing downtowns, or investing in people who turn ideas into action, our vision remains the same: helping people, places, and local economies prosper and thrive through change.

As I look across Appalachia today, I see reasons for optimism. Historic buildings are coming back to life, entrepreneurs are creating new opportunities, and community leaders are rallying neighbors around shared visions. These are more than signs of economic progress; they are the foundation of communities where people can build a life, feel welcome, and envision a future. Most importantly, I see people choosing to build their futures here. 

Appalachia has often been defined by what it lacks. Those of us who call it home know a different story. We are creative, determined, ingenious, and generous. We are innovators and problem-solvers, workers, and builders. Above all, we are neighbors, bound together by a deep commitment to one another and to this place. The challenges facing our region are real. But Mountain Association was founded on a belief that remains just as powerful today as it was in 1976: local people, equipped with the right resources and opportunities, can build stronger communities and a more prosperous future. 

If the last 50 years have taught us anything, it’s that investments in people and place matter most. When we trust local leadership, support local ownership, and strengthen communities, we create conditions for lasting prosperity. By investing in our people and strengthening our communities, we are writing the next chapter of the story of Eastern Kentucky together. Appalachia’s greatest asset has never been what can be taken from the region; it is what can be built here. The same mountains that shaped my story generations ago now challenge us to leave something of lasting value for future generations. And I believe our best chapter is still ahead.

To learn more about the Mountain Association, visit MtAssociation.org/Fifty.