2025 HR Insider Newsletter Summer edition

Summer 2025

Insider Human Resources

Creativity | Collaboration | Integrity | Stewardship | Professionalism | Science-Based

PAGE 2 Annual Open Enroll ment begins August 19th and ends Sep tember 19th

PAGE 3 New Employee Logo Shirts Arriving soon for distribution in mid-July

PAGE 4 What you need to know about report ing work-related injuries

PAGE 9 EAA Welcomes Summer Interns from Local Colleges

Summer 2025

BENEFITS

HUMAN RESOURCES New Employee Logo Shirts Arriving Soon

Annual Open Enrollment Begins this August

We are pleased to announce the rollout of our new company logo shirts for all EAA employees. These shirts are designed to promote team unity and enhance our professional appearance across all departments. Distribution Details: Field Employees: Will receive 7 shirts to ensure ample coverage for daily work and rotations. Partial Field Employees: Will receive 3 shirts suitable for office and field roles. Office Personnel: Will be provided with 2 shirts to support our unified brand image. When to Expect Them: The new shirts are scheduled to arrive mid-July. Distribution will be communicated soon, so please keep an eye out for further instructions. Thank you for your continued dedication and professionalism. We look forward to seeing everyone proudly sporting our new logo shirts!

T he annual open enrollment period is your designated time to review, update, or make new benefit elections for the upcoming year. This opportunity is available to all employees from August 19th through September 19th. Remember, outside of this window, you can only make changes if you experience a qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a child, or other special circumstances. What to Expect During Open Enrollment When you log into ADP on the first day of open enrollment, you will see a pop-up message prompting you to begin your session. This feature is designed to guide you through the process seamlessly. During your review, you’ll be able to:

Port Authority Short and Long Sleeve Oxford Shirts Port Authority Long Sleeve UV Daybreak Shirts

• Add new benefits or coverage options

Join Our Live Webinar To help you navigate the enrollment process, we invite you to participate in our live virtual Open Enrollment webinar scheduled for Tuesday, August 19th, at 9:00 a.m.. During the session, speakers from various benefit plans will provide valuable information, answer your questions, and guide you through your options. Stay Tuned for More Details In August, Human Resources will send out an email with comprehensive information about the available plans and a calendar invite including a Zoom link for the webinar. Be sure to watch your inbox so you don’t miss important updates.

Sport-Tek Versa Polos (shown below)

• Keep your current benefits as they are • Drop any benefits you no longer need

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Summer 2025

RETIREMENT

Mission Square Retirement Webinars

Reminder about: Reporting Injuries T o ensure compliance with Texas Workers’ Compensa tion guidelines, all work-related injuries must be report ed immediately to both your supervisor and Human Re sources, regardless of whether medical treatment is sought. Even if the injury appears minor or the employee chooses not to pursue treatment, reporting the incident is still re quired. Envision Your Financial Future - Retirement plan ning begins on day one. Join TCDRS for a webinar to review how your TCDRS retirement plan works and how life changes can impact your benefits. We’ll also discuss the importance of saving outside your TCDRS plan. The earlier you start saving for retirement, the more options you’ll have when you are ready to take that next step. Wednesday, July 23rd, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Click HERE to register. Association of Financial Educators - Speakers from the Association of Financial Educators provide you with information related to budgeting, saving, and other financial resources to help you plan for re tirement and the unexpected on your road to retire ment. Insurance 101/Beneficiary Audit - Thursday, July 24th, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Click HERE to register. Long-Term Care - Thursday, August 7th, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Click HERE to register. Webinars Tailored to TCDRS Members Thank you for your continued commitm ent to maintaining a safe and compliant workplace. For questions, contact Hilda Campos.

