Day 3: MCNC Community Day marks 45 years of transformation
MCNC Community Day returned to the Durham Convention Center in November under the theme of 45 Years of Transformation, celebrating MCNC’s past successes, current contributions, and the influential future it has planned for connecting and empowering the digital age in North Carolina.
Unwrap the Data
- 251 total registrants.
- Attendees from 12 different states
- 91 returners from our last one in 2023
- 160 were new attendees
- 118 made it out to Broadband & Bourbon
Highlights and Takeaways
The agendafeatured keynotes and panel discussions covering a wide variety of technology topics and trends such as cybersecurity, quantum computing, women in tech, data centers and cloud platforms, AI, and all things innovation. Attendees were offered exclusive networking opportunities with a wide range of professionals from within and outside of North Carolina who share a focus on how advanced networking technologies positively impact North Carolina’s global competitiveness.
Community Recognition
MCNC also marked this year’s sapphire milestone by recognizing those community leaders who have helped pave the way for North Carolina’s broadband-powered past, present and future.
- Nate Denny, former Deputy Secretary of Broadband and Digital Opportunity at the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) now serving as Principal at EQV Strategic, was acknowledged with the 2025 Robyn Render Endeavor Award, celebrating distinguished service and commitment to the mission of MCNC.
- Charley Kneifel, Duke University Chief Information Officer (CIO), received the 2025 Innovation Award, which highlights, promotes and celebrates excellence in innovation and collaborative technology-based projects and initiatives that positively impact the community.
- Teena Piccione, Secretary of NCDIT and State CIO, was honored with the 2025 Empower Award, recognizing her as a new member of the MCNC Community who has made an immediate impact.
- Stephen Reeves, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the North Carolina Community College System, received the MCNC Community Champion Award.
Broadband & Bourbon
Amazing, one-of-kind networking event went down at Motorco Music Hall to close out Day 1. There was music by the Davisson Brothers with a special opening act – MCNC very own, new in-house band, Dark Fiber! Along with cold drinks, delicious food and an official Broadband & Bourbon tour t-shirt featuring historic MCNC milestones, we’ll try out best to top this at MCNC Community Day 2027.
The Next 45 Years
When MCNC began, the Internet as we know it today didn’t exist. The cloud was just something in the sky. Data was stored on tape. And no one would have believed it if you said every human on the planet would carry a supercomputer in their pocket in 2025.
But MCNC’s last 45 years is not a history of one organization building one thing. It is a history of continuous transformation with an unwavering focus on empowering people, serving communities, and creating opportunity. Modern North Carolina doesn’t just mean that North Carolina is one of the most connected states in the country; it also means it is the most empowered.
Forty-Five years is plenty of time to grow comfortable, right?
Not for MCNC!
This 45-year celebration is not a finish line – it’s the starting line!
Thank you!
MCNC Community Day was made possible by many generous sponsors – Premier Networking Event Sponsor: ECC Technologies; Yottabyte: eNCore; Terabyte: Cisco, Presidio, Tanium, and World Wide Technology; Megabyte: LCG Associates, North Carolina Telehealth Network Association (NCTNA), Financial Direction, AT&T, Spectrum Business, Palo Alto Networks; Bytes: Fountainworks, Cloudflare, CrowdStrike, Tenon, The Whole Group, Forvis Mazars, Zscaler Public Sector.
We’re already looking forward to MCNC Community Day 2027!
