Federal grant to Voinovich School benefits Mayors’ Partnership For Progress

Ohio University’s efforts to promote efficiencies and streamline government operations across southeast Ohio just got a boost in the form of a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

The ARC funding, awarded to Ohio University’s George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service for work on behalf of and with the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress (MPP), was among more than $12.6 million in grants issued for 80 projects across Appalachia.

The MPP is one of five projects in the state awarded a total of about $1.44 million under ARC’s READY Grants to Grow program.

“With so many opportunities before us, this grant comes at a critical time for our region,” said MPP Executive Director Amista Lipot, who also serves as director of external relations and strategic partnerships at the Voinovich School.

“Local government capacity building was a hallmark of the Voinovich School when it was established in 1981 and now after 30 years of working with and supporting members of the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress, we are excited to provide an increase in those services to continue to advance the region,” Lipot said.

The MPP grant “will facilitate training, provide tailored organizational support and create a new position to help 100 Appalachian Ohio municipalities better serve the economic development needs of their communities,” according to ARC.

OHIO provides technical assistance to the Mayors’ Partnership, which was formed in 1996 and became a nonprofit in 2003. Originally encompassing an 11-county footprint, the not-for-profit has now grown to include members in 27 of the 32 Appalachian counties.

The partnership brings together mayors and city managers from cities and villages throughout Appalachian Ohio to share information and resources and tackle common issues faced by municipalities in the region.

Racine Mayor Scott Hill, the current MPP president, welcomed news of the grant.

“We appreciate the work the Voinovich School does on behalf of so many municipalities and communities across Appalachia,” he said. “These new grant dollars are proof that the partnership works and is making a positive different in our region.”

To qualify for the grant, the awardees demonstrated how their projects will strengthen economically distressed and remote communities in Appalachia, as well as their own challenges to better serve those communities.

“At ARC, we know that many of our Appalachian communities face barriers to growing their economies,” the commission’s Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin stated. “This funding will not only help advance the skills of our Appalachian neighbors but will also provide crucial assistance to help communities maximize their ability to build financial stability.”

Learn more about the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress at www.mayorspartnership.org