While at Downstream Strategies, Emily worked with Dialogue + Design and Pennsylvania State University, to conduct the Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia project, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The project explores and documents strategies and policies local leaders can use to enhance the future economic prospects of coal-impacted communities throughout the Appalachian Region. Dialogue + Design spearheaded the qualitative outreach for this project, which explores and documents strategies and policies local leaders can use to enhance the future economic prospects of coal-impacted communities throughout the Appalachian Region. The four key components to this research project, including developing a comprehensive, quantitative framework to explore economic resilience; identifying a series of best-practice strategies for strengthening local economic resilience; conducting up to 10 in-depth case studies; and developing a guidebook that interprets and integrates findings of the research for local economic development practitioners. This project is also reflective of ARC’s mission to innovate, partner and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.See the full practitioner guidebook and technical report at: www.arc.gov/resilience