Statement on White House Visit

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the creation of the Interagency Working Group on Coal Communities. To mark this anniversary, coal community leaders gathered at the White House to discuss lessons learned and where we go from here.

It was a privilege to be at the White House with the Interagency Working Group and many of the great leaders who are leading the administration’s efforts to revitalize our coal communities across Appalachia.

The opportunity to share my perspectives with this group of leaders is not one that I take lightly.

Importantly, the administration considers this an ongoing and long-term effort.

During the four-hour meeting, we were able to go in-depth with the challenges and opportunities facing our communities. The public, private and nonprofit sectors were all well represented.

And the themes of the discussions were people, places, and projects.

Administration officials made the point that all of us in coal communities are authors of the economic transformation which is underway in this country.

Coalfield Development and our partners are uniquely positioned to deliver the kinds of tangible projects necessary for a truly just transition.

We celebrate the history that has been written thus far and we recommit to even greater impact in the days and months to come.