Charlie Adams has served as executive director of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association since 1984 and has been on the NCHSAA staff since 1967. A star athlete at Cary High School and then at East Carolina University, Adams has created a number of innovations during his NCHSAA career, including implementing a corporate sponsorship program, starting the NCHSAA Endowment fund, greatly expanding the state awards program, developing more classified state championships and helping start the innovative Student Services program. He served as president of the National Federation of State High School Associations Board of Directors in 1997-98, the only North Carolinian to serve in that role. He is a member of the National High School Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Athletic Directors Hall of Fame, the East Carolina University Sports Hall of Fame and the Cary High School Hall of Fame.