Chamber director recognized by federal commission

WASHINGTON, DC — Late last week Bailey Venzin, executive director of the Hocking Hills Chamber of Commerce, was honored in a graduation ceremony held by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

It was the culmination of nine months of work through the Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI), a branch of the ARC, which sent Venzin across Appalachia to learn from regional experts on skills in workforce development, to hopefully grow and diversify our local economy.

The executive director was one of three people in the state of Ohio, and 40 across 13 states, who were selected by the ALI for the opportunity to travel and pick up lessons to bring back to their home communities.

“It’s incredible how similar we are to all areas within Appalachia and how much we have to learn from each other,”Venzin told the Logan Daily News. “The experience allowed us to see the amazing things happening throughout our region. It really gave excitement for the things we can bring back to our community to grow.”

She went on to describe how other Appalachian communities have made strides economically by fostering relationships with local schools, public officials, and private entities to build their workforce, in manufacturing and a host of other industries.

Venzin called the graduation ceremony an “amazing experience,” as she met with a number of people from the ARC, including the commission’s Federal Co-Chair, Gayle Manchin.

Email at rmorris@logandaily.com