Get to know…James Childers

Share your career history and how you made your way to United Way.

I grew up in Wichita and went to Southeast High School. In college, I was studying to be an elementary educator while working two or three jobs. I worked in retail, a combination of landscaping and stone masonry, as a swim instructor, and as a lighting/sound tech for local theaters and concert halls. When I was about a year away from being done, there was a teacher hiring freeze, so I changed course. I dabbled in physics, chemistry and pre-med for a while, before I took some economics classes and learned that I liked studying business.

After college, I bounced around and landed a position as a corrections officer. After a particularly rough shift where I got my eye blackened and my nose was broken, I thought ‘maybe now is the time I should go back to school and try something else.’

On top of a degree in business administration, I completed a second bachelor’s degree in accounting. I was lucky enough to find my place at the United Way on the Plains after seven years of working as an accountant in the Wichita area.

I oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable processing as well as grant reporting and compliance for United Way.

What are your interests, pastimes or hobbies?

I love movies, music, books, comics and video games. However, I spend most of my time helping my son explore the world and if we have time, sneaking in a round of dinosaurs vs superheroes vs Godzilla.

What is your favorite book?

I think it has to be Homer’s epic “The Iliad.” It’s a story that was read to me when I was little and sparked my love for grand stories.

Share a bit about your family.

I’ve been with my wife for about seven years now. We have a five-year-old son who is a hyperactive wrecking ball. Almost all of my extended family lives here in Wichita. We’re a small bunch., We can all fit comfortably into a minivan.

What is the biggest reason you love working at United Way?

Knowing that what I’m doing is having a real impact on the community that my son will grow up in.