Day 1: COVID-19 and the big pivot of 2020
Much has happened at MCNC in 2020 – the changes to our organization, to our network, and to our world are many. We all have had to adapt to new ways of approaching our livelihoods and lives.
On the first day of the 12 Days of Broadband, we wanted to show you how MCNC has been able to support you during this challenging and unprecedented year, no matter the circumstances.
Real-time Guidance & Resources
As concerns over COVID-19 continued to grow in early spring, MCNC quickly assembled online resources for our clients and took swift steps to ensure our world-class networking services remained available. Similar to the rest of the state and country, MCNC went to a largely work-from-home arrangement for our staff. All MCNC operational staff have the necessary devices and equipment to support the network remotely during normal and emergency situations. Due to prior planning around business continuity measures, this transition was relatively seamless, and we have been pleased to discover how successful we have been in supporting the needs of our clients during this time. View the MCNC COVID-19 Knowledge Center.
Growth Mindset
MCNC continued to deepen and expand our networking technologies and cybersecurity solutions throughout the state for remote work, telehealth, virtual learning, and more. MCNC Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tommy Jacobson provided an in-depth outlook for the organization at the start of the new fiscal year in July. During these incredible times of change – especially in the new approaches to delivering education and health care services online – MCNC is moving forward while continuing to be that reliable partner that our constituents have come to rely on and trust.
Helping Neighbors
We know many in our community, including many students and families associated with the school systems we serve, continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 more than others. MCNC was excited to work with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC this year to set up a matching donation program to support the great initiatives and programs they offer; we were able to match total donations by our employees of up to $5,000 during a Virtual Food Drive. Many in North Carolina continue to need help. Please visit Food Bank COVID-19 Crisis Response to learn more.
Recognizing Champions
Our client community has always demonstrated the highest level of commitment to their organizations and constituents. In these difficult times, many have undoubtedly demonstrated that amazing level of dedication while faced with uncertainty and concern over their own families, peers, and communities. That is why throughout the spring and summer, we launched MCNC Champions to take a few moments to recognize those individuals, teams, departments, and organizations that went above and beyond to serve their own organizations and communities under trying circumstances. We are very proud of all of MCNC Champions and thank you!
Ready to Serve
COVID-19 has revealed compassion and courage as well as innovation and creativity. We all face and continue to face uncharted waters; social, education, and economic disruption is surely going impact communities and families in all corners of North Carolina for many years to come and in ways we can hardly imagine. MCNC remains steadfast with all of our partners and the people we serve. Now more than ever, we will need to think and work differently. In the year ahead, we all will be called upon to be our best selves, and MCNC pledges to do our part to help us overcome this pandemic.
