She gets top dollar for arts in Charlotte.

• Position: People - Harriet Sanford, president of Charlotte's nonprofit Arts and Science Council

When Harriet Sanford was a girl, her father worked two and three jobs to support his family, including welding and driving trucks in her hometown of Colonie, two hours north of New York City. "It's hard to say how he came to appreciate music, dancing, photography and art, but he did." And maybe he passed along an art gene.

Sanford, 50, is now president of Charlotte's nonprofit Arts & Science Council, which supports 28 affiliate groups. Despite occasional artistic and political pratfalls, it's the most successful community arts group in the nation. In 2001, the year after Sanford became president, the council raised more than $10 million, besting Milwaukee by about $22,000.

Sanford, director of the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture in Georgia before coming to Charlotte, says she's more interested in artistic results than rankings. "But the people here -- the people in Charlotte -- are very competitive." Protests aside, Sanford has a knack for raising money. Last year she personally raised $4,400 for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. And this year's ASC campaign appeared poised to reach its $10.1 million goal.

An arts career wasn't her first choice. After getting a bachelor's in education from New England College in 1974 and a master's in public administration from University of Connecticut in 1979, she became director of Atlanta's youth-employment program. After being...