The strength of our communities depends on the people who serve them, and attracting and retaining the next generation of public servants is one of the most critical challenges facing local government. I have spent the better part of a decade supporting early career public servants and those navigating career transitions into local government, all while building my path in public service.

I’ve seen firsthand why local government careers matter and what it takes to prepare the next generation for the opportunities and challenges of public service. We must cultivate emerging leaders who bring fresh perspectives, technological fluency, and a passion for service to sustain good governance. So, how do we inspire emerging professionals to invest their time and talents into a career in public service?

The Need for Talent and Innovation

Local governments across the country are experiencing a growing talent gap. In North Carolina, many of our local government leaders (city and county managers, assistant managers, and department directors) are eligible for or close to retirement. Increased employee turnover rates and a lack of succession plans within the public sector put our local governments at risk of losing institutional knowledge, and strain their ability to meet the evolving needs of their communities.

The solution? An approach to talent development that prioritizes mentorship, access, and opportunity. We must invest in intentional talent development—expanding career pathways, fostering mentorship, and creating programs that connect early career professionals with opportunities in public service.

Attracting young professionals also means adapting to changing workforce expectations. Digital adoption, remote work options, encouraging support networks, and professional development initiatives are essential for engaging Gen Z and millennials in public service careers.

Investing in Future Leaders

Exploration of career pathways, mentorship, and training programs help cultivate the next generation of government leaders. Yet, how do we reach individuals early enough in their academic and professional careers to spark interest? In North Carolina, many organizations are asking this very question and seeking solutions, including:

Lead for North Carolina: A fellowship program connecting recent bachelor’s-level graduates with city and county governments across the state.

North Carolina City and County Management Association (NCCCMA): Offers coaching, professional development, and networking opportunities.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Strategic Project Coordinator Program: Full-time position placement that provides professional development and training to master’s-level graduates and connects them with counties to provide capacity and technical assistance.

At the national level, ICMA’s Local Government Management Fellowship prepares early career professionals for leadership roles.

These programs provide valuable insights into government operations, build professional networks, and equip individuals with the skills needed for public service careers. They are instrumental in addressing workforce shortages and preparing the next generation of leaders.

Case Study: NCACC Strategic Project Coordinator Program

Recognizing the need to build a strong talent pipeline, the NCACC launched its Strategic Member Services department and the Strategic Project Coordinator (SPC) Program in 2022. This initiative connects recent master’s-level graduates with early career opportunities in county government, ensuring local communities benefit from emerging talent and ideas. Participants gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and a pathway into long-term government careers.

The SPC Program is a mutually beneficial program designed to engage early career professionals—or those exploring a transition into local government—who hold a master’s degree and are interested in county government. These individuals manage and support specific projects that deliver capacity assistance and technical support to North Carolina counties. This cohort-based program provides meaningful experiences for emerging professionals to grow their peer learning and professional networks in local government, inspiring their continued commitment and investment in county government.

Unlike internships, SPCs receive professional development and training that enable them to engage in substantive work with counties. They benefit from strong peer and professional support networks within NCACC, and receive guidance from experienced public servants.

Key features of the SPC Program include:

• Hands-on experiences with strategic projects across North Carolina counties.

• Cohort-based learning that fosters peer mentorship and networking.

• Utilization of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support workforce development.

• Strong career outcomes: Through three years, 75% of alumni have secured roles in local government.

In its first three years, the SPC Program provided capacity and technical assistance to 30 North Carolina counties, helping to implement projects directly benefiting communities. An essential component of the SPC Program is guiding emerging professionals toward discovering their next career move within county government. The program’s open-ended structure allows participants to build their county government networks while exploring various local government roles and finding the right career fit.

Curtis Potter, county manager and county attorney for Washington County, welcomed the assistance of an NCACC strategic project coordinator in late 2023. Two years later, the county hired the SPC into a full-time position as economic and strategic development director.

“It helps develop a natural springboard for talented and interested individuals who want to learn more about what it could be like to work in local government to get an opportunity to actually do so,” Potter said of the SPC Program. “Sometimes it can be hard to break into various sectors of local government and [the program] provides a great opportunity.”

“And from the counties themselves, it takes a lot of time to find and recruit qualified and competent individuals to perform some of the work that we’re ultimately accountable for. So having a pre-vetted source of individuals that we know and can rely on—and they have extra resources and coaching—it’s just a win-win situation for everybody.”

The SPC Program is not an internship or fellowship; it’s a structured career development experience. Participants receive professional coaching, exposure to high-impact projects, and engagement with county leadership, positioning them for long-term success in government. We are not just filling jobs through this initiative; we are building a movement of dedicated, innovative public servants.

The Call to Action

There was incredible thought and initiative behind leveraging ARPA funding to seed an innovative, creative, and forward-thinking way to support the future of public service in North Carolina through the SPC Program. This focus is crucial because strong succession planning within local government directly impacts turnover rates and ensures future leaders are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Succession planning can also create job satisfaction for seasoned professionals by creating a pathway for institutional knowledge to be passed from one workforce generation to another. It’s an investment of time, and one we can’t afford not to make.

To build a pipeline of capable leaders, we must create entry points into our organizations and provide mentorship, hands-on experiences, and a deep understanding of the challenges they will face, equipping them to step confidently into leadership roles when the time comes. This is especially important given the turnover trends in North Carolina’s local governments. Institutional knowledge is vital, and adaptive leadership requires us to be intentional about preserving it for the future by building the next generation of capable, knowledgeable, and resilient leaders.

Early career professionals bring passion, innovation, and fresh perspectives to public service, and investing in their success strengthens our local governments. Building a talent pipeline isn’t just about bringing people into public service; it’s about creating space for them at the decision-making table, providing mentorship, and helping them see their strengths and potential as they take the next step in their careers as public servants.

TRACY MILES is the Strategic Member Services cohort manager at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, as well as an adjunct professor in the MPA program at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

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