Appalachian Regional Commission
Mississippi participates in the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). MDA's Appalachian Regional Office (ARO), in Tupelo, coordinates ARC activities and grants for Mississippi's 24 ARC counties. An MDA Deputy Director represents the Governor on the Appalachian Regional Commission.
ARC is a partnership of federal, state and local governments that serves portions of 13 states. The ARC program in Mississippi serves 24 contiguous counties in the northeast and east central portion of the state; approximately 616,000 of its 2.8 million residents live in this rural corner of Mississippi. 
The Mississippi ARO is located in the Mississippi Development Authority's Regional Office in Tupelo, and its staff works to fulfill the mission of the ARC program, the Governor's state ARC plan, and the economic development goals and objectives of MDA.
ARC's mission is to be an advocate for and partner with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.
ARC provides matching funds for projects in numerous areas under two broad themes: 1) Increasing private sector and high wage jobs; and 2) Developing sustainable communities with high quality of life. ARC also has funding available for a special regional initiative in Asset Development.
The Mississippi counties served by ARC are Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Itawamba, Kemper, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tishomingo, Tippah, Union, Webster, Winston, and Yalobusha.
The states served by ARC are Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
State of Mississippi 2008 Appalachian Development Plan and Strategy Statements (276 KB)
New Fiscal Year 2009 Strategy Statement is being developed.
For more information:
Asset Development Group
Appalachian Regional Office
Telephone: 662.844.5413
Fax: 662.842.3667