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 recognized regional 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 Cuisine and Center for New Appalachian Cooking.” 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 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 functions through a federation of cooperating and partner organizations that includes: the Natural Capital Investment Fund; Pierpont Community and Technical College at Fairmont State University; Stonewall Resort at Stonewall Jackson State Park; Student Conservation Association, Inc.; the West Virginia Department of Education’s Secondary Agricultural Education Program as well as the Hospitality Education and Training Program; the West Virginia Department of Agriculture; the West Virginia Commerce Division and West Virginia University’s Extension Service.

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