This grant provides funding to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) to support Lead for North Carolina (LFNC), a two-year pilot program to train the next generation of public service leaders in North Carolina. LFNC will place thirteen participants in local government fellowships across the state, with particular focus on local governments in economically distressed, rural, or tobacco-dependent communities. Eleven of the thirteen sites are in Tier 1 counties. The UNC School of Government is collaborating with the NC League of Municipalities, NC Association of County Commissioners, and NC City and County Management Association to implement this project. Golden LEAF funds will be used to supplement compensation, training, and housing for participants during the second year of the pilot period. The first year of the pilot program is being funded by State Employees Credit Union Foundation, Anonymous Trust, Jessie Ball duPont Fund and Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Second-year funding sources include Anonymous Trust, participating local governments and the UNC School of Government.
