Technology nonprofit marks milestone by recognizing community leaders who have helped pave the way for North Carolina’s broadband-powered past, present and future

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MCNC hosted more than 200 technology, government and business leaders this week for its signature event – MCNC Community Day – at the Durham Convention Center.

This year’s event theme, 45 Years of Transformation, celebrated MCNC’s past successes, current contributions, and the influential future it has planned for connecting North Carolina. The agenda featured 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.

“For 45 years, the leaders, partners and innovators of MCNC have shaped us into a genuine success story for North Carolina,” said MCNC President and CEO Tracy Doaks. “The next chapter of transformation won’t just be about increasing speed but about increasing impact to ensure North Carolina remains the most connected, most innovative, and most digitally-empowered state in the nation.”

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. MCNC also gave out four special awards, recognizing individuals and stakeholders for their outstanding work, dedication and understanding of how technology and broadband can create opportunities and grow local economies for all citizens in North Carolina.

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.

MCNC Community Day was made possible by generous sponsors including – 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.

MCNC Community Day 2025 Award Recipients

Robyn Render Endeavor Award: Nate Denny
Throughout his career, Nate Denny has shown outstanding commitment to using technology for creating opportunities and fairness throughout North Carolina. Through his leadership of the NCDIT Broadband Infrastructure Office he helped create statewide broadband development programs while making digital access essential for economic development. Through his current work he maintains his commitment to developing partnerships which establish educational and employment access and vital service availability for communities. His dedication to MCNC’s mission demonstrates his dual commitment to state connectivity and his understanding of technology as a growth-enabling force. The Robyn Render Endeavor Award recognizes Nate’s outstanding leadership and service and advocacy work which aligns with its core values.

Innovation Award: Charley Kneifel
Duke University Chief Information Officer Charley Kneifel leads the advancement of innovative technology solutions which enhance and grow the MCNC community. Through his forward-thinking approach, Charley supports collaborative initiatives which advance Duke research and education while developing models that benefit all North Carolina institutions. Through his dedication to innovation Charley unites different organizations to create meaningful partnerships which advance advanced networking and data management and digital infrastructure development. Through his dedication to excellence and collaboration Charley demonstrates the Innovation Award spirit by establishing a benchmark for how technology should transform education and communities throughout North Carolina.

Empower Award: Teena Piccione
Secretary Teena Piccione established herself as a private sector leader through her work at Fidelity Investments and Google where she directed major technology and transformation projects. North Carolina gained her private sector expertise when she was confirmed as state chief information officer and secretary for the N.C. Department of Information Technology. She has made an immediate impact in this role working for broadband expansion, digital equity, and workforce development initiatives. Through her efforts to unite government entities with educational institutions and industrial partners, Piccione enables people to adopt innovation while creating opportunities for all North Carolinians. The Empower Award recognizes her outstanding leadership skills together with her commitment to inclusivity and her proven track record of creating substantial change.

Community Champion Award: Stephen Reeves
Stephen Reeves serves as Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer for the North Carolina Community College System, maintaining a dedicated effort to enhance cybersecurity and digital resilience throughout the state. As a leader in the industry, Reeves works tirelessly with MCNC and partner organizations to protect community colleges which function as digital hubs for their regional areas from modern cyber threats. He has been able to create a lasting positive effect on North Carolina’s educational and technological environment by bringing together different groups and promoting practical community-based solutions and best practice sharing. Stephen establishes trust while promoting innovation to protect students and faculty and their communities from digital threats thus demonstrating his role and worthy recognition as a true Community Champion.

About MCNC

MCNC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit client-focused technology organization. Founded in 1980, MCNC owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), one of America’s longest-running regional research and education networks. With over 45 years of innovation, MCNC provides high-performance services for education, research, libraries, health care, public safety, and other community anchor institutions throughout North Carolina. NCREN is the fundamental broadband infrastructure for over 850 of these institutions including all public K-20 education in North Carolina. As one of the nation’s premier middle-mile fiber backbone networks, MCNC leverages NCREN to customize protected Internet, cybersecurity services, and related applications for each client while supporting private service providers in bringing cost-efficient connectivity to rural and underserved communities in North Carolina.

Visit www.mcnc.org. MCNC Social: Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn.

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