Bill Carter to Serve as New Executive-in-Residence for the School of Business and Public Management

The College of Coastal Georgia’s School of Business and Public Management has welcomed Bill Carter as the new Brown Family Executive-in-Residence. Starting in September, Carter will share his over 25 years of business, leadership, and management experience with students and faculty at the College.

Dr. Skip Mounts, dean of the School of Business and Public Management, said he was pleased to have Carter as the next executive-in-residence.

Dr. Skip Mounts, dean of the School of Business and Public Management (left), and the new Brown Family Executive-in-Residence Bill Carter (right).

“Bill Carter is a wonderful addition to the School of Business and Public Management and all that we do,” Mounts said. “The knowledge he has gained throughout his career will greatly benefit anyone who has the opportunity to meet him.”

The Brown Family Executive-in-Residence program gives students, faculty, staff, and the larger community the opportunity to interact with members of the retirement community residing in the Golden Isles who have unique, special, and significant business experiences. The executive-in-residence is a two-year position and involves giving lectures, teaching occasional classes, mentoring students, working on special projects in cooperation with the dean’s office, hosting open lunch forums with faculty and students, and organizing events for the School of Business and Public Management and College. Reg Murphy was the first executive-in-residence starting in 2012. He recently stepped down and leaves with the distinction of Executive-in-Residence Emeritus.

Getting involved with the College was exactly what Carter wanted to do. Carter and members of the Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO) club visited the campus for lunch one day and heard a presentation about the College from President Michelle Johnston.

“I got excited about helping out with the school any way I can,” Carter said.

He was introduced to Mounts, and they soon discussed the different ways Carter could support the School of Business and Public Management. When Murphy announced his retirement, Mounts thought Carter would be a great successor. Mounts met with Carter again and offered him the position.

“When he explained the position to me, it was precisely what I wanted to do. I’m very happy to be here,” he said.

Carter previously served as a guest lecturer for the University of Georgia Graduate School program and wanted to offer his services to Coastal Georgia. His interest was particularly piqued when he learned about the College’s emphasis on student internships.

“I co-opted at Georgia Tech, so I have an affinity for that kind of internship—the cooperation between businesses and school. It enabled me to get through college,” Carter said. “When I heard about the internships here, that got me excited, and I wanted to see what I could do to help.”

Johnston is looking forward to Carter becoming a member of the faculty and a contributor.

“Mr. Carter has already shown his enthusiasm and support for the College. After learning about the College, he immediately wanted to get involved and offered his services. I am excited that he has accepted the position of executive-in-residence and will undoubtedly add to the academic excellence of the institution,” Johnston said.

Carter’s extensive career will provide much insight for the College community. In 1967, Carter graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was hired by AT&T into their management development program—an accelerated program for high potential candidates to reach executive level. Carter became a sales vice president over AT&T’s largest national and international customers, had his sales methods and philosophy incorporated into AT&T’s National Sales Management School, and was the proposal manager of the company’s largest telecommunications bid ever—servicing the entire civilian branch of the federal government, worth approximately $25 billion. After winning the bid, Carter was made president and CEO of Submarine Systems International (SSI) Company, a new company at the time created by AT&T that focused on installing undersea cables for international communication between the United States and other countries. SSI got off to a rocky start, but by its seventh year, revenues reached $1.5 billion each year and a net income of $150 million a year. With the explosive growth of the internet, Carter had the idea of owning the undersea cables and selling internet service. He took the idea to AT&T but was rejected. Carter then took his own idea to an investor whose investment company raised enough money for the first cable. They went into business as Ocean Systems and later became Global Crossing. In less than two years, the company was worth $18 billion. Carter has also served on the Advisory Council for the International Telecommunication Union and has testified before Congress regarding the correlation of advanced communications and economic development.

Carter is ready to contribute his knowledge with the College.

“I have some 25 years of experience in big business corporations, having my own business, and being a success at that. I want to take that experience and jump-start people that are new to the game and going through the School of Business,” he said.

His hobbies include golfing and staying in touch with business and education environments.