ReImagine Appalachia holds its third annual strategy summit

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - The advocacy group ReImagine Appalachia held its third annual strategy summit from Jan. 10th to the 11th.

The strategy summit brought together representatives from labor organizations, local governments, environmental groups, community groups, and other organizations throughout Appalachia. It’s an essential part of ReImagine Appalachia’s broader mission of addressing environmental and labor issues throughout the Appalachian region, offering these various groups the chance to exchange information and coordinate their goals for their communities and the Appalachian region at large.

Dana Kuhnline, ReImagine Appalachia’s campaign manager, spoke on the value of bringing figures from these disparate groups together. “One of our big goals is to break down silos and to get folks talking to each other who, in their day to day work are experts, just beyond experts in their field, brilliant people,” she said. “But because they’re so busy they might not always have the time to talk to a faith leader, or a labor leader or a person in the department of energy.”

ReImagine Appalachia has worked to help ensure that funds for reclaiming abandoned mine lands provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 went to help Appalachian communities and workers. In 2023, they intend to focus on expanding broadband access throughout Appalachia, among other projects.

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