Flaccavento, 47, of Abingdon says he is "flattered and humbled" to have been selected as one of 18 recipients of this year's award. There were almost 1,000 nominees this year.

The award was launched in 2000 in association with the Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Flaccavento and the other winners will become part of ongoing leadership research projects

"These awardees are making a difference in communities across the country and are showing us new ways to exercise leadership in challenging times," Susan V. Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation, said in a news release. "The program not only recognizes their accomplishments but also seeks to explore what constitutes effective leadership today and to share those insights more broadly."

For Flaccavento and his organization were awarded for looking at new ways to develop the regional economy while protecting the environment and using existing resources. It has established a solar powered lumber drying kiln near Castlewood, helped area farmers switch from growing tobacco to organic produce and created a widespread produce distribution program.

A Baltimore, Md., native, Flaccavento came to the Appalachian region in the late 1970s working for the Kentucky Department of Soil and Conservation in Harlan County. After graduate school in Pittsburgh, Pa., he became director of the Appalachian Office for Justice and Peace in St. Paul in 1985.

In 1994, Flaccavento began meeting with farmers, loggers, environmental activists, chamber of commerce officials and economic developers to discuss ways to create new opportunities in the region. Appalachian Sustainable Development was formed in 1995.

"He's a hard worker, a visionary and a real inspiration," says Jim Baldwin, president of the ASD board and program director for the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission.

Flaccavento credits others.

"When I look at why they gave me the award it's because of collaborations, working partnerships and because we've bridged the gap between environmentalist and economic developers," he says. "I feel like I've done some things to earn it, but if it wasn't for many, many other people who've worked with me - who are the heart and soul of this - I wouldn't have this award."

Those people include loggers, farmers, grocery store executives and regional leaders in traditional economic development.

"Agriculture is not a big component of what we do as economic developers and we can lose sight of its importance," says Glenn "Skip" Skinner, deputy director of the Lenowisco Planning District Commission and an Appalachian Sustainable Development board member. "Anthony's work has helped us bring agriculture and sustainable development back into the forefront."

"This is another piece in the economic development puzzle for the region," Baldwin says. "We have lost a lot of jobs so we have to bring jobs in from outside, but the key to Anthony's success is looking at ways to create jobs from within the community."

The organization has been able to bring loggers and timber owners together to harvest trees without clear cuts and created a market for that harvest. While logging under these guidelines is more difficult, Flaccavento says they have never had a boundary left standing because no logger would take the job.

Part of the success is paying more per board foot for trees cut. Understanding helps too.

"Logging is a tough business," Flaccavento says. "It is hard, it's dangerous and it's hard to make a living at it."

He also understands that land owners want to keep the beauty of their land and not worry about drainage problems after trees are cut.

When an ASD forester comes up with plan, both the logger and the landowner's concerns are addressed, Flaccavento said. Differences are worked out, he noted. Beneficial to both parties is the fact that timber with it's environmentally friendly pedigree demands a higher price when it is on the market in the Tri-Cities and Charlottesville, he said.