Servant, leader, selfless, dedicated, friend. These are words that were used throughout the night to describe United Way of Anderson CEO Carol Burdette at a retirement ceremony honoring her twenty-two years of service to the Anderson community. On Thursday November 7, the Civic Center was filled with leaders in education, church, non-profits, business and industry, politics, and many others, to honor her accomplishments and the good she has done in the lives and hearts of so many. This was a ticketed event, with proceeds going to support the work of United Way in the areas of Health, Education, Financial Stability, and Basic Needs.
Burdette is a native of Pendleton, SC, where she served as mayor from 1997-2009. In 2002, she began serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the United Way after volunteering with the organization for 13 years. During her 22 years with the United Way, Burdette established the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program that eventually reduced teen pregnancy in Anderson by 81%, organized the first Martin Luther King Day of Service, established the Weekend SnackPack Program to ensure that no child goes hungry on the weekends, launched the 211 Call Center, represented the United Way of Anderson at the White House, partnered with Rotary Club of Anderson to adopt Homeland Park Primary School, Partnered with AIM to create the United Way Financial Stability Center at AIM, and launched SnackPack pantries for middle and high schools, among countless other acts of service and commitment to improving Anderson County.
The ceremony was emceed by Tim Self and throughout the night the audience listened to stories, memories, and meaningful moments retold by individuals who Burdette has worked with closely over the years. It was clear that Burdette is a leader in this community who is highly respected, makes meaningful and positive changes, and believes that the best thing you can do for someone is to be their friend. She believes that serving is a way of life and is passionate about making the lives of others better through her work.
Her tireless service has earned her many prestigious awards including the Order of the Palmetto, SC’s highest civilian honor and Rotary’s Service Above Self Award. In 2023 she received an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Anderson University by President Evans Whitaker.
Burdette will end her tenure with United Way in December. She may be retiring as CEO of the United Way of Anderson, but there is no doubt that she is not retiring from serving the community. We know she will continue to work in the best interests of Anderson County and the people in it. If we learned anything from the night it is that Burdette is full of energy and full of ideas—we look forward to seeing where that energy and those ideas take Burdette next.
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