James Carroll was our featured speaker today. He did his classification talk that tookus on his journey from Long Island to Florida, to New Hampshire to Florida and then back to New Hampshire.
His father did construction on Long Island, but his parents really didn’t like Long Island. It was too congested. So the family then moved to Palm Beach County, Florida which James described as a great place to be a kid. Near the ocean, there are opportunities to skateboard and do other things that young boys like to do. At the age of 16, his mother accepted a job as a nurse at DHMC. This was his first he move to New Hampshire, settling in Grantham. He shared that it can be tough on a teenager to move to a new high school for 11th and 12th grade. He attended Lebanon High School where it was hard to “fit in” as the new kid, as many of his fellow students had known one and other since kindergarten. Though he adapted and learned to enjoy being in the Upper Valley.
Following high school, he was accepted and attended Keene State College, majoring in political science and sociology. While at Keene State he became a volunteer for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. He has been volunteering with them for over 15 years. He shared his experience of being a part of this organization. He told us about one child. Matt’s father left his mom when he was born. Matt is now in college working on his master’s in music therapy. He continues to see Matt and continues to mentor. At times it can be challenging to provide advice based on where a person is in their life. He continues to try to reflect on what guided him when he was his age. This helps him reframe his advice. He didn’t mention it, but his LinkedIn profile lists that he received the 2013 Big Brother of the Year award!
is talk by asking us to reflect on the following:
His work life:
After graduation he worked for Citizen’s Count located on the NH seacoast. Citizen’s Council is nonpartisan nonprofit, whose goal is to provide the people of New Hampshire with the tools and information they need to make a difference.
- providing objective information about issues and candidates
- promoting the civil exchange of opinions in a variety of forums, online and in person
- connecting citizens with their elected officials
It could be challenging work, as many didn’t believe that this organization was nonpartisan, and wanted people in New Hampshire to have a reliable source about issues and candidates. It was also his belief that both Democrat and Republican leaders only want voters to vote a straight ticket and not to “cross the aisle” on at election time.
He then made a decision to move back to the east coast of Florida, and joined Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce. He served as the Economic Development Director. Planned and executed economic development incentive programs aligned with organizational and regional priorities.
He then established his own consulting business called Upstairs Communications International/JC Strategies. From James LinkedIn page, he established this business to:
Advise nonprofits, businesses, and political clients on brand positioning, communications strategy, growth, and fundraising.
Drive measurable outcomes.
Lead economic development and expansion initiatives.
Develop and execute media and public visibility strategies to increase reach, awareness, and engagement.
Serve as consultant to multiple political campaigns, supporting messaging, communications, and voter engagement strategy.
Cultivate investor, donor, and stakeholder relationships to expand access to capital and long-term growth.
He then migrated back to Lebanon, NH, and accepted a position with the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council as the Director of Marketing and Development. He has been with the council for just over a year.
From his LinkedIn page he shares that in the role he:
Leads enterprise-wide brand, communications, and fundraising strategy for a regional nonprofit serving 3,000+ older adults and adults with disabilities across 40+ communities.
Serves as the organization’s senior storyteller, overseeing branding, public relations, digital content, and donor communications.
Designs and execute annual giving campaigns across direct mail, email, events, and digital channels.
Leads grant strategy, proposal development, and reporting to secure sustainable funding for essential programs.
Partners closely with the Executive Director and Board to support strategic initiatives and oversight of a $4M annual operating budget.
Strengthens public visibility and donor engagement through integrated storytelling and community outreach.
Explores funding opportunities, writing compelling grant proposals, and managing reporting requirements to secure and sustain funding for essential programs and services.
He then shared that travel has been an important part of his life. His consulting firm provided him with opportunities to take extended trips. By taking extended trips, he believed it provided him with an opportunity to learn more about the country and the cultures in the countries he visited. He shared a few pictures from Spain, Serbia and Portugal, along with pictures from his trip across the United States. He told us about owning a 32 RV, that he only used for a short time as it was a challenge to drive, park and was expensive to fuel. He concluded that it would be easier to drive a car when he went cross-country.
James shared that although he still loves skateboarding, he isn’t doing this now. He is now focused on running and training to be ready to do a half-marathon. He shared that he has a mini-Assie dog, named Pheobe. Who is an important part of his life.
Skateboardiong
Phoebe
He concluded his talk by asking us to reflect on the following:
