The Town of Clayton’s next Parks and Recreation director is a passionate professional with more than 18 years of experience.
Scott Barnard comes to Clayton from the City of Goldsboro, where he has served as a transformational Parks & Recreation Director for the past seven years. His first day at the Clayton Community Center will be Dec. 3.
Throughout his career, Barnard has supervised and maintained more than 100 parks, greenways and even golf courses across central and eastern North Carolina. He’s managed $6 million budgets, garnered more than $1.5 million in grants, collaborated with the military to build sports complexes, and volunteered on numerous community boards serving seniors, veterans and children.
“I can’t wait to meet the many park visitors and program participants,” said Barnard. “I will be an accessible director who strives to understand our citizens needs and wants in hopes of meeting both. I look forward to leading the Clayton Parks and Recreation team. The community we serve has high expectations, and we’ll be working diligently to provide innovative programs and excellent parks.”
An N.C. State graduate, Barnard began his career as a park manager in Wake County, then in Holly Springs. He served as Superintendent of Parks for New Hanover County in Wilmington and then moved to Durham, where he was responsible for maintaining more than 64 parks, athletic facilities, greenways and lakes. As Goldsboro’s director, Barnard led the planning, funding and construction efforts for a recreation center and the city’s first greenways, renovations of its events center and the development of an unprecedented collaboration with the U.S. Air Force to build a more than $6-million multi-sports complex on federal property set to be completed in 2020. He led the modernization of Goldsboro’s recreation operations, which includes a municipal golf course, the city’s downtown, 13 parks, two pools and more than 500 acres of parks.
“This is a real opportunity,” said Clayton Town Manager Adam Lindsay, who helped select Barnard from a pool of more than 120 applicants. “This was an extremely competitive and difficult hiring process, and we hosted a day-long assessment of five different finalists before selecting Scott. He stood out in his experience, his energy, his enthusiasm and his innovation. He is very involved in state organizations, has worked in both major urban areas and rural settings, and he just brings a great breath of experience and vision. It’s that experience that will help us bring Clayton to the future.”
Barnard will be the first new Parks & Recreation Director the Town of Clayton has seen in more than 30 years, following the retirement of long-time leader Larry Bailey, who evolved and grew the Clayton program from the 1980s.
“I am excited to succeed Director Bailey,” said Barnard. “His tireless efforts have laid an amazing foundation, and I am fortunate to be the director to succeed him.”
Barnard lives in Cary with his wife, two sons and daughter. He’s certainly looking forward to the shorter commute, but more importantly, he recognizes the challenges our growing Town will face, and he brings a true passion for parks and recreation.
“I grew up in a recreation center and public park. I learned to play sports, swim, shoot pool, attended camps and so much more,” Barnard said. “Parks and Recreation shaped who I am, and I know its ability to improve lives because of how it has improved, and continues to improve, mine.”
