About the Authors

Aaron Grant is currently a sophomore at Clemson University where he is studying graphic communications. Aaron’s infatuation with incorporating a creative mindset into the everyday workplace is what led him to an internship at Santee Cooper in the Cooperate Communications Department. He will be helping the Corporate Communications team on multiple projects. Though he will be doing a little bit of everything, Aaron’s primary focus will be in capturing and editing videos that will be distributed to the company in various forms. He is eager to learn as much information as possible about video production while also learning the structure of a major, successful company such as Santee Cooper. Although this is Aaron’s first summer working at Santee Cooper, he is no stranger to the company. His father, John Grant (Vector Management Supervisor), has been working for Santee Cooper for 24 years.

Annie Caggiano joined Santee Cooper in July 2016 as the Senior Project Manager of Economic Development. Starting in 2004, she has spent her entire career in economic development in South Carolina. Her previous experience includes serving as the Director of Research for the Central SC Alliance and the Assistant Director of Economic Development for Richland County.   She graduated from Clemson University with a degree in marketing and is an active member of several civic and professional organizations. Annie and her beloved 15-year-old Shih Tzu, Chloe, live in Charleston.

Carrah Lingo is a PR contractor for Santee Cooper in the Corporate Communications department. Carrah graduated from Clemson University with a B.A. in Communication Studies in May 2014. While in college she became passionate about tiger conservation through an on-campus organization known as Tigers for Tigers. After landing communications and marketing roles in the start-up field, non-profit sector and tech industry, she looks forward to learning more about public relations in a corporate environment here at Santee Cooper. In her free time Carrah enjoys traveling, party planning and volunteering as a Big Sister.

Jay Hudson is Santee Cooper’s manager of Environmental Management and has been with the state-owned utility since 1987. He serves on the American Public Power Association’s Clean Air Task Force, the New Generation Task Force and is co-chairman of the Large Public Power Council’s Environmental Task Force. Jay has published several articles on pollution topics, is a member of the American Chemical Society and is a registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Engineering from the University of South Carolina with an emphasis in water resources and environmental engineering.

Jessica Yourko is Santee Cooper's CIS Business Analyst and has worked with Retail Operations since 2001. She graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 1997 with a bachelor's in marketing and received her MBA from Winthrop University in 2006. Jessica is proud native of Horry County. She lives in Myrtle Beach with her husband and two children. In her free time, you can find Jessica soaking up the sun while she works on some project that likely involves fabric, paint or a glue gun.

Elizabeth “Liz” Kress is a senior engineer with Santee Cooper, working in the Renewable Energy department. She acts as a developer of biomass and solar projects. Liz has been instrumental in increasing Santee Cooper’s renewable generation, and has also been involved in the feasibility work on offshore wind for South Carolina.

She graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., with a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgy and materials engineering, and has a master’s degree in business from the University of South Carolina.

Mollie Gore is Santee Cooper’s manager of Corporate Communications. She has worked in PR since 2001, first in the education arena and since 2007 at Santee Cooper. Although she enjoys the South Carolina lifestyle very much, especially in January, she is from Virginia and spent a dozen years as a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, covering business, politics and special projects. She graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in English. Mollie and her family live in Summerville.

Nicholas “Nick” DeSanto is a 2016 summer intern in Corporate Communications at Santee Cooper. He is a rising senior studying Film Production specializing in Cinematography at the Art Institute of Charleston. His background is in sports broadcasting. This is his second year working at Santee Cooper and he is enjoying being able to work with many departments throughout the company and see the dedication in the workers’ faces and showing it to the costumers through the short videos he works on while here. Nick has dreams of working in public relations, doing interactive videos with the public as well as working in Hollywood behind the cameras and editing films.

Nicole Aiello is Santee Cooper's director of public relations. She's been working in PR since 1997. After paying her dues in the Big Apple, she decided sun, sand and surf were preferable to shoveling snow, so she made her way to South Carolina. Nicole's professional experience ranges from the celebrity and entertainment industry to tourism, nonprofit and government communications. Nicole, who holds a bachelor of science from Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism, currently calls Mount Pleasant home. 

Raechel Blitchington is a senior at the University of Georgia, studying Public Relations and Communications.

Raechel's passion for creative writing, editing and communications drove her to apply for a summer internship position with the Corporate Communications department at Santee Cooper. Raechel is looking forward to gaining hands-on public relations and corporate communications experience and learning more about electricity and the utility industry. A Savannah native, Raechel is enjoying experiencing a summer in the South Carolina Lowcountry. She will return to the University of Georgia for her final semester. Go Dawgs!

Susan W. Jackson is the manager of the Coal Combustion Products (CCP) & Waste department at Santee Cooper.  Her career has included power plant engineering, regulatory compliance and project management.

In 2014, as the manager of CCP, was given the mission to expand the beneficial use of CCPs as a method for ash pond closures. In this role, Susan leads Santee Cooper’s CCP “beneficial use” program, landfill permitting projects, ash pond closure permitting, groundwater monitoring, and other environmental permitting and compliance programs.   
 
Susan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of South Carolina, and is a registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina.  
She has more than 28 years of experience at Santee.

Susan Mungo is a second generation Santee Cooper employee and a native of Horry County. Her late father retired from Santee Cooper after 30 years of service, and Susan has been an employee for more than 24 years. As Public Relations Specialist II, Susan is responsible for keeping Santee Cooper's customers informed. Her previous experience with the company includes working in Retail Operations before moving into Occupational Safety. She's a graduate of Coastal Carolina University and, along with cheering on her CCU Chanticleers, has been a lifelong Gamecock fan. In her free time, Susan enjoys paddle boarding, boating and running with the Red Cross Rescue Racers (RRR). Susan, her husband, her mother and her two girls (yellow labs) live in Conway, S.C.