Alumni Association recognizes 1991 graduate

Service to his alma mater and the alumni community led Paul Carter to being recognized by the Alumni Association at LSMSA during Social Service Weekend held in July.

Jamie G. Smith (’88), president of the Alumni Association, lauded Carter (’91) for his work last August helping flood-impacted alumni in south Louisiana.

“When flooding impacted south Louisiana in August 2016, Paul called me and asked what could be done to use the Social Service Weekend model to help alumni in need,” said Smith. “Paul personally drove from Dallas to the Baton Rouge area three consecutive weekends and helped empty and perform demolition work on flood houses.”

Carter resides in McKinney, Texas, with his wife Elaine Johnson Carter (’93). His involvement with the Alumni Association began in 2013 after he attended his wife’s 20-year reunion. He was convinced to attend Social Service Weekend following conversations that took place during reunion weekend, and that opened the door to more opportunities to connect with alumni from across the decades.

A barbecue aficionado, Carter began sharing his passion for cooking with the LSMSA community and has served up some of the best barbecue east of Texas to Social Service Weekend participants for the last three years.

This year, even a bicycle accident that resulted in neck and shoulder injuries couldn’t keep Carter from feeding hungry alumni at SSW 2017.

Carter has also been influential in the alumni community in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, hosting annual cookouts at his home and organizing monthly beignet gatherings at a local bakery owned by fellow alum Tida Pichakron (’97).

Smith explained that the Alumni Association officers have discussed recognizing alumni “who go above and beyond” to serve LSMSA. Carter’s leadership, commitment and vision last August made him the perfect prototype of what this award should represent.

“Although we are still working on the specifics of our future award, we certainly couldn’t allow time to pass without acknowledging an alum who has demonstrated the qualities that led us to want to establish an award in the first place,” said Smith.