Day 4: Audience grows as MCNC Community Connect Podcast delivers
From a crucial decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to shifts in investments in digital infrastructure throughout the country, this year presented a clear need for thoughtful, expert-driven conversations on the current state of broadband in North Carolina. And, this is where MCNC’s official podcast – MCNC Community Connect – strengthened its influence this year by featuring meaningful discussions with top leaders on crucial and timely topics.
MCNC hosted experts for three timely discussions in 2025:
- Episode 13: Actionable advocacy digs wells before going thirsty
- Episode 14: High stakes in the high court as nation awaits USF decision
- Episode 15: MCNC pulls curtain back on what it takes to build, operate a world-class broadband network
In April, Drew Moretz and Ed Turlington from Brooks Pierce, LLP, and John Graham and Jordan Rogers of the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association (NCTNA) joined MCNC President and CEO Tracy Doaks to share their expertise on legislative advocacy. This engaging conversation details how actionable advocacy can secure a healthier and more prosperous future for all by driving smart investments in broadband technologies.
In June, MCNC’s community faced uncertainty while the U.S. Supreme Court weighed the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and associated programs such as E-Rate in the case of FCC v. Consumers’ Research. MCNC’s James Nester, chief marketing officer and senior director of client advocacy, and Phil Emer, vice president of business development, invited a team of experts to analyze all possible outcomes of the case. Episode guests included Jen Leasure, president and CEO of The Quilt; Ray Zeisz, senior director of the Technology Infrastructure Lab at the Friday Institute; and Kristen Corra, policy counsel at the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition.
The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutionality of the USF, which Tracy Doaks said was a “significant victory for equity, digital opportunity, connectivity, and communities across North Carolina and the nation.”
Finally, one of our most-recent episodes was a very popular one showcasing what it takes to build and maintain a fiber network. Episode 15 features MCNC’s Chauncey Ray, senior manager of facilities engineering and operations; Jeremy Rollins, senior manager of outside plant engineering and operations; and Matthew Valenzisi, senior director of network architecture and management and chief network architect. Along with moderator Tracy Doaks, special guests also included Jammie Starks-Benthem, chief commercialization officer with one of MCNC’s important networking partners at ECC Technologies.
As we conclude 2025 and plan future discussions for 2026, enjoy all our past episodes on the Community Connect Podcast and send us suggestions for future topics here.
