HAZARD, Ky. – WYMT, a Hazard, Ky.-based CBS affiliate, will air the first two hours of the 2020 SOAR Summit presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) on Thursday, October 29, organizers announced on Tuesday. 

WYMT is a Founding Partner of Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR) and will produce and direct this portion of the Summit, which will air from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 29.

This year’s SOAR Summit is spread across three days (October 28-30) and will be virtual this year.  The Summit’s plenary session, spark presentations, and breakout sessions will be held on Thursday, October 29 and attendees will be able to virtually network with others and browse a Virtual Exhibit Hall with more than 120 booths on Wednesday, October 28 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, October 30.  The Virtual Exhibit Hall will also be open from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. 

“We want to thank our partners at WYMT for working with us to plan a Summit like no other,” said SOAR Associate Executive Director Joshua Ball. “We’ve worked hard to create an event that is engaging, interactive, and fast-paced. 2020 has been a year full of challenges, but despite those challenges, we have persevered and accomplished so much.  This is a time to reflect and celebrate, look ahead, and recommit ourselves to working together to create a future in Appalachia.”

During the two-hour segment, SOAR Co-Principal Officers Congressman Hal Rogers and Andy Beshear will speak, as well as Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Tim Thomas.  Rogers and Beshear will also announce the new SOAR executive director who will replace Jared Arnett.  Arnett announced this summer that he planned to transition out of his role to focus more on his church, its outreach, and a business (Mountain Music Exchange) where he serves as a partner.

Also during the morning portion of the Summit, SOAR will go live to various communities highlighting projects and collaborations aligned with its Blueprint for the Future of Appalachia. The live shots include:

• AppHarvest in Morehead, Ky.

• The Teleworks USA Owsley County Hub in Booneville, Ky. 

• The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Ky. 

Other video highlights for the day include:

• Dajcor Aluminum in Hazard, Ky.

• Regional Tourism and the Kentucky Wildlands from the Gorge Underground

• The Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Collaborative

• The Holler Creative in Corbin, Ky. 

• Appalachian Apparel in Hazard, Ky. 

• Old Homeplace Farm in Oneida, Ky. and Savage Farms in Fallsburg, Ky. 

• KCTCS Response to COVID-19 with 3D Printing Labs (Ashland Community and Technical College, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, and Somerset Community College)

• University of the Cumberlands and Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) cybersecurity collaboration

• Debut of the Explore Appalachia Video Blog, a collaboration with The Holler Creative, SOAR, Ale-8-One, and the Kentucky Wildlands

Registration is still open to attend the entire Summit.  The afternoon session on Thursday, october 29 will feature presentations by Dr. Mark Newman, vice president of external affairs at UK Healthcare, and Donovan Blackburn, CEO of Pikeville Medical Center.  Dr. Newman will speak on leadership and resilience in difficult times and Blackburn will speak on seizing opportunities during challenging times. 

There will also be breakout sessions on:

• Landing Venture Capital in Appalachia Kentucky

• Innovation in K12 Education

• Last-Mile Broadband Deployment | Getting it to your Community

• New Funding Opportunities

• Second-Chance Employment | The important role employers play in recovery

To register for the Summit, visit www.thereisafuture.org/2020summit.  SOAR also has a limited number of waivers for the Summit, including waivers for students throughout Appalachia Kentucky thanks to the generosity of Rajant.  To inquire about a waiver, please email info@soar-ky.org.