Brian Fork is in his second season as CEO of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes based in Raleigh, N.C. In his role as chief executive, Fork supervises all business units of Hurricanes Holdings, LLC, including the Hurricanes, Lenovo Center, the mixed-use real estate development district surrounding Lenovo Center, and other business interests of the company.

Fork joined the Hurricanes in July 2024. Prior to that, he served six years with the North Carolina General Assembly, as Chief of Staff to N.C. Senate President Phil Berger from December 2020 to July 2024, and served two years as Senate General Counsel. Fork is a member of the N.C. Economic Investment Committee, which approves state economic incentive grants.

Before joining the legislature, Fork was a Raleigh-based partner at two law firms. His 13 years of private law practice focused on commercial restructuring and bankruptcy, real estate and business disputes, and commercial litigation. He is a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, where he was a member of the football team, and received his J.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law. Before attending law school, Fork worked as an assistant football coach at Davidson, coaching running backs and wide receivers. In 2015, he was named to the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40.

The Jesse Helms Center’s flagship youth program is the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge. Established in 1995, FELC is a five-day leadership training program for high school students held during the summer on college campuses around the U.S. Students are taught the differences between the free enterprise system and socialism, entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, and ethical leadership. Over 14,250 students have graduated from FELC.

The E.A. Morris Free Enterprise Leadership Gala is named in honor of Edwin A. Morris, businessman, philanthropist, and one of the founding fathers of the North Carolina conservative movement.

Morris was born in Cabarrus County and grew up from humble beginnings to become one of the country’s premier marketing and clothing executives. His company, Blue Bell, introduced Wrangler jeans to the workplace. By the mid-1900s Blue Bell had become the world’s largest manufacturer of work and recreational clothing.

Morris was well known for his generosity. He was active in philanthropy through the E.A. Morris Charitable Foundation until his death in 1998.

In 2007 he was inducted posthumously into The Charles A. Cannon Free Enterprise Hall of Fame at The Jesse Helms Center.