2026 Rural Summit Resources
Infrastructure for All
The NC Rural Center partnered with the Institute for Emerging Issues to build the 2026 Rural Summit around the theme of "Infrastructure for All: Connecting North Carolina." Matt Dunne, a former Vermont legislator and Google executive who now leads the Center on Rural Innovation, kicked off the event with a keynote address focusing on bringing tech jobs to rural communities, but also encouraging communities to shape their own futures.
You can read more about the event in our press release. Thank you to all of our sponsors, especially our presenting sponsor First Citizens Bank.
Award Winners
A highlight of the Rural Summit was the surprise presentation of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Rural Center board member Mike Hawkins by Governor Josh Stein.
Our award winners:
- Rural Leader of the Year: Schumata Brown, Town of Maysville
- Rural Entrepreneur of the Year: Shawn Adams, Southern Boii Cuisine
- Excellence in Regional Collaboration: Roanoke Cooperative; Surry-Yadkin Works; Western Broadband Coalition
- CDFI of the Year: Partner Community Capital
- Community Bank of the Year: Skyline National Bank
Rural Summit Presentations
The slide decks from our three main stage sessions and 12 breakout presentations are available below.
- 2026 Rural Summit Main Stage presentations (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3)
- Rebuilding from the Ground Up - Owned Infrastructure (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
- Turning Infrastructure into Opportunity - Lessons from a Regional Water Project
- Utility Management Strengthened by Partnerships
- Broadband is Coming. Now What?
- Powering Rural Prosperity - Innovative Strategies for Infrastructure & Economic Growth
- Securing North Carolina's Water Future for Rural Communities
- Building Communities - Downtown Franklinton Redevelopment (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
- Economic and Community Development Through Landscapes
- From Access to Adoption, Infrastructure & Beyond
- Moving Opportunity: Transportation Infrastructure, Backbone of Rural Economic Competitiveness
- Preparing Rural NC for Energy Infrastructure Projects
- The Rural Healthcare Transformation Imperative - Partnering to Build Resilient Communities
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