How We Began

The concept for the Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia® was envisioned by Dr. Allen D. Arnold as a means of promoting culinary and cultural tourism and of developing a world recognition for a regional New Appalachian Cuisine® that employed indigenous ingredients as well as traditional cookware. He founded the organization by incorporating it as a nonprofit in West Virginia on May 19, 2005 under the name “The Institute for Regional Cooking and Center for New Appalachian Cuisine®.” The newly selected board of directors, at its initial meeting held on July 14, 2005 however, amended the name to Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia® to better describe the grassroots nature of the organization and its functioning as a federation of cooperating institutions.

At that meeting, the board elected then Stonewall Resort’s Executive Chef, Dale Hawkins, as Chair, named Dr. Arnold as the organization’s founding director, and also embraced and adopted the Creed he had written as the tenets to shape the organization’s mission and work. Official IRS 501 (C) (3) exempt status designation was awarded on August 22, 2005.

Who We Are

The Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia® is a grassroots organization with numerous cooperating partners such as Pierpont Community and Technical College; the West Virginia Department of Education’s Secondary Agricultural Education Program and Hospitality Education and Training Program; as well as the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Others include: the West Virginia Division or Tourism and West Virginia University’s Extension Service.

Major funding has been provided since fall 2006 by the Claude W. Benedum Foundation.