Power for Progress…A weekly column from the Grand River Dam Authority Team GRDA’s Summertime Crew

Summer wear … With the start of the fall semester, many GRDA seasonal employees will soon be returning to the classroom. Before they “change hats” from employee to college student, we wanted to recognize them and the important contributions they make during the summer months.

They come from several different backgrounds and several different hometowns. Some are familiar faces around the Grand River Dam Authority, others are being introduced to the organization for the first time. However, all of them, at least for a few months in the summer, become part of Team GRDA. They mow the grass, paint the walls, work in the offices, patrol the waters and help in many other ways during this time.

Of course, we are talking about GRDA’s summer employees. Comprised mostly of students who will be back in the classroom next month, this special workforce plays an important role during what can be a very busy time of the year. With multiple facilities, crews, departments, and responsibilities spread across a wide area of Oklahoma, GRDA depends on the many contributions of its summertime team members.

And the benefits go both ways. While the summer employees an interns earn a paycheck, they also garner some valuable work experience in offices, water labs, power plants and along Oklahoma lakes and rivers. It is a chance to get an up-close look at the many careers and tasks within GRDA. For some, it is a sneak peek at the very career they are studying for in college or tech school. For others, who are actually filling summer intern positions, it is a chance to earn college credit and experience.

Team GRDA is proud to welcome its summer crew each year. The contributions made by these employees help to carry on the important GRDA mission to deliver affordable, reliable electricity, focus on efficiency and remain committed to environmental stewardship. Like our full-time Team GRDA, the summer employees are among GRDA’s most valuable assets.

GRDA is Oklahoma’s largest public power electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.

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