James McCarty, Jr. ’94 chosen Shenandoah because his employer, Bank of Clarke County, provided him with tuition assistance, which offered him the opportunity to apply to the university’s Master of Business Administration program at the School of Business. And, during his time on campus, McCarty realized that Shenandoah University had one of the best networks of people and talent available.
One of McCarty’s fondest memories at Shenandoah was getting to work on group projects with students from around the world, saying “the language barrier was never an obstacle to producing high quality results.”
McCarty is the chief administrative officer for Bank of Clarke County in Winchester, Virginia. In this position, he oversees business operations and information technology, manages the investment portfolio and has a significant role in balance sheet management and pricing.
The most rewarding part of McCarty’s job is overseeing numerous projects that have improved the bank’s service level while gaining efficiencies. “I am mindful of our performance measurements and stay focused on improving financial results,” said McCarty.
Since McCarty was continuing his education while working, he was able to validate a lot of the classroom material in real time. He was also able to apply things he learned in class at the bank and still uses those perspectives today.
McCarty’s advice to students is: “Don’t forget the importance of your principle and intermediate courses. They are useful everyday.”