Texas Mutual awards $100K to Lamar Institute of Technology’s Safety Awareness Institute

3/26/2025

Texas Mutual Insurance Company awarded a $100,000 grant to Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) to continue funding the college's Safety Awareness Institute, which provides workplace safety courses for community employers, workers and the general public.

This is the eighth consecutive year that Texas Mutual has given a $100,000 grant to the college to support the risk management program.

“This support from Texas Mutual has directly contributed to strengthening safety standards within our industry in Southeast Texas, ensuring that workers are better prepared to prevent and respond to hazards,” said Ana Pereda, executive director of workforce at Lamar Institute of Technology. “We sincerely appreciate Texas Mutual’s investment and look forward to continuing our shared mission of enhancing workplace safety.”

The safety education grants are one way Texas Mutual is delivering on its commitment to build a stronger, safer Texas.

LIT launched the Safety Awareness Institute in 2017 to provide training to reduce work-related accidents and injuries. Since 2017, Lamar Institute of Technology has trained about 2300 students that promote safety in their professions.

In 2024, LIT’s Safety Awareness Institute provided critical safety education and training to 564 students through 24 specialized courses including basic forklift certification training, heartsaver first aid CPR and AED, DOT hazmat general awareness, basic workplace safety communications and workplace safety and P&ID for process safety management.

"Texas Mutual recognizes the essential contribution made by ​Texas community college partners in educating local workforces and helping to ​​further our mission to build a stronger, safer Texas," said Eric Bourquin, vice president of safety services at Texas Mutual. "For more than two decades, our dedication to these colleges and their communities has been demonstrated through grant funding. The ongoing education of Texas employees is something we are immensely proud to invest in and support.”

For more information about the upcoming Safety Awareness Institute courses at LIT, visit lit.edu. For more information on Texas Mutual and its work in the community, visit texasmutual.com.