Ticket Manager Judy Carter Recognized For More Than 40 Years

BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — In more than 40 years as ticket manager for the Anthony Wayne Local Schools Athletic Department, Judy Carter has been to more sporting events than she can count – but rarely gets to see the games.

On February 17, she was at center court during the boys home basketball game to be honored for her decades of dedication to athletics as she prepares to retire at the end of the school year.

“Judy is about as loyal to the athletic department and Anthony Wayne as a whole as they come,” said athletic director John Snyder. “Through her years serving this role, there is very little she has not seen or experienced. Being the focal and front person for thousands of Anthony Wayne athletic events, she has become a well-known and enthusiastic AW fan.

“Judy has gone beyond being a ticket manager, and her roles and tasks go well beyond her job description. She has assisted me, our coaches and the athletic department in countless ways,” Snyder added.

A Whitehouse native, Judy Winslow Carter graduated in 1964 and was inducted into the Anthony Wayne Hall of Fame in 2016. When her children – Scott, Brett and Melissa – were young, she began subbing as a secretary throughout the district, eventually working full time in the board office and the treasurer’s office. 

“It was Patricia Penny, who served as a treasurer for 25 years, that suggested a need for a ticket manager, Judy said.

“She thought it would be a good idea to have someone to oversee the ticketing process – making sure the money got into the bank and balanced with the number of tickets sold.” 

The job was considered a supplemental contract and primarily involved high school football and basketball games. Now, it includes all home games for both junior high and high school and, in the last few years, transitioned to online ticketing.

“However, Judy still has to enter all of the games online into our scheduling platform, establish on-sale dates and monitor ticket sales and attendance,” Snyder said. “Also, the ticket manager is in charge of athletic passes and their organizations, as well as the reserved football seat section.”

The change to online ticketing is the main reason she held off on retiring a few years ago, Judy said. She spent the past few years training people to understand the Home-Town Ticketing program, use the scanners and answer so many questions.

“I feel bad for the grandparents who aren’t tech-savvy. People would just show up at the games with cash because they couldn’t understand how to use it,” she said, encouraging younger family members to help out by purchasing tickets for grandparents or walking them through the process.

One of the other questions she often heard was, “Why am I paying for entrance?” While taxes pay for coaches’ salaries and facility upkeep, it’s the ticket sales that support the sports programs, such as paying for equipment, uniforms, scorebooks and other needs, Judy explained.

“Field paint is expensive and you have to paint it a few times a week. If it rains, you need to repaint it. That’s the kind of costs you don’t think about,” she said. “We’re also paying people to run the clock, do the announcing and keep the scorebook.”

In addition to her role as ticket manager, Judy served as athletic department secretary for many years, serving with directors including Dick Albaugh, Bill Baldridge, Paul Holen, Steve Mossing, Jeff Schwerer and now, John Snyder. 

After retiring as secretary, she also took on the role of concessions manager, collecting and depositing funds from the concessions and working with volunteers staffing the stands.

Despite all her time at sporting contests, Judy rarely had time to see any of the games – something she hopes to remedy in her retirement. With nine grandchildren including a 6-month-old grandson, she’ll also have more time to spend with family. 

Judy said she also plans to catch up on gardening, continue volunteering in the community and travel more.

The ticket manager position will be posted soon, Snyder said, giving Judy time to train the new hire before retiring this summer.