Carter Clark, who began his tenure as Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) in May of 2002, is a 23 plus year veteran in the Boys & Girls Club Movement having served communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN and most recently in Atlanta, GA. Throughout his career he has helped increase the number of youth served while increasing the quality of service in each community.

 

Since coming to Columbia, Carter has helped the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands grow from serving approximately 300 youth annually in three locations to serving over 7,500 youth annually in 29 locations. During this period the organization has also been recognized nationally and locally for increasing it's quality of services and is currently pursuing its national accreditation.  Over the past five years BGCM has consistently been either the top or one of the top rated non-profits by United Way, and has been recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America for excellence in program delivery (8 program excellence awards), board development and achievement (three high performing board awards, one board member of the year award), and staff performance (2008 high performing staff award). Additionally, the budget has grown under Carter’s direction from under $500,000 to over $5 million, and the organizations stature has been raised significantly in the community to be recognized as a leader in youth related issues.

 

Carter serves in various leadership positions including:

• Secretary of State Non-Profit Advisory Committee
• SCANPO Blue Ribbon Task Force
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s South East Professional Advisory Committee
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Board Leadership Conference Planning Committee
• South Carolina Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Board Member
• Graduate Leadership South Carolina (2006)

 

He earned his undergraduate degree in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from Georgia State University.

Carter’s recognitions include:

• The Salvation Army's "Professional of the Year" in 2000,
• "Humanitarian of the Year" in 2001, and
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America's "Robert M. Sykes Award for Professional Excellence" in 2007.

 

Carter was born in Princeton, NJ and was raised in Maryland. Carter and his wife, Laura, have been married for 14 years. They have two children: Robert and Madeline.

 

Carter's personal goal is to have every child using the Clubs receive the quality of services he would demand for his own children.