Выпускница УНП начала работу в правительстве племен люмби в рамках программы стажировок UNC

PEMBROKE — This July, the eighth cohort of Lead for North Carolina Fellows arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to begin their journey into public sector careers. After completing an intensive summer training program, Cohort Eight Fellows began a year of paid, full-time service in city halls, county offices, and community organizations across the state in August. Lead for North Carolina (Lead for NC) is a program of the UNC School of Government, the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States. The program recruits, trains, and places promising recent college graduates in paid local government fellowships to strengthen public institutions, support local communities, and cultivate a new generation of public service leaders. Ashton Locklear, a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has been placed with The Lumbee Tribe for the 2026-27 fellowship year, where she will work on strengthening the organizational capacity and expanding access to information and resources for tribal leadership, staff members and community partners. Her work will include developing an internal and external communications plan, organizing tribal policies & procedures and assisting with developing a tribal strategic plan. She will also create a comprehensive directory of resource partners for use by the tribe and its members, as well as a tourism resource guide highlighting tribal properties and other culturally significant destinations. Locklear, from Pembroke, says it has always been her passion to work in government. “I find it exciting, which is why I pursued both a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in public administration,” said Locklear. “It’s such an honor to bring my education and passion for public service to my Lumbee people as a Lead for NC Fellow. I look forward to learning, serving and helping make a meaningful impact to my community. I’m so excited.” Meeting the moment for North Carolina’s communities North Carolina’s cities and counties are navigating some of the most demanding challenges in a generation; from workforce shortages and a wave of retirements in local government to disaster recovery, housing pressures and growing service demands in rural communities. Lead for NC was built on a simple premise: talented young people are uniquely positioned to help. “Local governments are where the work of democracy actually gets done; clean water, safe streets, thriving downtowns and they need talent now more than ever,” said Dylan Russell, executive director of Lead for North Carolina. “What our Fellows bring is real: fresh skills, new energy, and a genuine commitment to the community. Eight years in, we’ve seen over and over that when you connect a capable young person to a community that needs them, both are transformed.” Tammy Maynor, director of governmental affairs for the Lumbee Tribe, said the tribal government is honored to partner with the UNC School of Government at Chapel Hill and especially proud to welcome Locklear as a fellow serving with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. “The fellowship is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the Tribe’s governmental capacity while investing in the development of emerging leaders who are committed to serving our people,” said Maynor. “Ashton will have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects that support tribal governance, strategic planning, communications, policy development and community resources.” Growing demand across the state “The first year, we had to work hard to convince local governments that a recent college graduate could be a value-add for their jurisdiction. We identified sixteen local government partners who agreed to co-pilot the program with the School and our philanthropic partners,” said Russell. “This year, more than 100 host sites applied to host a Fellow, one of our largest application cycles to date.” This year’s applicant pool also included a record number of repeat host sites — local governments returning to the program year after year to maintain a well-established relationship with the School and a steady pipeline of young talent. A track record of impact Since 2019, Lead for NC has placed over 200 Fellows in public service positions spanning communities in every corner of North Carolina, with a focus on rural and underserved areas. The program’s impact endures well beyond the fellowship year: more than three out of four alumni who are not pursuing graduate degrees have continued careers in public service; in town halls, county offices, state and federal agencies, and mission-driven organizations. Dozens more have gone on to graduate programs in public policy, public administration, and planning, building a lasting pipeline of public service leadership for the state. “To see the number of young people who did not have local government careers on their radar be convinced of the transformative work you can do in this field and pursue it after the program — has been inspiring,” said Russell.