Lonnie N. Carter

President and Chief Executive Officer
Santee Cooper

He joined Santee Cooper in 1982 as an employee in the controller’s office. Since that time, he has held various positions including Manager of Corporate Forecasting, Vice President of Corporate Forecasting and Senior Vice President of Customer Service. The Santee Cooper Board of Directors named Carter the company’s eighth Chief Executive Officer on January 26, 2004.

Prior to his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer for Santee Cooper, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning and Bulk Power. In 1997, on loan from Santee Cooper, he was instrumental in founding and served as the first President and Chief Executive Officer of The Energy Authority. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, TEA is a joint power marketing organization comprised of publicly owned utilities.

Carter serves on the boards of Palmetto Economic Development Corporation, Charleston Regional Development Alliance Executive Council, Large Public Power Council, The Energy Authority, Colectric Partners Inc., American Public Power Association, and Thornwell Home & School for Children. He is Chairman-elect of the American Public Power Association and the Trident United Way Board and chaired Trident United Way’s 2007 campaign. He serves on advisory boards for The Citadel School of Business and the University of South Carolina School of Engineering. He is an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Moncks Corner.

Carter received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1982 and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1987, both from The Citadel. In 2005 Carter received the Distinguished Leadership Award from The Citadel Business Hall of Fame. He received the Free Enterprise Foundation Award for Ethics and Civic Responsibility in 2009.
A native of Ehrhardt, S.C., he is married to Laurie McRee Carter and they have three children. The Carters reside in Moncks Corner.