All webinars are held from 12:00 - 1:00 p,m, unless otherwise stated. Register HERE for all webinars be low. The Medicare Puzzle: Understanding Your Medi care Options - There are many pieces to the Medica re puzzle you need to be aware of. Gain insights into Medicare and the importance of knowing when you need to apply. Wednesday, July 16th Quarterly Economic Overview - Gain insights into and understanding of current economic factors and the impact they may have on your retirement plan ning. Wednesday, July 23rd Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): What, How and When - The RMD landscape has gone through many changes over the past couple of years. With SECURE 2.0, we’re faced with even more. Here we look at those changes and how you can help pre pare yourself for the inevitable day when you need to begin taking your RMDs. Thursday, July 24th and Thursday, September 18th How Health can Affect Your Wealth in Retirement An in-depth look into the many different aspects of planning and preparing for unexpected (and expec ted) health care costs in retirement, including Medi care and long-term care considerations. Wednesday, July 30th Making Every Dollar Count: Tips for Smart Spen ding - Learn how to prioritize so that you spend on what you truly want and can afford. Wednesday, Au guest 6th How to Pay Off and Prevent Debt - Are you concer ned about your level of debt? You’re not alone. Here we look at some guiding principles of dealing with debt and how to attack paying it off. And, perhaps more importantly, we discuss the importance of avoi ding accumulating too much debt in the first place. Wednesday, Auguest 13th Retirement 101: A Comprehensive Overview Most of us imagine retirement as a happy time — a reward for a lifetime of hard work, full of possibilities. With Americans living longer, retirement will make up a full third of many people’s lives. This makes planning

for it essential. Wednesday, Auguest 20th Social Security: Understanding Your Options and Social Security Fairness Act - As you near retire ment, one of the biggest financial decisions to make is when to begin receiving Social Security benefits. With pensions disappearing, Social Security remains the major source of guaranteed lifetime retirement income for most Americans, so it’s important to ex plore your options and make an informed decision. Wednesday, August 27th Understanding Qualified Charitable Distributi ons - Are you charitably inclined? Take a look at how using your required minimum distribution from a traditional IRA might help you reduce your taxable income while also being philanthropic. Thursday, August 28th Retirement Income Planning: Tips to Help Make Your Money Last - Understanding how much inco me you’ll need to support the retirement you want, and positioning your assets to provide that income, is important. While there’s no one-size-fits-all plan, there are steps you can take to maximize the possi bility of a financially secure retirement. Wednesday, September 17th Managing your Investments: Helping to Keep your Retirement on Track - An investing strategy is a ca refully planned and prepared approach to managing and accumulating money to help meet your short-, mid-, and long-term financial goals. Investment planning requires discipline and patience, but it do esn’t have to be difficult. Wednesday, September 24th

Preparing for a Successful TCDRS Retirement Retirement is not just about the money. If you are thinking about retiring in the next five years, join TC DRS for a webinar about how to plan for a success ful retirement. We’ll not only talk about the financial aspect of retirement, but the emotional transition as well. Plus, we’ll walk you through the steps for pro cessing your TCDRS retirement. Wednesday, August 6th, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Click HERE to register. Welcome to TCDRS - Welcome to your new job with a county or district that participates in the Texas County & District Retirement System! TCDRS is one of the best funded retirement systems in the country and provides lifetime benefits to eligible members at retirement. In this webinar, you’ll learn how you and your employer are saving for your future benefits, the importance of designating beneficiaries, and get an introduction to all the resources available to you at TCDRS.org. Friday, September 5th, 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Click HERE to register.

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Summer 2025

Effective Virtual Presentations Workshop Thursday, July 24, 2025, 9:00 - 12:00 LOCATION/PLATFORM: Virtual Zoom

TRAINING

3rd Quarter Training Events

This course focuses on key factors involved with delivering presentations over distance. It includes insights for handling preparation, technology, logistics, and cultural issues. Participants should attend ready to share real examples of communicating over distance. These examples will provide the basis for enhancing future presen tations through hands-on practice and demonstrations. Registration is Required. Workshop is limited to 15 participants. Click to REGISTER for the Effective Virtual Presentations Workshop

Active Shooter Awareness Training Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 Thursday, July 17, 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 LOCATION/PLATFORM: EAA Recharge Room

MANDATORY FOR ALL EAA STAFF

Active shooters continue to strike American workplaces daily. While every attack is different, there are com monalities - including confusion. This mandatory training will discuss simple survival skills and techniques that can save your life in the event of an active shooter attack. This training will be facilitated by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and its Sheriff’s Community Oriented Response and Education (SCORE) unit. The SCORE unit will provide the organization with information and crucial response methods to help enhance safety and security measures. Staff have the option to attend one of the two sessions available. Click to REGISTER for the Active Shooter Awareness Training.

