continues on page 20 Board Profile: Jody McLeod and how welcoming they’ve proved to be,” McLeod said. “People continue to move here, and the people of Clayton continue to accept them. Everybody knows everybody. It’s what maintains our great sense of community through this growth.” Things have moved slow but steady for McLeod in Clayton—a pace that can cover quite a bit of distance in the span of two decades. He’s not shy about noting the problems that faced the town at the outset, particularly inside Town Hall. These included financial issues, a lack of diversity among leadership, and an overall close-mindedness towards new ideas. As a small business owner and lifelong community member, those concerns nudged McLeod into local politics. And now, Clayton of old and Clayton today are miles apart, evidenced by not only a booming community, but also what McLeod calls, “The most progressive-minded council in my 20 years.” Accomplishments along the way include both the magnificent and the mundane, and pieced together, there appears a cascade of positive cause-and-effects. The dominos start with McLeod’s original goal of storytelling. Knowing what to share was the easy part. How to share it was a bit more difficult. McLeod worked to develop strong relationships with the regional newspapers and community organizations, and made himself available as the town’s spokesman. With those avenues created, he then got to work making sure that the story being told was a good one. Clayton made significant investments into its Parks and Recreation department, including new facilities, organized events and other community-gathering activities. These gatherings not only bolstered a sense of community in town, but also served as an economic development recruitment tool. Clayton even adopted a slogan to accompany the investments, calling itself “the premier community for active families.” “Business and industry want to have good, smart employees, yes, but they also want them to have something to do,” said McLeod. “They want a quality of life for them outside work. So, they enjoy relocating and investing in areas that are very committed to quality of life.” Success is in the numbers: Clayton is now home to Governor Roy Cooper meets with McLeod and other members of NCLM's Board of Directors at CityVision 2023. Photo credit: Ben Brown NCLM.ORG 19
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