Voinovich School's Appalachian New Economy Partnership Powers Economic Growth and Opportunity in Southeastern Ohio

Solutions to economic challenges are rarely simple, especially in Appalachian Ohio. But starting in fiscal year 2001, a modest dedicated appropriation in the state budget called the Appalachian New Economy Partnership (ANEP) through the Ohio Department of Higher Education provided funding to Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs that would ultimately prove to be one of the driving forces to propel a new era in regional economic growth and opportunity.

In fact, since 2012, the Voinovich School has generated nearly $2.5 billion in economic activity for the region and state by leveraging the $1.25 million ANEP annual line item. The secret to their success is the ability to form public-private partnerships to bring a winning formula to Appalachian Ohio.

“The Appalachian New Economy Partnership funding has been one of the best investments ever made to transform southeastern Ohio,” Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey, said. “By leveraging this capital with the resources, partnerships and talent of Ohio University, the Voinovich School’s been able to make real progress impacting communities and individuals in the region.”

The ANEP has meant that the Voinovich School has been able to attract more local follow-on investment to the region from businesses and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Appalachian Regional Commission, to make a genuine difference in boosting economic development.

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