Harassment Awareness & Prevention Training MANDATORY FOR ALL EAA STAFF Thursday, September 4, 2025, TIME: 9:00 - 11:30 & 1:00 - 3:00 LOCATION/PLATFORM: Virtual Zoom

This mandatory training will be facilitated by Kemp Smith LLP., via Zoom. Non-Supervisory Morning Session 9:30a.m. - 11:30 a.m. A meeting invite via Outlook will be sent to those designated to attend. Please plan accordingly. Supervisory Afternoon Session 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. A meeting invite via Outlook will be sent to those designated to attend. Please plan accordingly. On the day of the event, click the link provided on your Outlook calendar to join the discussion. Once the training has been completed, staff will be assigned the Harassment Awareness & Preven tion Training Acknowledgement Form via NeoGov. In the event an employee is unable to attend this training, they must contact Human Resources for alternate arrangements.

Managing Effective Interviews Workshop Thursday, August 28, 2025, 10:00 - 11:30 LOCATION/PLATFORM: Virtual Zoom

The interview process is one of the most important steps for bringing in new talent. Your team’s culture and performance depends on hir ing the right people, yet, finding the best employees can be difficult. If you don’t have effective interviewing skills, you risk losing a brilliant candidate, or worse - hiring a person that’s not qualified for the job. This course will equip you with the skills and techniques to prepare for and conduct an interview that will garner the information you need to form your assessment of a candidate’s appropriateness for your organization and provide the candidate a positive experience throughout your engagement and understand the legal aspects of conducting your interview. Registration is Required. Workshop is limited to 20 par ticipants and is for supervisory positions and above. Click to REGISTER for the Managing Effective Interviews Workshop

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Summer 2025

RECORDS

RECRUITMENT EAA Welcomes Summer Interns from Local Colleges

Shredding Documents Critical for the EAA

P roper document destruction is essential to safeguard the EAA. Retaining sensitive files increases risks like data breaches, legal penalties, and reputation damage. Studies show 25% of poorly stored documents are never found, and 45% of printed paper is simply discarded without secure shredding.

This summer, the EAA is proud to host a diverse group of talented students through various internship pro grams in partnership with San Antonio Colleges and the City of San Antonio. These programs provide invalu able opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, refine their career paths, and develop profession al skills — all at no cost to the EAA. Alamo Community Colleges – Alamo on the Job program We are pleased to welcome two students from Lakeview College who have been working at the EOC since March. Mayla Juarez and Aeden Vickery are participating in the Alamo on the Job program, a 9-month initia tive designed for students across all academic and career disciplines enrolled in any of the five Alamo Colleges. Students in this program can work up to 20 hours per week at a rate of $16.29 per hour. UTSA Federal Community Work Study program Trinity Espinoza, a former ambassador student, is interning at the EOC through the Federal Community Work Study program at UTSA. This program supports students who meet spe cific financial guidelines while attending college, offering them a chance to explore career opportunities and develop professional skills during their academic journey. City of San Antonio – Ambassador Summer Internship program The City of San Antonio’s Ambassador Summer Internship Program is designed for currently enrolled college students seeking professional experience. This paid internship program offers students exposure to various career paths through internships, professional development workshops, and networking events. Participants are placed with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies to gain hands-on expe rience in high-demand fields, fostering local talent and encouraging careers within the community. This summer, we are hosting two outstanding students through this program: • Victoria Buentello, a UTSA student, is interning with the Communica tions department. • Skylar Fiebrich, attending UCLA, is interning with Aquifer Science Re search and Science department. We are excited to support these students’ growth and look forward to see ing how their experiences will contribute to their future careers. The EAA remains committed to fostering educational and professional development opportunities for our community’s emerging talent. Please join us in welcoming all our summer interns and supporting their journey toward success! Trinity Espinoza Victoria Buentello Skylar Fiebrich Mayla Juarez Aedan Vickery Isabella Posada Joining us in June is Isabella Posada, daughter of Eliza beth Posada. Isabella is taking a summer class at St. Phil ip’s College during her break from UT Austin and will be gaining practical experience at the EOC this season.

