On Friday, Nov. 30, Gary Carter, senior vice president for business services at Union University, announced his plans to retire on July 31, 2019, to Union’s Board of Trustees.
Carter, a Union graduate, has served in his current role at Union since June 1991. In this role, Carter is in charge of the institution’s finances, including budget preparation and oversight, accounting, payroll, human resources and student accounts. Quite a few changes have occurred over his time at Union. In 1991, Union’s budget was $19 million. Today, the budget is $93 million.
Carter is a man sensitive to the Lord’s guidance and obedient to His leadership. Before coming to work at Union, Carter was a partner in a CPA firm, a position he thought he would be in for the rest of his life. One of his clients at the time happened to be Dr. Hyran Barefoot, who was Union’s president at the time. One day, when Barefoot came in to his office to do his tax return, he told Carter that Bob Elliott, who was senior vice president for business services at the time, was retiring and they felt Carter was supposed to take his place.
Although Carter was honored, he didn’t sense the Lord calling him to Union. After tax season was over, Barefoot and Elliott wanted to meet with him again. Carter agreed out of respect, but graciously told them that he still didn’t sense God leading him there after their conversation.
Barefoot still felt strongly that Carter was supposed to take Elliott’s place and asked him to pray about it. Without hesitation, Carter committed to prayer.
“I said, ‘I want to be in the middle of God’s will, and if it’s a change, then I want to be there,’” Carter said.
He and his wife prayed about it for the next three months and started sensing God stirring their hearts. At the end of July 1990, he knew that the decision to come to Union was the right one and spent the next 8 to ten months transitioning out of his practice, notifying his clients and making sure they were taken care of.
Carter has taken the same amount of consideration and seeking God’s will in his decision to retire from the university.
“If you try to stay in tune with God and what He’s telling you and ask Him to give you guidance and leadership, He will impress your heart,” Carter said. “I just think He was preparing me and pressing my heart that it was time to make a change.”
He said that everyone has a “shelf life” and felt it was time to step down in fairness to the university. He said that the book currently being read by the Executive Council, Institutional Intelligence, sums up what he’s been thinking.
“‘Some people overstay. They can’t imagine life without this institution, this job, this position that has meant so much to them. They stay when it may be long overdue for them to move on,’” Carter said. “I don’t think I’m overdue, but I don’t want to get overdue. I’ve been passionate about the job and still am, but I sense it’s time to do something else. Union will remain in my heart until the day I die.”
“He and Regina [his wife] have dedicated their lives to the advancement of our mission,” Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said in a recent university statement. “The university has attempted to recognize his contributions through the years, including naming the Staff Member of the Year Award for him. The depth of his service is only truly known to the Lord.”
Carter said his favorite part of working at Union has been his colleagues and the relationships that have been cultivated.
“God has put some incredible people in my path over the years, not only people working at Union, but also people who have associated with Union, community leaders, even colleagues around the country,” Carter said.
While Carter’s last day in his current role is set for July 31, 2019, he and Oliver are currently discussing ways that he can stay on and serve Union in some capacity until his youngest daughter graduates from Union in May 2020.
“July 31 is the end of our fiscal year and is, therefore, the best time to transition from one CFO to another,” Oliver said. “Gary and I have talked about him staying on to help the university in some capacity beyond that date, but we have not worked out the details of that just yet. Thus, we are hopeful that he will be engaged at some level with Union for a bit longer, but his major responsibilities will shift to a new leader.”
Oliver is grateful for Carter’s early announcement and consideration for the university.
“A transition like this takes planning, and Gary has been careful to consider the needs of Union,” Oliver said. “By announcing his plans now, we will have time to constitute a search committee and conduct a search for a new chief financial officer. Our plan is to identify someone and have that person in place by July 1 so that there will be plenty of time for training and getting the new person up to speed.”
“I will be praying for them, and I trust over some period of time that that person will come to love Union as much as I love Union,” Carter said. “My heart’s been here. The Scripture in Matthew 6:21 says, ‘Wherever your treasure is, there is your heart also.’ I think time is a great treasure. I’ve got 28 [years] invested here, so my heart’s here also. Even though I may leave this position, Union will always be in my heart.”
As for his plans after retirement, he is looking forward to the arrival of his third grandchild in May 2019, spending more time with his family and volunteering at nonprofits around town and at Englewood Baptist Church, where he has been a member since 1979. But for now, his focus is on continuing to lead Union well.
“This job takes full attention all the time,” Carter said. “I told Dr. Oliver I want to finish strong. I will be fully engaged right up until the time I walk out the door.”
Photo by Kristi McMurry Woody
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