Honoring North Carolinians Who Connect Our State to the World

The Jim Fain NC Global Ambassador Award recognizes North Carolinians whose leadership, vision, and commitment have strengthened North Carolina’s connections with people, communities, and partners around the world.

Established by the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness, the award honors the legacy of Jim Fain, former N.C. Secretary of Commerce and founder of the Coalition. Throughout his career, Fain championed the importance of North Carolina’s global connections and helped bring together leaders from government, business, education, agriculture, and communities across the state around a shared vision: positioning North Carolina as a globally engaged, competitive, and connected state.

The award celebrates individuals who embody that vision through their own leadership and service, people who build bridges across borders and sectors, create opportunities for international engagement, and help North Carolina become a great place to invest, work, study, visit, partner, and live.

A Legacy of Global Leadership

The N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness was founded in 2013 by Jim Fain as a public-private partnership bringing together leaders from across North Carolina. The Coalition works to strengthen the state’s global engagement through economic development, trade, workforce development, education, international partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration.

The Jim Fain NC Global Ambassador Award extends that legacy by shining a light on the individuals who make global engagement possible. Recipients represent the many ways North Carolinians contribute to our state’s place in the world, from international business and diplomacy to education, agriculture, research, government, community development, and global partnerships.

The award was first presented at the 2019 NC Global Advantage Forum.

Previous Recipients

Celebrating a Global North Carolina

Each recipient of the Jim Fain NC Global Ambassador Award reflects a different dimension of North Carolina’s global story. Together, these leaders demonstrate that global engagement is not the work of one sector or one community — it is a shared effort that strengthens our economy, expands educational and cultural opportunities, builds partnerships, and helps North Carolina thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Originally known as the Ray of Light Award, subsequently the NC Global Ambassador Award, since 2023 the Jim Fain NC Global Ambassador Award.

The award is presented annually at the NC Global Advantage Forum, the signature convening of the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness and Global NC.

*Ray of Light Award

** NC Global Ambassador Award