We each had that humbling experience many times over the past year while considering North Carolina’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the North Carolina Leadership Forum. As a former principal agriculture advisor to President Trump and current general counsel for the North Carolina Chamber and president of its legal institute, Ray spent the pandemic helping thousands of businesses protect workers and serve customers safely amid a global crisis. Our paths crossed at the Forum, a Duke University-hosted program that brings together state and local leaders from a variety of backgrounds to explore concerns and values related to a specific issue of importance to the state.