Forgotten America

Jerry Apps is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of more than 35 books. He is a storyteller and historian, joining the Forgotten America podcast to share about his life growing up on a dairy farm in rural, central Wisconsin. Born during the Great Depression, his youth inspired much of his subsequent work and his love for rural America. He joins Garrett to discuss his upcoming book, Farms & Rural Communities: An Agricultural Ethic for the Future. If you've ever enjoyed listening to a beloved grandparent tell stories of their childhood, you'll particularly enjoy this episode which dives into the history of family farming and much of the forgotten history of rural life in America. Follow Jerry's work at https://jerryapps.com/ Purchase a copy of his new book from Fulcrum Books. Signed copies are available. Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Nick Deiuliis is a chemical engineer, attorney, and business executive. During a career spanning 30 years, he served as the CEO or Chairman of the Board of five public energy companies. During that time, Nick has been on the front lines of the war being waged by elites against working men and women of Appalachia, the "doers" of the American economy, and the free-thinking individual. Nick is a lifelong Pittsburgher and considers himself a proud capitalist and free enterprise advocate. He joins Garrett today to discuss the city of Pittsburgh and its place among Appalachian cities, the energy industry's role in society and the future of the region, and Nick's book, Precipice: The Left's Campaign to Destroy America. Nick shares about the thinkers who inspired his own personal philosophy and the path his career in the energy industry took. If you're wondering what Appalachians can do to build a brighter future and fight back against coastal elites, you'll want to listen to this episode of Forgotten America. Learn more about Nick's work here. Buy and Read Precipice: The Left's Campaign to Destroy America Reason Article Mentioned: https://reason.com/2005/10/01/rethinking-the-social-responsi-2/ Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Elyse Marcellino is the Director of Embark in Mississippi. Embark is a new schools accelerator that works with school founders to help them move from idea to doors open. They guide school founders through early planning and preparing to launch so they can successfully open new schools to serve students throughout the state. Elyse and Garrett start this episode by celebrating what West Virginia and Mississippi have in common and commiserating as residents of states that are often ridiculed by coastal elites. Elyse shares about her experience with several types of education environments growing up which inspired her to make a career in the education reform movement. Sometimes supply needs a little help meeting demand - Garrett & Elyse discuss how we can improve education options outside of state legislatures by working alongside education entrepreneurs to meet the educational needs in our communities even in rural communities. Embark Laurel, Mississippi Home Town on HGTV Mississippi Delta Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Fred Fransen is the President of Huntington Junior College and Co-Founder of Certell, Inc. He also previously served as Executive Director at the Center for Excellence in Higher Education and as Senior Fellow for Liberty Fund. He has been working to make breakthroughs in how to improve education at both the K-12 and higher education levels. Garrett & Fred talk about the role of junior colleges in the reformation of education in the United States, particularly about the changes Fred is making at Huntington Junior College to incorporate civics and Great Books education into the college's programs. Fred shares about the defining role the Fall of the Berlin Wall played in his realization of how important freedom is, and how that moment led him to the University of Chicago, which underscored his future career in higher education reform and philanthropy. They also explore Fred's time in a small town called Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Committee on Social Thought at University of Chicago Find Fred Fransen on LinkedIn Alan Bloom Liberty Fund Huntington Junior College Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Join us for a Thanksgiving-themed episode before we pause for the holidays!

On Thanksgiving Eve, Garrett recorded another solo episode. He shared ten things he is grateful for this Thanksgiving. He observes how the practice of gratitude can break up the monotony of life and cut through the polarization of our day. For Garrett, remembering the good things in his life has helped him get through dark times. Gratitude is a catalyst for both joy and togetherness when both might otherwise be absent.

Also, to give our team a break during this holiday season, we are going to take a pause from releasing episodes for the month of December. We all need a moment to reflect on where we have been and where we are going in the New Year. We'll be back in January to start off 2024 with some great content!

Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Monica Moses is a policy fellow for the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy and a PhD candidate at West Virginia University. She joins Garrett today to discuss the role colleges and universities play in rural communities. She discusses how growing up in a small town near St. Bonaventure University influenced her interest in researching the role universities and colleges play in rural areas. Garrett & Monica explore the symbiotic relationship that these higher education institutions have with the communities around them and how they can help prevent brain drain. Learn more about Monica's work and follow her on Twitter @MonicaaMoses. Olean, New York St. Bonaventure University Alleghany River Ascend WV Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Ashley Stinnett is the Communications Coordinator for Coalfield Development, he's a co-founder of the Film Futures Foundation, a former republican candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates, an actor, and an author. He was born and grew up in Lavalette, West Virginia and currently resides in Wayne County. Today he joins Garrett to talk about Halloween, the horror genre, and his book Haunted Tales From Appalachia: Ghosts, Spirits and Other Strange Happenings from the Hills and Hollows. Many of the stories in Ashley's book are inspired by real events. In this episode, he shares some of the family stories that inspired his book and discusses his faith and its influence on his horror writing. Garrett & Ashley explore the value of the horror genre in film and writing and tackle the question "Is Appalachia an inherently scary place?" Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark Goosebumps books https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosebumps Scholastic BookFair https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/home.html Other Books by Ashley Stinnett: The Liberty Documents: Principles That Framed a Nation Grasping Appalachian Conservatism: How Not to Be Mistaken for a Latte Liberal The Liberty Essays: Restoring a Lost American Principle Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Kim Dully has a Master's degree in School Counseling, she is a Grassroots Coordinator with Love Your School-WV, and a co-host of the We Have Hope podcast. She has years of experience working with families and kids, particularly with recruiting and teaching foster parents in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. On today's episode of Forgotten America, Kim shares her experience with the foster care system as a child whose siblings were in foster care in Pennsylvania and as an adult who has worked to recruit foster families in West Virginia. Her story helps to highlight the beauty that comes when one adult steps in the gap for a child and the brokenness that exists in our current foster care system. Kim Dully [email protected] We Have Hope podcast https://www.loveyourschool.org/we-have-hope-podcast/ Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Aaron Renn is a writer and consultant based in Indianapolis and is a co-founder and Senior Fellow at American Reformer. He had a first career in management and technology consulting advising major corporations as a Partner at Accenture and a second career in urban policy as a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Today his focus is on helping conservatives and the American church rise to the challenge of finding success in the 21st century. Appalachia is the last physically beautiful land in America that does not have extreme climate and is affordable. The same sorts of people who are buying up land in the West will soon, and already are, turning their sights east toward Appalachia. In this episode of Forgotten America, Aaron and Garrett tackle difficult questions like the role climate plays in economic growth, how migration is impacting local communities in the region, and the major divide Aaron sees between the North and South Appalachian regions. Garrett asks what kind of progress should we want for our region and should we look to growing mountain state regions in the West for ideas to grow economically in Appalachia? Listen in to hear what Aaron thinks about the present and future of Appalachia and his citizen-centric strategy for prosperity. Stats & Terms Mentioned Idaho is the 2nd fastest growing state in the country. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/idaho-population-change-between-census-decade.html Appalachian Regional Commission's discussion of subregions in Appalachia. https://www.arc.gov/map/subregions-in-appalachia/ Sunbelt vs. Frostbelt https://www.jrank.org/encyclopedia/pages/cm7kzpwgun/Sunbelt-Frostbelt.html Brookings Institution's Exurbia Info CentralApp https://www.centralapp.us/ Oktana https://oktana.com/ Nate Phipp's article about these remote companies https://cardinalinstitute.com/a-west-virginia-miracle-in-remote-work-innovation/ SOAR https://soar-ky.org/ Governing.com article on relocation incentives https://www.governing.com/work/pay-people-to-move-to-your-state-or-region-maybe-its-not-such-a-bad-idea You can keep up with Aaron Renn by subscribing to his Substack. Twitter: @Aaron_Renn The pieces that inspired this episode. https://urbanreforminstitute.org/2023/08/the-future-of-appalachia/ https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/future-of-appalachia https://www.city-journal.org/article/appalachias-north-south-divide Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter

Jessi Troyan, Director of Policy & Research for the Cardinal Institute, takes over the Forgotten America podcast as guest host. She interviews Chris Denson, Director of Policy & Research at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, about health care in rural America, particularly focusing on his experiences with the healthcare system in Georgia. Prior to his time at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Chris served as Director of Outreach at HCA Memorial Health in Savannah, a 612-bed Level 1 trauma center serving a 32-county region in Southeast Georgia and South Carolina and as the Director of Advisory Services for Hometown Health, a multi-state rural hospital trade association based in Georgia. He shares his unique perspective on health care policy and its impacts on rural communities. Key Statistics Mentioned:

• 159 Counties in Georgia
• 82 w/o OB/GYNs
• 65 w/o Pediatricians
• 40 w/o Internal Medicine
• 18 w/o Family Medicine
• 9 with No Physicians whatsoever
• Certificate of Need - Heavily regulated in Georgia
• 50 services and facility types are regulated through CON
• You're 10% more likely to have a Nurse Practitioner office in rural areas.

Reports from Georgia Public Policy Foundation https://www.georgiapolicy.org/publications/addressing-georgias-healthcare-disparities-the-benefits-of-full-practice-authority-for-nurse-practitioners-and-physician-assistants/#how-underserved-is-most-of-georgia https://www.georgiapolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CON-report.pdf Georgia Public Policy Foundation: https://www.georgiapolicy.org/about/ Chris Denson: https://www.georgiapolicy.org/people/chris-denson/ Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation: https://csorwvu.com/ Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter