LCRA has more than 2,200 employees spread across hundreds of miles of Texas — from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast.

Employees are highly skilled and perform a wide range of duties, from repairing transmission lines and operating power plants to mapping watersheds and monitoring water quality.

But no matter what LCRA employees do or where they do it, they are guided by five foundation values that help make LCRA what it is today and set the tone for the future.

These values define LCRA's culture. They are:

• Safety
• Environmental leadership
• Diversity
• Customer service
• Employee focus

Safety
LCRA emphasizes safety from the top, down and from the bottom, up. For example, LCRA's Board keeps a close eye on safety issues by having a member sit on LCRA's safety committee. On the other end, every LCRA employee has the authority — and responsibility — to stop any activity he or she feels is unsafe.

Safety is an LCRA priority for good reason. Some employees often work around high voltage, high temperatures or high waters. The goal is to adopt proper procedures so such work can be just as safe as changing the toner cartridge in a copy machine.

LCRA's commitment to safety goes beyond the job. It gives safety glasses and ear plugs to employees to use when mowing the lawn and doing other chores at home.

Environmental leadership
LCRA is committed to the stewardship and conservation of the land and waters of the Colorado River basin.

LCRA considers environmental leadership as an investment, not as a cost. It strives to manage its business processes in a way that reflects its commitment to environmental protection and stewardship.

"To contribute to the quality of life of our region, we strive to look beyond immediate demands and be a catalyst for the conservation of our resources," said Sherri Kuhl, manager of environmental leadership.

LCRA's goal for all of employees is to demonstrate a commitment to environmental protection and stewardship in their jobs, and to work to improve the quality of life for the future of the region.

Diversity

Employees in this LCRA work group can trace their heritage to the United States, Taiwan, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Canada, China, Iran, Bangladesh and Mexico.

LCRA's diversity initiative centers around three areas: workforce diversity, supplier diversity and service to communities. Each area has specific long-term objectives that are linked to our strategic plan. Our overall goal is to build relationships and develop inclusive solutions with our employees, our suppliers, and the communities we serve.

• Workforce diversity focuses on creating an inclusive environment that recognizes and values every employee. LCRA strives to have an employee population that closely reflects the labor pool available to its industry.
• Supplier diversity recognizes the importance of small and diverse businesses in helping to achieve LCRA’s mission and goals. By encouraging the development of mutually beneficial relationships, LCRA's expenditures with minority and/or women-owned suppliers have consistently increased in recent years.
• Service to communities is a fundamental part of LCRA's mission. LCRA's outreach efforts include volunteer opportunities and support to academic, civic, and professional organizations that represent the diverse population of our service area.

Learn more about LCRA’s diversity initiative.

Customer service
LCRA's serves a wide range of customers — water and wastewater utility services customers, municipal and co-op electricity providers and members of the general public looking for information on river operations and recreational opportunities.

To help serve the public, LCRA has invested in numerous customer service initiatives, such as increased employee training and software tools that allow workers throughout the organization to better manage customer relationships.

"Any organization will only be successful if its customers perceive that it has value to offer and cares about the people it serves," said Becky Motal, manager of External Affairs.

Employee focus
LCRA provides numerous opportunities for employees to develop both professionally and personally. Leadership development is one key, with the goal of preparing employees to reach their full potential in the work place. Through numerous training courses and leadership development programs, employees have a multitude of opportunities to learn and practice the skills needed to become effective leaders.

LCRA's Community Assistance and Volunteer Services provide an array of services and opportunities for employees to strengthen ties to the community by sharing their time, resources and skills. For more information, see LCRA Employees' United Charities and LCRA Volunteers.

LCRA's Corporate Wellness Program aims to help reduce workplace stress and injuries while improving productivity. LCRA sponsors annual health fairs and provides other fun, convenient ways for employees to reach their health goals.