Faces of UNC Asheville

James Carter ’00

James Carter’s mother jokingly says that her son gets paid to “eat, drink and talk to people.” That’s true, but there’s a bit more than that involved in this UNC Asheville alumnus’ job.

Carter, who graduated in 2000, is director of membership sales at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, so his days are filled with meetings, ribbon-cutting ceremonies and special events, most which involve chatting with local business owners over food and drink. He’s good at it: since taking over the job in 2004, Carter has helped increase the Chamber’s membership by 10 percent.

But Carter didn’t study business at UNC Asheville; he was a history major. He credits this liberal arts background for preparing him for the workplace. He’s confident it helped him become a well-rounded individual that can converse confidently with a wide range of people—something he needs to do in his job every day.