LDR Leadership and Nebraska Rural Electric Association Announce Multi-Year Partnership to Launch Leader Essentials Program
Lincoln, NE — LDR Leadership is proud to announce a transformative new partnership with the Nebraska Rural Electric Association (NREA) to deliver our Leader Essentials Program (LEP) — a cutting-edge, certificate producing safety leadership academy built specifically for Nebraska’s electric utility sector.
Beginning Fall 2025, the multi-year initiative will bring LDR Leadership’s high-impact curriculum to frontline supervisors, crew leaders, and emerging managers across the rural member systems of NREA.
“This is more than a training program — it’s a long-term investment in the people who power Nebraska,” said Dave Taylor, CEO of LDR Leadership. “We’re equipping leaders with practical tools to make sound decisions, coach with confidence, and lead high-performing teams in safety-sensitive, high-pressure environments. Leadership = High Performance and Improved Safety”
Program Highlights:
- Two in-person training weeks per year (Spring & Fall), hosted in Kearney, Nebraska
- 15 immersive learning blocks covering 60 total hours of instruction
- Nine total cohorts of 35 participants each with a goal of training at least 300 leaders
- Focused on the skills leaders require to lead in stressful, dangerous, high-pressure environments, such as emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, structured decision-making, and team dynamics
- Real-world utility scenarios, case studies, and decision games — not theory
Rick Nelson, General Manager of NREA, emphasized the value of this initiative:
"We know that the strength of our industry lies in the leadership on the ground — in our crews, and our front-line supervisors. This program will help develop the next generation of leaders who can guide their teams with confidence, resilience, and a deep commitment to safety and service. We are proud to bring this level of professional development to Nebraska’s public power workforce."
The first cohort begins November 2025. Enrollment is coordinated through NREA and utility general managers.
About LDR Leadership
LDR Leadership designs and delivers high-impact, research-based leadership programs for organizations that operate in high-stakes, high-consequence environments.
About NREA
The Nebraska Rural Electric Association is the statewide trade association for Nebraska’s rural electric systems, serving as a unified voice on behalf of its 35 member systems.
For more information, contact:
Jim Freeze
Head of Sales, LDR Leadership
jim.freeze@ldrleadership.com 1-919-986-0505
www.ldrleadership.com
