Lee Barbee has served as Fire Chief of the Town of Clayton Fire Department since 1991. In 2021, he was named Interim Deputy Town Manager for the Town of Clayton. Barbee graduated from Clayton High School in June of 1974 and his extensive education as a firefighter began immediately after graduation when he joined the Clayton Fire Department in 1975. Since joining the fire department Chief Barbee has been extremely involved in advancing the fire service and has served in numerous leadership capacities with an impressive assortment of local, state and national organizations including: Johnston County Firemen’s Association, Eastern Carolina Firemen’s Association, NC State Firemen’s Association, Johnston County Fire Chiefs’ Association, North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and an active participant in the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Lee Barbee was named North Carolina Fire Chief of the Year in 2018.