The course spanned eight months and required Rich to be on campus in Chapel Hill for four consecutive days per month.  The curriculum was broad in scope, covering every facet of county government from public works to financing.  Upon reflection Rich said, "I most benefited from learning the subtleties of county management such as ethics, meeting procedures, and elections.  The School of Government is truly one of the best assets the State of North Carolina has for training and educating people in local government".  



There were a total of 100 participants in the program consisting of officials from across the State working in either county or municipal government.   Rich also noted that developing "really strong relationships" with other local government professionals over the eight-month period was another major benefit of the program.