LCRA Names Rudy D. Garza as its 12th General Manager

Public utility veteran steps in to continue LCRA’s legacy of serving Texans

June 1, 2026

AUSTIN, Texas – The Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors has selected Rudy D. Garza as LCRA’s 12th general manager, effective July 20, 2026. A Texas native with 30 years of utility leadership experience, Garza joins LCRA from CPS Energy in San Antonio, where he currently serves as president and CEO.

“LCRA is one of the most consequential public utilities in Texas, and what it does now and in the future matters,” said Stephen F. Cooper, chair of the LCRA Board. “Rudy Garza has led through challenges and growth. He knows what it takes to build trust with communities, manage complex operations and keep people at the center of the work. Rudy is a proven leader who can help LCRA develop new water resources and further build its power portfolio to help Texas address the demand for these critical resources as our state continues to grow.”

In 2012, Garza joined CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally owned electric and natural gas utility. He advanced through operational and customer service leadership roles before being named president and CEO in August 2022.

Under his leadership, CPS Energy implemented Vision 2027, a five-year strategic plan that strengthened operations and added more than 3,300 megawatts of generation capacity through a series of natural gas plant acquisitions in South and Southeast Texas.

Before joining CPS Energy, Garza served as assistant city manager of business support services and director of intergovernmental relations for the City of Corpus Christi, directing advocacy before the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress.

“LCRA has a proud history and tremendous people with deep experience,” Garza said. “It’s a team that knows its mission and takes it seriously. Managing the lower Colorado River, delivering reliable power and water, and serving communities across Central Texas. This is not abstract work. The stakes are real, and the people here understand that.”

Garza holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he continues to serve on the Cockrell School of Engineering Advisory Board, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas. He is a member of the national boards of the Large Public Power Council, the Keystone Policy Center and the American Gas Association, and he has been elected to the Electric Power Research Institute Board of Directors, where he begins his term in August.

“Texas continues to grow, and the demands on LCRA increase with it. I am ready to get to work, and I could not ask for a better team to do it with.”

– Rudy Garza

Garza succeeds Jim Travis, LCRA’s acting general manager and chief financial officer, who has held the role since March 2026, following the resignation of former general manager Phil Wilson. Travis will resume his responsibilities as chief financial officer after the transition.

Contact Info

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves communities across Texas by managing the lower Colorado River, generating and transmitting wholesale electric power, providing clean water supplies, operating telecommunications infrastructure, and owning parks for outdoor recreation. LCRA delivers power, water and infrastructure that support the region’s growth and quality of life. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1934, LCRA receives no state appropriations.