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Clayton, Johnston County

Clayton: Town manager completes UNC School of Government Civic Fellows program

Town Manager Rich Cappola finished Leading for Results on Oct. 16. The town said he was one of 25 Civic Fellows in the first 2026 cohort.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

The Johnston County courthouse in Smithfield

File photo: Ammodramus (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • A Town of Clayton notice posted Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, said Town Manager Rich Cappola completed Leading for Results, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government program, on Oct. 16, 2026.Confirmed by Town of Clayton news post, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The Johnstonian News, writing Thursday, reported the same completion date, Friday, Oct. 16, and the same program name.Confirmed by The Johnstonian News, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The town said Cappola was among 25 local-government professionals selected for the first 2026 Civic Fellows cohort, and that more than 200 people from North Carolina applied.Confirmed by Town of Clayton news post, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The Johnstonian News printed the same 25-person cohort figure and the same "more than 200" application figure.Confirmed by The Johnstonian News, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The town described the course as a two-week program held in September and October that focuses on personal and organizational leadership, communication, team building and organizational change.Confirmed by Town of Clayton news post, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The UNC School of Government's Civic Fellows page lists Leading for Results as a two-week Chapel Hill course with a cohort of 25. For 2026 it lists Cohort I as Sept. 14–18 and Oct. 12–16, and Cohort II as Nov. 9–13 and Dec. 7–11.Confirmed by UNC School of Government, Leading for Results - Civic Fellows
  • The town said the Civic Fellows program is offered through the School of Government with support from Civic Federal Credit Union, and that selected fellows receive tuition-free participation, professional coaching and access to a statewide network of local-government leaders.Confirmed by Town of Clayton news post, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The School of Government page also says Civic Federal Credit Union support makes the course tuition-free for Civic Fellows, and that travel and lodging are the responsibility of the participant's jurisdiction.Confirmed by UNC School of Government, Leading for Results - Civic Fellows
  • Cappola, quoted in the town notice, said one of the most valuable parts of the experience was learning alongside other local-government leaders, and that it reinforced listening, supporting employees and looking for ways to improve.Confirmed by Town of Clayton news post, Oct. 22, 2026
  • The Johnstonian News printed the same Cappola quotation.Confirmed by The Johnstonian News, Oct. 22, 2026

Still unknown

  • Whether the town has named any specific change in Clayton operations that will come from the course
  • The names of the other 24 people in the cohort

What this means for you

Instructions from Town of Clayton

This site is not the Town of Clayton or the UNC School of Government. For the town notice, use claytonnc.gov. Town Hall is 111 E. Second Street, Clayton, 919-553-5002, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This site is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Clayton, Town Manager Rich Cappola has finished a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public-administration leadership course.

A town notice posted Thursday said he completed Leading for Results on Oct. 16. The Johnstonian News, writing the same day, gave the date as Friday, Oct. 16, and used the same course name.

Clayton said he was one of 25 local-government professionals chosen for the first 2026 Civic Fellows group, and that more than 200 people from North Carolina applied. Thursday's newspaper account printed both figures.

That notice described a two-week September and October session on personal and organizational leadership, including communication, team building and change. The School of Government Civic Fellows page lists that program as a two-week Chapel Hill course with a cohort of 25. For 2026 it shows Cohort I on Sept. 14–18 and Oct. 12–16, and a second group in November and December. That page does not name Cappola.

Clayton's notice said Civic Federal Credit Union support makes the course tuition-free and adds coaching and a statewide network. The university page matches the credit-union support and the tuition-free line. It also says the fellow's jurisdiction pays travel and lodging.

Cappola, quoted in the town notice and again by the Johnstonian, said one of the most valuable parts was learning alongside other local-government leaders. He said it reinforced listening, supporting employees and looking for ways to improve.

What we don't know yet

The town has not named any specific change in Clayton operations that will come from the course. It has not listed the other people in the cohort.

What happens next

Town Hall is 111 E. Second Street, 919-553-5002, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This site is not the town or the university. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No town or newspaper photos are used here.

Why it matters

Clayton's town manager finished a statewide local-government leadership course. Thursday's town notice is a personnel update, not a change in services.

Updates

  1. Oct 22, 2026, 4:10 PM

    The town posts that Manager Rich Cappola completed Leading for Results on Oct. 16. The Johnstonian News reports the same date and cohort size. The School of Government lists a 25-person Civic Fellows course ending Oct. 16.

Sources

  1. Clayton Town Manager Rich Cappola Completes UNC School of Government Civic Fellows Program (posted Oct. 22, 2026: completed Leading for Results on Oct. 16, 2026; first 2026 Civic Fellows cohort; 25 selected; more than 200 applicants; two-week September and October program; Civic Federal Credit Union support; tuition-free; Cappola quote on learning alongside other local-government leaders)

    Official sourcePublished by Town of Clayton · Checked Oct 22, 2026, 4:10 PM

  2. Clayton's Cappola completes UNC School of Government program (The Johnstonian News, Oct. 22, 2026: Friday, Oct. 16, completion; Leading for Results; 25 local-government professionals; first 2026 cohort; more than 200 applicants; Civic Federal Credit Union support; same Cappola quotation as the town notice)

    Published by The Johnstonian News · Checked Oct 22, 2026, 4:10 PM

  3. Leading for Results - Civic Fellows (UNC School of Government: two-week Chapel Hill course; cohort of 25; Civic Federal Credit Union tuition-free support; 2026 Cohort I Sept. 14–18 and Oct. 12–16; Cohort II Nov. 9–13 and Dec. 7–11; travel and lodging paid by the jurisdiction. This page does not name Cappola)

    Official sourcePublished by UNC School of Government · Checked Oct 22, 2026, 4:10 PM

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