Developer pledges $1.5M for
College of Charleston real estate center

BY DIANE KNICH
The Post and Courier

Atlanta real estate developer Ben Carter said he's often disappointed by the lack of basic business skills summer interns at his firm possess. So he decided to help establish a center where students can develop the skills they need for entry-level jobs in the field. Carter, his wife, Tricia, and his mother, Jane Middleton Carter, have pledged $1.5 million to establish a real estate education center at the College of Charleston. Along with a $1 million gift, the Carters have promised to give the school an additional $500,000 if the college can match that amount with other gifts. The new program will be called the Carter Center in Real Estate.

Carter, a graduate of the University of Georgia, said he considered making a donation to his alma mater but his family decided to instead give the money to the College of Charleston because it was "a place where we could make a difference."

Local Realtors likely will welcome such a program, according to the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, a group that represents 4,500 residential and commercial Realtors. ”We want to give students the expertise that's necessary for real estate in the future," Pitts said. "Our intent is to build a program of national reputation, one of the nation's outstanding real estate centers."

Taken from  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2006