Appalachian Education Initiative names Kathi Shrider director
Collaborative project to bring together postsecondary and K-12 schools to facilitate Senate Bill 1 implementation in Appalachia

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kathi Shrider has been named Project Director for the Appalachian Education Initiative, a collaborative effort to bring together postsecondary and K-12 educators to implement Kentucky’s 2009 Senate Bill 1 education reforms in Appalachian Kentucky counties. The program is funded by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

“Kathi is uniquely suited to lead this effort to partner with Appalachian school districts implement Senate Bill 1,” said Gary S. Cox, president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU), which is serving as grant manager for the collaborative project. “As the daughter of an Appalachian coal miner, a nonprofit administrator and an educator at both public and private colleges and universities in the region, Kathi has proven her dedication to living, working, volunteering, and serving in Appalachia. Kathi’s background is emblematic of the public-private collaboration we hope to achieve in this grant.”

Shrider is a CPA, holds an MBA, and has an extensive background in nonprofit management, accounting, corporate training, and teaching at the college level. She is currently an adjunct professor at Berea College, where she has taught courses in accounting, mathematics, business computer applications, and nonprofit leadership and management.

The Appalachian Education Initiative is the first project to grow out of a unique collaboration between Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, AIKCU, and a number of eastern Kentucky nonprofits and service agencies. The collaborative was formed in 2009 under the leadership of Eastern Kentucky President Doug Whitlock, Morehead State President Wayne Andrews, and AIKCU’s Cox.

“This region has more issues that need to be addressed than any one of us can solve, given our limited resources,” said Whitlock. “But working together, we have the ability to make a big difference for the people of Appalachia.”

The group held a series of meetings that included major stakeholders from across Morehead and Eastern’s combined 44 county service area - including area community and technical college presidents, independent college presidents, and nonprofits like the Center for Rural Development – to identify how their combined efforts could most benefit the people and communities of Eastern Kentucky. The collaborative unites 15 postsecondary institutions: two regional public universities, eight independent colleges and universities, and five community and technical colleges.

The unique public-private collaborative ultimately decided to focus on three broad areas: education, economic development, and health care.

“The Appalachian Education Initiative is the first step in our effort to work together to impact the broader region,” said Morehead State President Wayne Andrews. “Developing strong partnerships between public and private postsecondary institutions and local school districts to improve school curricula and meet the goals of Senate Bill 1 will have long term benefits for the students and communities of eastern Kentucky.”

Shrider will maintain an office on the campus of Berea College. She may be reached at (859) 353-1705.

Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Andrews at (606) 783-2022, Dr. Cox at (502) 695-5007 or Dr. Whitlock at (859) 622-2101.