Vicky Budreau named Chief Customer Officer

The Santee Cooper Board of Directors named Vicky Budreau as Chief Customer Officer, effective January 1, 2023.

Budreau will be responsible for the strategic leadership of Santee Cooper’s customer-facing programs and initiatives and for the teams working with the utility’s wholesale, industrial, commercial, residential and lighting customers. Budreau will also partner with other senior leadership and the Board of Directors in the development, implementation and support of Santee Cooper’s overall strategic direction.

“Vicky is uniquely qualified for this position, having served Santee Cooper for over 35 years and building successful track records in several important leadership roles, including her current position as Senior Director of Customer Service,” said President and CEO Jimmy Staton. “Her strong leadership, experience and vision will be critical as we navigate a fast-changing environment with new and emerging opportunities to better serve our diverse customer base and the state.”

At Santee Cooper, Budreau has also served as Vice President of Fuel Strategy & Supply, Manager of Transmission Operations, Supervisor of System Control, Supervisor of Power Supply Planning, Supervisor of Transmission Studies, and Supervisor of Distribution Planning. She has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of South Carolina. She joined Santee Cooper as an engineer in August 1987.

Budreau’s appointment follows the planned December 31, 2022 retirement of Mike Poston. “As Chief Customer Officer, Mike took on what was a new position, and he has done a tremendous job establishing new roles and responsibilities that have helped Santee Cooper be more responsive to and transparent with our customers,” Staton said. “He has served Santee Cooper’s customers and the state ably for over 36 years, and I wish him all the best in a well-deserved retirement.”