Mark Carter lands with Center for the Inland Bays

A longtime fixture in the Cape Region, Mark Carter has made a big change, taking a job as the director of development for the Center for the Inland Bays.

Carter was the longtime beer and benevolence director at Dogfish Head, where he was responsible for the brewery’s charity and nonprofit work. He’s now crossing over to work for a nonprofit. 

Carter said he had done volunteer work for the center through Dogfish Head, so he was familiar with the center’s mission, and he’s also someone who loves the outdoors, so the job is a good fit. Carter’s job description will see him doing fundraising, planning events and being a part of leadership.

“I love Dogfish Head and what I got to do there and I love the nonprofits that I worked with,” he said. “My passion is in environmental work – trails, clean water. I think my skill set translates well.”

Carter had been with Dogfish Head for more than a decade, and in that time, he saw the brewery expand and grow. And while he said he’s Dogfish through and through, Carter felt like he had done all he could there, and the job with CIB was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. 

“I’ll likely work with them in the future, just on the other side,” Carter said.

Originally from the Milford area, Carter grew up on a farm, which is where he says his passion for the outdoors comes from. 

“We had a lot of land. I spent a lot of time in the woods. We had a pond, and I like to explore,” he said.

Growing up, Carter was a Boy Scout who reached Eagle Scout, and he grew to enjoy camping. Then in college, he got into rock climbing. Later in life, Carter took up surfing and did volunteer work for the Surfrider Foundation. 

“My heart has always been outside. It’s where I go for peace and inspiration. It’s my meditative place,” he said. 

One of his big projects with CIB will be focused on the capital campaign for the James Farm Ecological Preserve, a 150-acre nature preserve in Bethany Beach on Indian River Bay with hiking trails and water access. The land is owned by Sussex County and managed by CIB. Carter said with more people using the farm, the campaign will raise money to install proper restrooms, a three-season classroom for education and summer camp programs and trail maintenance and routing. 

After a week on the job, Carter seems very excited by what’s to come.

“I’m hoping to be here a long time,” he said.