Since fiber internet is the gold standard, Panora Fiber is especially excited to see athletes win gold medals at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, especially if they’re members of Team USA! We can’t wait to watch the events from Italy between February 6th and February 22nd, and thought it would be fun to bring some of that excitement to Iowa.
On February 23rd, after the Games are over, we’ll draw customer names to select the winners of these prizes:
GOLD – $100 bill credit
SILVER – $75 bill credit
BRONZE – $50 bill credit
You must be a Panora Fiber customer to win a bill credit. Panora Fiber employees, board members, and their spouses are ineligible to enter. Only one prize per person. Prize winners will be notified by phone.
The theme for Panorama Days 2025 was “Navigating Our Past, Sailing Into Our Future.” Panora Fiber was honored to participate in the festivities and again showcase local veterans in our company’s parade float, who truly are a Compass of Courage to guide the way.
Back to front: Gene Pohl, Pat Lutz, Paul Wendl, Marshall Burgess, Kass Duis, Dick Groom, Mike Arganbright, LeRoy Oxley and Dave Ryan
Panora Fiber’s float followed behind the color guard.
Curtis Thornberry, IT Director for Panora Fiber and Mayor of Panora, emceed the parade and had the pleasure of meeting Cy, the Iowa State University mascot.
Andy Carson, Data Tech for Panora Fiber and a volunteer fireman, drove a fire truck in the Panorama Days parade.
Zach Davis, IT Tech, enjoyed chalking the block with son Emmett.
CyberCon, which took place May 14-15 in West Des Moines, is presented yearly by the Iowa Communications Alliance (ICA) and serves as a premier cybersecurity event for professionals from across Iowa and the Upper Midwest. Two of this year’s 130+ attendees were from Panora Fiber — Curtis Thornberry, Technology Development Director; and Zach Davis, IT Technician.
Thornberry has long held a leadership role in this event. He explained: “I’ve been involved in planning CyberCon since its inception 10 years ago and have been committee chair three times, including this year. As chair, I work with a committee for months to put together a conference agenda with speakers on technical and non-technical cybersecurity tracks. During the conference, I serve as host/emcee for all the General Session presentations and communicate information to the conference attendees.”
Davis was on the panel of ICA members for “Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in the Industry.” The discussion largely centered around securing organizations against risks introduced by AI and foundational strategies for protecting end users and workstations.
“Given the growing adoption of AI, there were numerous questions to the panel on how to approach AI securely. Topics included policy development, selecting appropriate AI platforms, controlling data exposure, and implementing principles like least privilege,” said Davis.
He continued, “We also addressed the basics of endpoint security for organizations just beginning their security programs. This included best practices such as user awareness training, use of password managers, endpoint protection solutions, and patch management. Emphasis was placed on end user training. Regardless of how many technical controls are in place, a single user action — like clicking a malicious link or entering passwords into malicious sites — can bypass even the strongest defenses.”
Both Thornberry and Davis walked away from CyberCon with valuable information.
Thornberry said, “I always learn something new. I might become aware of a new attack vector that I need to review to make sure our networks are secure, or someone may suggest changes in cyber planning that I want to evaluate for Panora Fiber and our clients.”
Davis found the technical breakout sessions particularly valuable. He said, “I took notes on small configuration settings and process improvements that are easy to overlook but can have a significant impact on security posture. These are items I plan to implement into our existing policies.”
CyberCon is one example of the continuing education that Panora Fiber supports for employees and of the leadership role we play in our industry.
Curtis Thornberry wears two hats. He’s Technology Development Director at Panora Fiber and mayor of Panora. It was as mayor that Thornberry participated in JA Biztown in a Day on April 18, 2025 at Panorama Elementary. This Junior Achievement event provides 4th graders with a unique, hands-on learning experience — stepping into real-world roles to discover what it takes to be a business tycoon, CEO, or the mayor.
The dynamic, one-day simulation combines classroom learning with a fully interactive town, giving kids the chance to run businesses, manage finances, vote in elections, and make big decisions. Community leaders with specific roles were invited to speak with the class to explain topics including elections, banking, and governing.
Thornberry said, “As mayor of Panora, I was there to talk about what I do. I explained the responsibilities of the mayor, the qualities required, what it means to be a leader, and how mayors need to be good communicators and able to solve problems. I also emphasized that being the mayor is a service role in which I’m always working to support our residents.”
During an extensive Q&A session with the curious students, Thornberry was asked what he liked least about being mayor.
“I chuckled and immediately responded. I said my least favorite part of the job was having to sign checks to pay all of the city’s bills each month. It can take me 20 minutes to sign them all. The students appreciated the answer because they had learned about banking and writing checks in an earlier class,” said Thornberry.
He continued, “I enjoy working with kids of all ages and sharing my knowledge and work experiences with them. I used to coach youth and high school sports, and I currently volunteer at the Guthrie County Historical Village. Kids always ask questions that adults wouldn’t think to ask, so it keeps you on your toes.”
Panora Fiber applauds Thornberry’s participation in JA Biztown in a Day, as we do the community involvement of all our employees. We believe in giving back!
Panora Chamber of Commerce
PRIDE (Panora Area Economic Development Group)
Midwest Partnership
Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce
Guthrie Center Main Street
GCDC (Guthrie Center Development Corporation)
AIBW (Association of Independent Business Women)
Panora Fire Department
Sons of American Legion
St. Mary’s Church
Guthrie Center Activity Center
Panorama Soccer Club
GCHV Foundation
Panora City Council
Little Panther Daycare & Preschool
Redfield Development Corporation