Women’s Equality Day, celebrated every Aug. 26, commemorates the 19 th Amendment that granted women the right to vote. It was first celebrated in 1971, designated by Congress in 1973 and proclaimed each year by the President of the United States.
Giant strides have been made to pave new avenues to equal economic opportunity for women in recent years. Nearly 60% of college graduates are women, women enter the workforce at about 50/50 and more than 40% of women are the primary bread winners.
Santee Cooper is committed to a workplace that embraces fairness and inclusion. Here’s a quick look at one woman’s success story at Santee Cooper.
Darla Barnette recently celebrated 30 years at Santee Cooper. From her time as an assistant engineer to becoming the first female station manager at Winyah Generating Station in 2017, her journey took hard work and determination, and she earned the support of her supervisors and team members.
“Becoming the manager at Winyah has been a dream come true and I am grateful to the people who have helped me get here,” said Barnette. “Working at a power plant is challenging, fun and exciting. It is essential that we get a future generation of power plant employees ready to continue the success. I have worked hard and been a dedicated employee. I hope I can inspire others to do the same and to appreciate a career at Santee Cooper.”
Barnette added, “Anyone can succeed in any environment they choose. There are opportunities everywhere, you just have to go get them.”
In June of 2020, Santee Cooper established the Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity Awareness (IDEA) Council to support its mission. The IDEA Council is an advisory body of employees that support corporate strategies that increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) awareness, reinforce a culture of equity and inclusion, and improve Santee Cooper’s diversity footprint.