Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s thirteenth federal co-chair on May 6, 2021, becoming the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia. Nominated by President Biden, Manchin works directly with ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth throughout Appalachia. An alumna of West Virginia University, Manchin worked as an educator in Marion County Schools, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University, and was the director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. She directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in West Virginia between 2000-2004 and implemented a statewide initiative, WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success. Manchin previously served as West Virginia’s First Lady between 2005-2010 and was appointed to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, serving her last two years as president. She was the chair of the Board for Reconnecting McDowell, Inc., an AFT initiative serving rural West Virginia, is a past president of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston, and was an emeritus member of The Education Alliance. She also served as cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts.

A native of Landover, Maryland, Governor Hogan earned a bachelor’s degree in government and political science from Florida State University. He began his career in public service while in college, working first in the Florida House of Representatives and then in the administration of Prince George’s County Executive Lawrence Hogan Sr., his father. In 1985 he founded his commercial real estate brokerage firm, Hogan Companies, which grew into one of Maryland’s leading land development firms. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988. Hogan returned to the public sector in 2003 to serve as secretary of appointments for then-governor Bob Ehrlich and held that post until Ehrlich’s administration ended in 2007. In 2011 he founded the grassroots organization Change Maryland, which addressed issues related to tax relief, budget reduction, and economic growth. He was elected Maryland’s governor in November 2014 and re-elected in November 2018. Hogan serves as ARC’s 2022 States’ Co-Chair.

Ray Morriss was elected mayor of Cumberland, Maryland in 2018 after retiring from a 38-year railroad career at CSX. Throughout his tenure, Mayor Morriss has placed an emphasis on economic development, infrastructure, and public safety in the Queen City. In addition to his role as mayor, he has served in leadership roles in many community and volunteer organizations in the region, including the Community Trust Fund, Allegany Arts Council, and Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Board. Mayor Morriss resides in Cumberland with his wife, Brenda, and their dog, Winston.

Jennifer Walsh, Esquire, is the Executive Director of TGCC, a regional economic development organization focused on convening, educating and catalyzing meaningful and sustainable economic development projects of regional relevance in the tri-state, five-county footprint of Allegany and Garrett Counties in Maryland, Somerset and Bedford Counties in Pennsylvania and Mineral County in West Virginia. TGCC’s projects are focused in the areas of transportation infrastructure, energy & natural resources, lifestyle manufacturing, aerospace & defense supply chain, information technology & cyber security, education & workforce development, and next generation leadership. Jennifer’s uniquely engaging leadership style has been instrumental in the creation of the I-68 Regional Alliance, a tri-state, five-county coalition comprised of representatives from institutions of higher learning, local, state and federal government offices, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and industry partners. The mission of this coalition is to inspire creative and forward-thinking collaborative solutions to shared regional challenges. Born and raised in New Mexico, Jennifer graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2001. Following law school, she served as a Law Clerk for Justice Joseph Baca at the New Mexico Supreme Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico and then for Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo at the District of Columbia Superior Court in Washington, D.C. Jennifer worked as a Legislative Assistant at the United States Senate for former US Senator, Jeff Bingaman, before moving to Cumberland, Maryland in late 2003. Jennifer is a Fellow in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s inaugural 2019-2020 Appalachian Leadership Institute Class and a graduate of ARC’s ANRC program.

Doug Beitzel has been involved in fire and EMS services for 25 years. He has been employed by the Cumberland City Fire Department for 20 years, hired shortly after obtaining his paramedic certification. Doug also served as a flight paramedic for 9 years, flying with STAT MedEvac and Air Methods Corporation. In addition to being a practitioner, Doug has had an extensive career as an educator, serving as an EMS / Fire Instructor with Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute – University of Maryland, as well as providing leadership and instruction to the Paramedic program at Garrett College since 2007. Doug is also involved at the state level, serving on the Board of Directors of the American Trauma Society – Maryland Division, and as the MIEMSS Pediatric Champion representing Garrett County. Doug enjoys his unique role of helping students during EMS and fire training, and then working alongside them in the field.

Gregory A. Moreland is a Appalachian native from Elk Garden, West Virginia. A 1986 graduate of Elk Garden High School, Gregory decided to follow his family heritage of service to our nation. After serving for six years in the U.S. Navy, Gregory worked in construction until hired by the Westvaco Luke Mill In Luke, Maryland. Upon becoming a dislocated worker due to the closure of the Verso Luke Mill, Gregory decided to utilize his TAA benefits to enroll at ARC partner Allegany College of Maryland. Gregory is scheduled to complete his Mechanical-Maintenance Technician Career Pathway training in April 2022.

