Thrive CEO Bridgett Massengill to Represent Tennessee in Intensive Regional Leadership Development Program

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has named Bridgett Massengill, President/CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership as a 2020-2021 Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow.   

As a Fellow, Massengill will participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an extensive nine-month series of online skill-building seminars featuring regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis beginning in mid-October through July, 2021. Topics include:

• Designing effective economic development project proposals;

• Integrating community assets into long-lasting economic development strategies;

• Identifying resources available to spur economic development;

• Locating and accessing investment capital from a variety of public and private sources;

• Preparing competitive applications for public grant opportunities; and

• Using expanded leadership skills to create strong coalitions.

Upon completion of the program, Massengill will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network, a peer-to-peer working group committed to Appalachia’s future. 

Massengill was selected via a competitive application process. ARC received over 100 applications for the 2020-2021 Appalachian Leadership Institute class and selected 40 applicants.  

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. This is the second year of the program. 

More information, including a complete list of current Fellows, is available at www.arc.gov/leadershipinstitute. 

About the Appalachian Regional Commission 

The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.