NEWS RELEASE – JULY 19, 2023
Chapman Selected for 2023 BRIGHT Kentucky Class
July 19, 2023 – ARH is excited to share that ARH Regional Community Development Manager Layken Chapman has been selected for the 2023 BRIGHT Kentucky Class.
Chapman commented, “I’m honored to have been selected for this prestigious program and I’m looking forward to learning and bringing back more ways to serve our region better.”
BRIGHT Kentucky is a leadership development program that began in 2019. The program is for young professionals ages 21-40 living in the 54 counties that comprise the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The goal of BRIGHT Kentucky is to impact community and economic development. The program is funded through an ARC grant and private funding from the Whitaker Foundation, AEP Foundation/Kentucky Power, and other donors.
“I am so proud of Layken and I know she will excel in this opportunity to learn, network, and better our Appalachian communities with other young leaders. Part of ARH’s strategy is to invest in our employees and grow from within, and supporting professional development through BRIGHT is a great example of that strategy in motion,” comments Danielle Harmon, System Director of Community Development.
Members of the BRIGHT Kentucky class will attend five sessions in different areas of Kentucky. Sessions focus on building and honing communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning, and community engagement skills. The primary goal of these sessions is to help members of the 2023 BRIGHT Kentucky class understand and see the connections, backgrounds, conditions, and more that make up a local economy to impact sustaining growth and change.
Chapman represents Johnson County for the Class of 2023. The following counties are also included in the region: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Green, Greenup, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe.
###
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies. ARH employs more than 6,500 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $330 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.