David Smarik is the Coordinator of the Western Maryland Works facility at Allegany College of Maryland. In collaboration with Allegany County Government, Western Maryland Works opened as a regional workforce development training center in January 2020. In this endeavor, Mr. Smarik works collaboratively with industry leaders, government, and educational partners in the designing and implementation of career-pathway training programs leading to in-demand employment opportunities. He is currently undertaking the oversight and operations of the newly formed regional makerspace at Western Maryland Works. He is a graduate of Frostburg State University and earned his BS in Mathematics and MED in Administration and Supervision. He is member of Kappa Mu Epsilon, National Mathematics Honor Society. Mr. Smarik serves on several committees including the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Standards and Curriculum Committee and the Manufacturing Engineering Program Advisory Committee. In his spare time, he enjoys Western Maryland’s bountiful outdoors and is particularly passionate about alpine skiing. His passion for skiing and learning has led to over thirty years in the snowsports industry. He recently achieved a personal goal by earning Advanced Level Certification as a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

Kiya Wilhelm is a graduate of Allegany College of Maryland’s (ACM) School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. After her time at ACM, Kiya competed and won third place on season 20 of Hell’s Kitchen. The support from her community during that time, and the deep love she has for her home in Appalachian Maryland, has kept Kiya in her community as a chef and culinary entrepreneur.

Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s thirteenth federal co-chair on May 6, 2021, becoming the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia. Nominated by President Biden, Manchin works directly with ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth throughout Appalachia. An alumna of West Virginia University, Manchin worked as an educator in Marion County Schools, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University, and was the director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. She directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in West Virginia between 2000-2004 and implemented a statewide initiative, WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success. Manchin previously served as West Virginia’s First Lady between 2005-2010 and was appointed to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, serving her last two years as president. She was the chair of the Board for Reconnecting McDowell, Inc., an AFT initiative serving rural West Virginia, is a past president of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston, and was an emeritus member of The Education Alliance. She also served as cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts.

Jeff Belt is the President/CEO of SolEpoxy, a global manufacturer of epoxy dielectric coating powders and molding compounds, in Olean, New York. Belt’s career includes leadership roles at General Motors, Goodban Belt, LLC, and ACEN, before taking on his current role at SolEpoxy. He has also served in a number of community and volunteer roles, including serving as director of the Greater Olean Chamber of Commerce and on the North Union Street Restoration Steering Committee, Olean Brownfield Opportunity Area Steering Committee and Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. Belt earned a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and an MBA at the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.

Al Delia is vice president for regional development and engagement at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. He oversees FSU’s efforts to help advance the region it serves through engagement with business, industry, community organizations and government. Al helped lead the successful effort to create a regional economic development partnership, the I-68 Regional Alliance, to facilitate cooperation and align strategic efforts among stakeholders in the five-county, tri-state region.

Jennifer Flanagan is the executive director/founder of Community Kitchen Pittsburgh (CKP), an employment-based social enterprise that works with adults experiencing barriers to employment. Before CKP, she worked for Allegheny County Department of Human Services, assisting employment & training providers with outcome tracking and analysis, and managing a DOJ-funded training for the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative. Flanagan has spent the last 20 years working in nonprofit social enterprises and believes strongly in finding market solutions to address social problems.

Dr. James Klauber was named Hagerstown Community College’s fourth president in June 2018. Prior to his role at Hagerstown, Klauber served as president of John C. Calhoun Community College in Alabama and Owensboro Community and Technical College in Kentucky. A native of Greenwood, South Carolina, Klauber graduated from the Citadel and received a Juris Doctor degree and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. A licensed private pilot and scuba diver, he likes to spend his spare time either a few thousand feet above the Earth or thirty to forty feet under water. He is married to the former Teresa Wyatt they have two sons, Jake and Wyatt.

Pam is the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for North Central PA (North Central Workforce Development Board) serving the counties of Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter with 24 Years experience in Workforce Development beginning as a youth counselor under JTPA legislation. Pam has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, an Associate of Science from Penn State University and various certificates as a believer in lifelong learning. Pam enjoys hiking, jigsaw puzzles (for now) and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Sarah Tranum is the Program Director and professor for the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at Jamestown Community College in Western New York, where she has worked for 22 years. She is passionate about teaching. She is a strong advocate for the field of occupational therapy (OT). She is also a founding member and currently serves as the vice president of the local chapter of AMBUCS, an organization that provides customized trykes to people with disabilities. Additionally, she serves as the vice president of the advisory board for the county Mental Health Association. She earned her associate’s degree from Erie Community College, her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Buffalo, and her master’s degree from Buffalo State College. Sarah, her husband Todd, and their four children are proud Western New Yorkers (Go Bills!).