When Governor Jim Hunt established the Emerging Issues Forum 40 years ago, his vision was clear: create a space where North Carolinians can look around the corner, confront big challenges and shape our state’s future together. But the forum itself was never the destination—it’s always been a launching pad for collaborative action. It’s about “Think and Do.”

In that spirit, we will soon be sharing our fiscal year 2025-26 Annual Impact Report, detailing the multi-year, statewide progress stemming from recent forums—work that is deeply rooted in NC State’s land-grant mission to take knowledge generated on campus and put it to work for the public good. The report will be a celebration of the dedicated partners, funders and community leaders driving real, lasting change in all 100 counties day in and day out. Stay tuned for the official release!

Today, 250 regional leaders, practitioners and advocates convened in Durham for the 2026 NC Digital Opportunity Gathering. This event is the finale of a three-part series alongside North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity. Themed “Collaborating for the Future,” this event celebrates the completion of our five-year initiative to ensure all 100 counties have a digital inclusion plan in place—an effort built on local cross-sector leadership, robust data collection and the shared conviction that digital access is essential for economic mobility, education and healthcare. Throughout the day, attendees dove into workforce development, telehealth, digital navigation, AI skills and sustainable funding models. Be sure to check back next month for resources and takeaways from the gathering.

Looking ahead, we are bringing that same collaborative energy to our state’s next big infrastructure challenge: housing. As we prepare to launch our Housing Infrastructure Advisory Council this fall and build toward our 2027 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Housing on Feb. 17, thank you for walking alongside us. North Carolina’s best days are ahead when we work together.