NC Open Gov. Coalition and the Elon University School of Communications to host Sunshine Day on March 11, 2019.
Sunshine Day, a program sponsored by the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, brings together journalists, media companies, attorneys, and the public to celebrate openness and transparency in North Carolina government. The celebration coincides annually with North Carolina Sunshine Week to bring awareness to the importance of open and accountable government in the state.
Ken Eudy, Senior Adviser to Governor Roy Cooper, will offer a keynote address on transparency issues related to North Carolina elections, campaign financing, and voting infrastructure. During lunch, the NC Open Government Coalition will announce the winners of the fifth annual Sunshine Awards acknowledging outstanding achievement in journalism, advocacy, and government work related to improving government in North Carolina.
Guests are invited to attend a slate of events on openness and transparency issues facing North Carolina citizens, which are detailed below.
Register for Sunshine Day and lunch here.
Schedule of Events
(located in Turner Theatre unless otherwise indicated)
9:30 a.m.: Registration/Check-In and Coffee (Snow Atrium)
10:00 a.m.: Welcome and Introduction – Brooks Fuller, director, N.C. Open Government Coalition
10:15 a.m.: Sunshine Week Reporting Initiative Presentation – Tyler Dukes (WRAL) will share the results of a collaborative effort by NC journalists to report on legal settlements entered into by city and municipal governments.
10:30 a.m.: Online Access in Local Gov: Matt Calabria (Wake County Commission), Cheyenne Flotree (City of Charlotte), and Patrick Conant (PRC Apps) will discuss advances in open data and open records on the local level. Moderator: Angie Newsome (Carolina Public Press and the N.C. Open Government Coalition).
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Lunch, Sunshine Awards, Keynote – Ken Eudy (Sr. Advisor, Gov. Roy Cooper)
12:45 p.m.: Break
1:00 p.m.: Speaker – Joshua Malcolm (General Counsel – UNCP and former member NCSBE), will discuss the state of transparency in NC elections investigations. Short Q&A to follow.
1:30 p.m.: Transparency in NC-09 – Joe Bruno (WSOC), Travis Fain (WRAL), Steve Harrison (WFAE) and Kirk Ross (independent journalist, Washington Post NC correspondent), will discuss their reporting on the congressional race and subsequent investigation in the 9th District race between Mark Harris and Dan McCready. Moderator: Debra Morgan of WRAL.
2:45 p.m.: Open Records and Open Meetings Legal Training: Attorneys Amanda Martin, Mike Tadych, both of Steven, Martin, Vaughn & Tadych, and Attorney Jon Buchan of Essex Richards will lead a training on updates in N.C. access laws.
3:45 p.m.: Closing Remarks
Sunshine Day would not be possible without generous public support. To contribute to our mission of openness and transparency in North Carolina, click HERE.