Key Documents to Shred: • Bank and credit statements • Human resource documents • Tax, property and customer documents

All docuements have specific retention periods – often mandated by law. However, some documents, like internal financial records, should be kept forever. Please refer to the EAA’s retention schedule by clicking HERE.

Document shredding isn’t a matter of tearing up a piece of pa per and hoping for the best. It’s a science that enables the EAA to comply with the law – but only when done correctly. Putting proper processes in place is critical for shredding properly.

To ensure compliance, the EAA utilizes Data Shredding Services (DSS) to securely and permanent ly destroy sensitive and outdat ed information. There are four locked bins placed throughout the main building for your conve nience, which DSS picks up every two weeks: On the first floor: • The first bin is located in the Copier Supply room. • The second bin is situated in the intern area next to office 114 (Larry Jackson’s office). On the second floor:

• The first bin is in the back corner near the Communications and Development team. • The second bin is in the Copier Supply area next to room 208 (Mark Hamilton’s office). There are also two shedders available to use in the main build ing: • On the first floor, the shredder can be found in the Copier Supply room.

Consequences of Not Shredding: • Data breaches exposing personal info • Legal fines and criminal charges • Loss of customer trust

• On the second floor, the shredder is located in the Copier Supply area next to room 208 (Mark Hamilton’s office). If the shredder bags are full and need to be changed, or you need to open a shred bin to dispose a large number of documents, please contact Senior Records Coordinator, Nichelle Cunningham for assistance.

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Summer 2025

Promotions & New Hires

Tamauj Thomas

Hunter Patterson

Paulina Quinonez Aquifer Science Intern

Amhad Yahya

Data Management Intern Ahmand joined the EAA on June 16, 2025. Ahmad is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from UTSA, with an expected gradua tion date of May 2026

Water Resources Supervisor Tamauj was promoted to Field Operations Supervisor for Water Resources on May 26, 2025. Tamauj holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University and is current ly pursuing a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from UTSA. Tamauj

Regulatory Inspector II Hunter joined the Recharge Zone Re gulation department on June 9, 2025. Hunter received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences and a Master of Science degree in Geoscience with a minor in Geographic Information Science from UTSA. Hunter comes to the EAA 4.5 years of experience in environmental and regulatory compliance, as well as geologic site investigations. Hunter is responsible for coordinating and performing work activities related to the continued development and implemen tation of regulatory programs to carry out the mission of the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

Paulina joined the EAA on June 10, 2025. Paulina is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from UTSA, with an expected graduation date of December 2025.

has over 17 years of experience in environmental program coordination, including groundwater permitting, conservation planning, and regulatory compliance. Tamauj is responsible for overseeing and performing daily coordination of the groundwater withdrawal permit activities to carry out the mission of the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

Anniversaries

We would like to recognize and congratulate our 3rd quarter 2025 EAA employee anniversaries. Thank you for your dedicated service and we wish you many more successful years ahead!

Savannah Guel

Erica Martinez

Name

Date Of Hire Recognized at Board Years of Service

Environmental Science High School Intern Savannah joined the EAA on June 9, 2025. Savannah will be entering her ju nior year at Sam Houston High School in the fall of 2025 and is expected to gra duate in 2027.

