By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. May 22, 2026)
Remembering Maureen Carter: El Dorado County Mourns a Pillar of Philanthropy and Community Leadership
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — El Dorado County is mourning the loss of one of its most influential civic leaders following the death of longtime philanthropist, businesswoman and community advocate Maureen Carter.
The announcement of Carter’s passing this week prompted an outpouring of grief and remembrance from organizations, community leaders and residents across the western slope, particularly from the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado County Western Slope, where her decades of leadership helped redefine youth services and charitable giving in the region.
“Our community, our Club, and those that knew her, have all lost a true champion this week with the passing of Maureen Carter,”
the Boys & Girls Club El Dorado County Western Slope said in a public statement.
“Our County is better because of Maureen. All those that knew her are better because of Maureen.”
The organization described Carter as a woman whose vision
“transformed what giving looks like in El Dorado County,”
praising her compassion, humor and determination even during a difficult final year battling illness.
Carter and her husband, Jim Carter, spent more than four decades deeply embedded in the civic and charitable life of El Dorado County. Together, the couple became synonymous with major philanthropic efforts benefiting local youth, healthcare access, business development and nonprofit expansion throughout the foothills.
Among their most visible accomplishments was the creation of the Jim & Maureen Carter Family Placerville Clubhouse, a 15,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Club facility that opened in 2016 on Mallard Lane in Placerville. Before the facility’s construction, the club operated from a smaller armory building near the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
Leveraging the expertise of their Placerville-based construction firm, Carter-Kelly, Inc., the Carters helped lead the development and fundraising campaign that ultimately brought the modern youth center to life. The clubhouse now serves hundreds of local children daily and includes a gymnasium, education center, commercial kitchen, computer labs and outdoor recreation space.
The Boys & Girls Club credited the Carters’ leadership and advocacy as instrumental in the organization’s expansion and recognition as California Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 5 in 2017.
During the clubhouse’s grand opening in 2016, Jim Carter reflected on his own childhood experiences attending a Boys & Girls Club in Richmond, calling those years “the best years of my life.” He said that experience inspired his family’s commitment to building opportunities for children in El Dorado County.
Beyond the Boys & Girls Club, Maureen Carter’s civic resume stretched across nearly every major philanthropic and community institution on the western slope.
She served as chair of Women’s Fund El Dorado, helping expand the organization’s endowment to increase local grant-making opportunities for women and families in need. She also served two terms as president of the board for the El Dorado Community Foundation, helping direct charitable assets toward regional priorities.
Her leadership extended into the business community as well, including service with the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, the El Dorado Builders Exchange and the Junior Livestock Auction.
Healthcare advocacy also became a major focus for the Carters through their work with the Marshall Foundation. As co-chairs of the Cancer Campaign Cabinet, the couple helped raise funding for programs providing free transportation to cancer treatments and no-cost mammograms for western slope patients.
In 2023, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors honored Jim and Maureen Carter as the county’s Seniors of the Year, recognizing decades of volunteerism, charitable investment and civic leadership. The announcement received a standing ovation during a board meeting attended by community members and local leaders.
Professionally, Carter worked alongside her husband in Carter-Kelly, Inc., the general contracting firm founded in 1980 with business partner Gary Kelly. The company became widely respected throughout the county not only for construction projects, but for its reputation for integrity, transparency and local investment.
Family remained central to Carter’s life and legacy. Alongside her husband, she worked closely with daughter Tiffany Carter, who joined the family business after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in agricultural business.
In its tribute, the Boys & Girls Club reflected on the emotional weight of Carter’s passing while encouraging the community to carry forward her values of generosity and service.
“We take the lessons we learned from Maureen,”
the statement read.
“To be gracious, to be kind, to be generous, to laugh and to love.”
The organization concluded its message with a passage from author Anne Lamott:
“You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken … you learn to dance with the limp.”
For many across El Dorado County, Maureen Carter’s legacy now lives in the institutions she strengthened, the families she helped support and the generations of local children who continue to walk through the doors of the clubhouse that bears her name.
