Appalachia Meets World Episode 150 - ERC Fellow "Spin and Chat" (in Appalachia) with Mick Thornton

In this inaugural (and monthly)  Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellow "Spin and Chat," Neil and Will sit down with Mick Thornton - a self described builder of things and current Fellow in San Juan County, Utah.  In a previous episode (episode 139) Nathan Ohle, President and CEO of the International Economic Development Council, explained the purpose of the ERC - as described on the website - "a new collaborative initiative designed to accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in distressed communities and regions throughout the U.S. by connecting organizations with the talent and capacity needed to advance new ways of doing economic development that promote economic resilience and transformative change."  It connects a Fellow to a Host community in order to build capacity and drive transformative change.  Mick Thorton is one of those Fellows!  Hear from Mick as he describes why he applied and all about his project in San Juan, UT - and how challenges there (and other regions) are much more similar to challenges in Appalachia than they are different.  You'll also hear about Mick's background, what he hopes to accomplish and maybe a little about the "adventure" he and his family have been on the two years prior to accepting the fellowship - in the end, it's about the people!  As a former Pastor and Radio Host, those learned skills for Mick have seamlessly been adapted to the ever expanding (and new) field of economic development - or as Mick describes, a field built on connections.  Take a listen to get a true understanding of why Mick does what he does - and how the region he works in is better for it.  You might even hear Neil and Will talk about the "greatest two minutes in sports" - or why Neil has turned his back on the unofficial drink of Kentucky.  Also, don't forget about the #AppBiz of the week: Horse Soldier!

Learn about the Fellow: https://economicrecoverycorps.org/fellow-information/rev-mick-thornton-b-a-m-div/ 

Learn about the Host (San Juan County, UT) Project: https://economicrecoverycorps.org/projects/ 

Mick's Minute - www.micksminute.com 

The Good Talk (App) - www.thegoodtalkapp.com 

App News:

Connect Humaniy/Microsoft IDEA Fund in Appalachia - https://connecthumanity.fund/idea-fund-partnership-microsoft/ 

Ohio Grant for Recreational Opportunities and Quality of Life in Appalachia - https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/transformative-154-million-investment-in-appalachian-downtowns-and-destinations#:~:text=The%20%24154%20million%20will%20be,where%20these%20opportunities%20have%20not

PBS Docuseries Episode 2 on Appalachia with Amythyst Kiah (article) - www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/arts-entertainment/amythyst-kiah-to-be-featured-in-new-pbs-docuseries/article_8010291e-023f-11ef-8c53-2731d0dc7c32.html 

PBS Docuseries Episode 2 "The Express Way with Dule Hill" - www.pbs.org/video/appalachia-dbxwz4/  

SOAR Country Music Highway Tribute Show(s) - www.cmhtributeshow.com 

SOAR Country Music Highway Tribute Show Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558753064401 

#AppBiz:

Horse Soldier - https://horsesoldierbourbon.com 

Extras:

The Round Robin Bar ("Mint Julep Bar") in DC - https://washington.intercontinental.com/food-drink/round-robin-bar/ 

The Mint Julep (Official Kentucky Derby Recipe) - www.kentuckyderby.com/recipes/drinks/woodford-reserve-mint-julep/ 

Music:

"Achy Breaky Heart" - Billy Ray Cyrus

"Up" (Mick's Choice) - Forrest Frank

"Black Myself" - Amythyst Kiah