Groundwater Use Coordinator I Erica joined the Aquifer Science Water Resource department on June 23, 2025. Erica received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences from Tarleton State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Geosciences from UTSA. Erica comes to the

Jim Boenig

6/15/2015 9/8/2020

7/8/2025 9/9/2025

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Chuck Crawford

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3rd Quarter Birthdays

Morgan Gingerich

Brianna Anzaldua Micah Meyers Omar Garcia Sarah Eason Matthew Rogers Amanda Barney Amjad Rashid Scott Storment Chris Morgan Joshua Moralez Felix Marquez II Mariah Bonham

July 10 July 14 July 14 July 17 July 19 July 30 July 31

Ann-Margaret Gonzalez August 18 Nichelle Cunningham August 22 Paulina Quinonez August 23 Mark Hamilton August 26 Erica Cubillo September 2 Shelly Hendrix September 10 Raquel Garza September 13 Gizelle Luevano September 15 Nikki Young September 16 Natasha Ponce September 21 Kristina Tolman September 23 Gera Hinojosa September 24

EAA with 5 years of experience in environmental science, hy drogeologic research, and groundwater data management.

EAHCP Environmental Science Intern Morgan joined the EAA on June 9, 2025. Morgan is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geoscience from Trinity University, with an expected graduation date of May 2026.

Erica is responsible for coordinating data collection and data management activities that support EAA metering and permit ting programs and performing technical analyses of meter data associated with Edwards Aquifer regulatory programs.

Amanda Barney

Harmony Fries

August 7 August 13 August 14 August 15 August 16

Aquifer Sustainability Intern Amanda joined the EAA on June 9, 2025. Amanda is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Geography and will be pursuing a PhD in Geography from Texas State University, with an expected graduation date of May 2029.

Field Inspection Intern Harmony joined the EAA on June 9, 2025. Harmony is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the UTSA, with an expec ted graduation date of December 2025.

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Summer 2025

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Recharge Room Upgrade Underway T he IT team is excited to an nounce an upcoming en

AI Chatbox Security Awareness

hancement to the Recharge Room. A new video wall will be installed to elevate the training and meet ing experience. This impressive display will consist of twelve 55 inch screens, similar to the setup currently in the Boardroom. Stay tuned for updates as we bring this upgrade to life!

A s AI chatbots become more common for boosting productivity and assisting with daily tasks, it’s important to stay mind ful of security risks. Please remember: 1. Protect Sensitive Data – Never share personal, financial, or confidential information. 2. Verify Information – AI can be inaccurate; al ways fact-check. 3. Watch for Phishing – Be cautious of suspicious links or messages. 4. Use Responsibly – Avoid unethical or harmful use of AI. EAGIS 3.0 Update

5. Stick to Approved Tools – Only use AI platforms vetted by IT “Copilot and ChatGPT”. 6. Understand Monitoring – AI usage may be logged for compliance and security. Stay vigilant and help us keep our organi zation safe from cyber threats!

Thanks to proactive system monitoring and resilient in frastructure, our average uptime has remained above 99% throughout 2025. This level of availability is a direct result of our IT team’s diligence and our continued focus on ser vice reliability. We appreciate your trust as we remain committed to delivering consistent, uninterrupted performance. 2025 System Uptime Cybersecurity Summit Insights

Three members of our IT team recently attended a Cyberse curity Summit in Austin, where they joined industry profes sionals from across the country to explore the latest threats and best practices in cybersecurity. The summit covered a wide range of topics, including incident response planning, threat detection, real-time data use, ransomware and phish ing defense, AI and IoT vulnerabilities, and the integration of advanced security technologies. These insights will play a key role in strengthening our organization’s security posture and guiding future initiatives.

The next version of EAGIS is on the horizon and scheduled for launch by October 1st, 2025! Version 3.0 will feature a more intuitive design, enhanced functionality, improved performance, and stronger security. The IT team is working diligently to deliver

a seamless and us er-friendly experi ence. Here’s a sneak peek at our work in-progress EAGIS dashboard—we’re excited to show you what’s coming. Have ideas or feedback? We’d love to hear from you!

Martin Hernandez, AJ and Julian Hernandez

We welcome your ideas for new technologies that could benefit the EAA. Please feel free to visit the IT department to discuss your suggestions. Additionally requests for solutions, assistance with projects or enhancements can be submitted in Service Desk.

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