Carrell now applies the Number 1 Question to work at Boys & Girls Clubs

After growing up in the small town of Columbus Junction, Sam Carrell had an urge to get out and see what the rest of the world had to offer. He studied international relations at Simpson College, and as part of that curriculum, he spent a semester at the United Nations. He spent a year studying in Germany after college and returned to the United States to work for his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega. He fell in love with life in Atlanta but returned to his home state nine years ago to work for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, and later headed the non-profit Number 1 Question: Is it good for the kids? Carrell’s work with that organization inspired a deep passion for children, and allowed him to see the importance of successful youths on a community’s economy. He’s taken those theories to a more grassroots level, and has just begun his second year as executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa. And Carrell’s love for children definitely extends beyond the job. Being a father to four young boys is “the best job I’ve ever had,” he said.
What did you take away from your experience with the United Nations?
I think it was my first time where I actually had people very passionate about a point of view and were very polished in convincing you of that view. You might leave the PLO delegation in the morning and think: “Those guys are right. I can’t believe they’re being treated so badly.” And then you’d go meet with the Israeli consulate and think: “What was I thinking? I should have asked them that question.” The big take-away was there is always more than two sides to a story and the best way to come to solutions is to make sure you do a lot of searching into why people act the way they act.
What was it about traveling that inspired you?
I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of newness, whether that’s in a job or travel. I loved Iowa; I loved being from Iowa. But I loved the adventure of other places. It’s the same way with my professional career. I’ve never been with one organization for more than 4 ½ years. I like the messiness of chaos.
How has your involvement with the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity influenced your life?
There’s this really rich tradition, and several of us (Simpson alumni) have gone through the national headquarters as leadership consultants. It’s a good organization and you meet some really great people. If I wasn’t in ATO, I would not be married to my wife.
How did you meet your wife?
Her father is an ATO from Indiana University and is one of my closest friends. It was like a big brother-little brother thing and he was kind of my business mentor. At his 60th birthday party, his daughter came and they sat us next to each other and it just kind of happened. But I had to have this conversation with my best friend and say, “Can I date your daughter?” It’s not one of those conversations you ever think you’re going to have.
Did you ever imagine you would return to Iowa?
No, and it wasn’t because I was against coming back to Iowa. I grew up in a small town and what I was doing professionally there wasn’t a lot of call for that. I loved where I was from, and when I moved to Atlanta, I fell in love with it and, frankly, never thought I would leave.
Why was Boys & Girls Clubs an appropriate next step?
I thought Boys & Girls Clubs is one of those organizations that are in a unique position to give kids some of those assets they need to be successful citizens. When you’re doing something like Number 1 Question, it’s pretty theoretical. That has an impact, but this had all the right things for me. Boys & Girls Clubs brought me in to make it a better place and have better outcomes for these kids. That was a challenge, and that’s the stuff I like, whether it’s in a business setting or in a human service setting.
Has your work with the Number 1 Question and Boys & Girls Clubs inspired a passion for children?
I’ve got four little boys, but it’s the work that made me understand where I could have a bigger impact. I’ve hallways had great jobs. But with Number Question and now here, we’re talking about really getting to impact some legacy of change. What greater impact is there than impacting a life?
Do you enjoy hopping around between jobs and various sectors?
I’m not a maintenance kind of guy. I’m the person who can shake it up and build something from nothing. I’m never going to be a 20-year, gold watch kind of guy. But my long term goal is to have my own business.
Any idea what that might be?
Oh, yeah. My wife is a professional chef by training. She’s very artistic and far more talented than I am. We should be making our money off her. Unfortunately, she’s also a better parent than I. What we’d like to do at some point is own a bed-and-breakfast, but probably not until the kids are grown. I’d do the front-of-house stuff and marketing and she’d do the cooking. We think we’d love to have one in Hawaii. Now how realistic that is, I’m not sure.