Joseph J. Beal announced Wednesday (Aug. 22) that he was ending his career as general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Beal became LCRA's eighth general manager on Jan. 20, 2000, and will leave the organization in mid-January 2008.
LCRA Board Chair Ray Wilkerson said the Board would immediately begin a search for a replacement.
“Joe Beal has served LCRA and the people of Texas with distinction,” Wilkerson said. “Under his direction, LCRA has grown in its ability to help the people of Texas use their natural resources – their land, air and water – to improve their quality of life. That is the idea behind LCRA and he has made it a reality to the benefit of a million people.”
During Beal’s tenure, LCRA has greatly expanded the state’s ability to bring renewable wind power from West Texas to markets such as Austin, Dallas and Houston by constructing hundreds of miles of transmission lines. LCRA and the San Antonio Water System launched a multi-year, $42 million study of a unique, collaborative water-sharing agreement that could allow both regions to enjoy expanded water resources. And LCRA, along with the City of Austin, began a $360 million emissions and air quality improvement project at their Fayette Power Project in Fayette County. LCRA helped dozens of small Hill Country and Colorado River Valley communities expand their water and wastewater treatment capacity to meet the needs of growth and tightening government regulations.
“LCRA is a great organization of people dedicated to public service,” Beal said. “The opportunity to serve as their leader has been the highlight of my career.”
Beal said he plans to spend more time with his wife, Nancy, their two daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren. Beal, 62, said he has no immediate professional plans but does not plan to fully retire.
LCRA, a Texas conservation and reclamation district with $1 billion in revenues budgeted in fiscal year 2008, has more than 2,200 employees.
Beal joined LCRA in 1995 to lead its Water Services division, which provides water resources management, flood protection, drought management, agricultural irrigation and water and wastewater utility services.
Before joining LCRA, Beal was senior vice president at Espey Huston & Associates, a large engineering and environmental consulting firm in Austin.
Beal earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University in 1968, followed by a master's degree of business administration in municipal finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
Beal served in Vietnam, where he earned a Bronze Star as a company commander in the Army Medical Service Corps. After his tour of duty, Beal returned to Texas in 1970.
Beal and Nancy reside in Bastrop, Texas.
