By Greg Miller

STAR Correspondent

At the beginning of September, Crystal Carter will reach her second anniversary as the Executive Director of United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County.

Carter says her job is multi-faceted. “I do everything from getting the mail, putting in the pledges, to event planning and fundraising,” she commented. “I also go to a lot of community education trainings and events. It helps us as an organization to focus on where our funds are best used to help grow our community. At United Way, our mission is to improve our community by providing resources to resolve inequities in our community.”

The most challenging part of Carter’s job is “the realization that you can’t help everyone. You only have so much to give and it only goes so far. You would love to always be able to help every single person. I finally had to embrace the rule I live by, ‘help as many as you can, in all the ways that you can, in the time that you have.’ I hope that I accomplish that.”

The most rewarding aspect of Carter’s job is “getting to see first-hand the impact that the organization is having on someone’s life. It is good to see the community grow as each person that is impacted by United Way goes on to pay it forward and impact someone else.”

When a job-oriented problem arises, Carter says two top working skills “have taken me through all of my professions. Keep calm and be patient. It is easy to let things get to you when stressful situations arise, but keeping a calm demeanor helps in working through the issue and not making a rash decision. I also find being patient with myself when I’m working to find the solution works wonders for me.”

Carter says having a positive attitude is a key factor in doing her job. “My job is a gift in that aspect,” she remarked. “I am blessed to see the community working hard to help others in need all across our region. I get to see how we affect the community and how blessed I am to get to do this job and be a part of making a difference.”

Carter describes her working career. “I have had a wide and maybe weird variety of careers in my life, all in communications,” she stated. “I started in radio at the age of 17 for WBCV radio in Bristol and WRZK in Coeburn, Va. I then worked as the student manager at the ETSU student radio station. I worked as a production intern for WCYB television. I worked for the City of Johnson City as a sound engineer for their City Commission and other city meetings, a news anchor for both Citadel (now Cumulus Broadcasting) and an overnight DJ on WQUT. I have worked as a news anchor and morning talk show producer for Bristol Broadcasting Company (Supertalk 92.9, WXBQ, Electric 94.9, The X). I have taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Media Communication at ETSU, and along with my position at United Way, I currently work as a photojournalist at VIPSEEN Magazine.”

Carter says she never thought she would have a job outside the media. “I knew from the day of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion that that would be my path,” she stated. “Although I still am a member of the media, I guess the path I’m on now with United Way would be a job I want. I get to see a lot of good, and I love that about this job.”

Carter says her number one job-related goal “is to make sure that the great work that United Way is doing gets out to the community. Many people are unsure of what we are and what our role is at United Way. We partner with 12 organizations that we provide program funding to, including the Boys and Girls Club and the Senior Center. We invest funding in programs that are already doing great work for the community while running our own programs to fill needs in the community that aren’t being met. I would love for more people to get excited about the great work we have going on.”

In addition to the Boys and Girls Club of Elizabethton and the Elizabethton Senior Center, the United Way partners with the following organizations: Allocation Partners – Neighborhood Service Center, Contact 211, American Red Cross, Carter County Drug Prevention, Isaiah 117 House, Boy Scouts, Adult Day Center, Personal Support Services, CHIPS, and Grow Carter County.

“We also partner as in a non-funding capacity with Red Legacy Recovery, Grow Carter County, Downtown Elizabethton Farmer’s Market, and Overmountain Community Café,” Carter said.

Members of the United Way’s literacy partnership sponsored by Ballad Health include Elizabethton and Carter County School Systems, Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, and Carter County Drug Prevention.

Carter and her husband Daryl have been married for 11 of the almost 20 years they have been together. “We met debating in a political science class at ETSU,” she said. “He now works as a professor in the Department of History specializing in 20th Century Political and African American History.”

The Carters have one daughter, Gracie, and one son, Maxell, 11. Gracie recently turned 18 and graduated from University High School. Maxell attends University School and plays baseball.

Photography is a “big hobby” for Carter. “I love to take pictures,” she remarked. “I love reading fictional and true crime novels. I am a baseball mom and love watching my son play. I am also a roller derby mom, and a huge fan of the sport.”

Carter says she has “never been anything other than a redhead and never will be. Dr. Bill Bass is my nerd crush, he founded the ‘body farm’ at UT. I am from a very close extended family.”

Carter calls herself an introverted extrovert.

“I love being around and talking to people, but outside my job I am somewhat shy until I get to know you,” she said.

Carter graduated from Clintwood High School in Clintwood, Va. She has two B.A. degrees from ETSU, one for Mass Communication in all RTVF disciplines, the second in Criminal Justice. Carter’s Master’s of Arts Degree is in Education with a concentration of Sport Communication Management.

The organization’s annual budget changes from year to year, according to Carter. “Our budget is based on projected donation totals,” she said. “How much we raise determines our operations and how much we can reinvest in programs and events to help the community.”

For more information about the United Way, please call (423) 543-6975.