Source: WRAL, 1/9/19

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is the next co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, a partnership between the federal government and 13 states designed to help the region's economy. Cooper's elevation during 2019 — announced Wednesday — marks the first time in more than 40 years that North Carolina's governor has held the co-chair's role. The commission is an economic development agency that focuses on over 400 counties from Mississippi to New York, of which almost 30 are in North Carolina.

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