For the first time in almost two decades, the Clayton Town Council voted Tuesday to hire a new town manager.
Adam Lindsay, who comes to Clayton with nearly 14 years of local government experience, will take the helm at Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Lindsay currently serves as Assistant Town Manager in Southern Pines, N.C.
“I love North Carolina. It’s home, and it’s why I got into this profession,” Lindsay said. “I really want to be part of the communities where I live – to connect with people, to provide outstanding services, to listen, and to advocate for change when appropriate. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be a part of people’s lives and to help make them better.”
Raised in a big family in the Greensboro area, Lindsay was the sixth of eight kids. Lindsay married his wife, Leighanna, while studying at Brigham Young University and, when the new couple was looking for a place to start a family of their own, they wasted no time moving home to their native North Carolina. Lindsay transferred to N.C. State University, where in 2003 he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in communications. In 2005, he earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
While pursuing his master’s, Lindsay also gained professional experience serving the Town of Holly Springs as a project analyst from 2003 to 2005. Lindsay joined Rockingham County in December 2005 as a budget and performance manager, and in February 2010 he assumed the post of strategic management director.
In 2013, Lindsay took his current job as assistant manager of Southern Pines. Earlier this year, Lindsay got his first good glimpse of Clayton while travelling with Southern Pines’ elected officials on a tour of successful historic renovation projects in the area.
The Clayton Center, which the Town renovated from 1920s schoolhouses into our Town Hall and conference center, made a big impression.
“It was during the tour with Mayor Jody McLeod that I thought, ‘Hey, Clayton – There’s some really neat things going on here, and the people are great.” said Lindsay. “When I later saw the job opening in Clayton, I remembered how much I enjoyed the Town and the people I met, and I thought: This is the kind of community where I could raise my family.”
Three months ago, when Steve Biggs left Clayton after 19 years as manager to go to Christiansburg, Va., the Clayton Town Council got right to work on the serious task of finding our Town’s next manager. Working with Developmental Associates LLC, a hiring consultancy firm, the Town Council crafted a comprehensive strategy to identify an exceptional candidate, which included hosting an intensive assessment process that incorporated the opinions of elected officials, town staff and members of the public.
In all, 54 people from around the country applied for the job. Mayor Jody McLeod said the rigorous hiring process paid off when the Town Council found Lindsay.
“It really came down to the best fit for the Town of Clayton. We as a Town Council were looking for someone who wanted to bring their family here, send their children to Johnston County public schools, and be a part of a vibrant community. He’s looking to be invested long-term in this community,” McLeod said.
“And Adam is the best fit for the job because he has great interpersonal skills. He’s a people person, and he’s a strategic, visionary planner. Not to mention, during the assessment process, he outscored everybody. It’s unusual to have someone stand out among so many other qualified candidates, but he clearly outshined everybody else.”
For his part, Lindsay is eager to move his wife and four kids to Clayton and get to work.
“I look forward to getting to know people in the Clayton area, being part of the good things already started here and to continue to make it better.”
Lindsay’s starting salary will be $147,000.
