WILLIAMSBURG — Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, who recently retired as president of University of the Cumberlands, has been named the 2025 recipient of SOAR’s Appalachian Leadership Award. The recognition honors outstanding leaders whose transformative vision has strengthened the Appalachian region.

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), a nonprofit organization serving the 54 Appalachian Regional Commission counties of Eastern Kentucky, works to “solve the deep-seated issue of population retention and growth in Eastern Kentucky” by investing in existing communities and attracting new residents to drive economic growth and prosperity.

See Full Page