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Workplace Safety 2023

Scholarships & Development

  • Power of a Promise

    The Power of a Promise Scholarship is part of Cleco’s $1.0 million commitment to Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC), which was announced in 2019, to help fund training, curriculum development and scholarships.

    It’s designed to help economically disadvantaged, female and minority students who plan to attend CLTCC in Alexandria.

    Cleco’s diversity and inclusion team designed the Power of a Promise Scholarship for economically disadvantaged, female and minority students who are juniors or seniors in high school and who plan to attend Central Louisiana Technical Community College Alexandria Campus and pursue a diploma in industrial manufacturing technology.

  • LSUE STEAM Innovation Center

    Cleco contributed $250,000 to the Louisiana State University at Eunice (LSUE) STEAM Innovation Center, the proposed renovation and reimagining of the current Science Building, the first building erected on the LSUE campus in 1967. The new structure will give LSUE and the surrounding area a first-class facility with the classroom and laboratory spaces needed in today’s academic environment. Cleco’s investment was made in partnership with the Community Foundation of Acadiana’s Donor Advised Fund.

Charitable Contributions

  • Spark

    Spark is Cleco’s employee giving and company matching platform. Spark allows employees to donate to causes they are passionate about that are located in Louisiana. Cleco will match an employee’s contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $1000 a year. 

  • Dollars for Doers

    Cleco believes that building connections between its employees and its communities creates a more meaningful, fulfilling, and enjoyable workplace. Cleco is committed to being a responsible company in the communities where it does business. Employees can be rewarded with $10 for every hour of volunteer time, up to $500 per year. Organizations are also able to enroll in the platform in order to receive donations faster and connect with corporate giving and volunteering opportunities at Cleco. Cleco also frequently collaborates with organizations on volunteer activities for its employees. Throughout the year, employees make a positive impact in their local communities and have found a multitude of special ways to volunteer.

  • Power of Sharing

    Cleco created the Power of Sharing Fund in 1985 to help elderly customers with low or fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The funds from this program are donated by Cleco, employees and customers and distributed by the Louisiana Association of Councils on Aging (COA) across the state. Currently, 16 COAs receive funds from Cleco's Power of Sharing Fund, including Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, DeSoto, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Red River, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany and Vernon. To find out if you or a loved one qualifies for assistance, contact one of the participating COAs. 

  • #GivingTuesday

    Cleco employees participated in #GivingTuesday, which is a global day of generosity that took place on November 28, 2023.  Employees showed their generosity in a multitude of ways, including making over $62,000 in monetary contributions through the company’s online platform, Spark.

Community Outreach

In 2023, Cleco launched its Done in a Day program which furthers the company’s partnerships with charitable organizations across its service territory, as well as provides an opportunity for its employees to get involved in the community. Through the program, Cleco works with non-profit organizations who request assistance with a project that can be completed in one day or a few hours.  

Cleco Marketplace Shopping BagPower Wise Program 

Power Wise™ is Cleco’s energy efficiency program for residential and commercial customers. The program offers solutions that can help customers save energy and learn more about energy efficiency. Through Power Wise, customers can receive direct rebates for appliance and equipment upgrades and purchases, sign up for a free home energy audit to identify problem areas and make energy-saving improvements to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. Power Wise also provides resources to help teachers teach energy and water efficiency in the classroom.

Unite Us

Cleco partnered with Unite Us, a coordinated care referral network of health and social service providers, to address the needs of our customers and connect them with resources in Louisiana. Unite Us can connect our customers with food, clothing, lodging, childcare, transportation, mental health, utility bill assistance and more if customers meet each program’s eligibility criteria such as income, number of household members, location, etc. Providers in the network are connected through the Unite Us shared technology platform which enables them to send and receive electronic referrals, address social needs and improve health across communities.

Upholding Energy Affordability & Reliability 

Reliability 2023

Sustaining Our Workforce in 2022

Employee Demographics v2

Press Releases

Cleco’s chief human resources and diversity officer among 20 IDEAL Black Women Leaders and Top 100 HR Professionals

normanique
Apr 7, 2022

PINEVILLE, La. – April 6, 2022 – Normanique Preston, Cleco’s chief human resources and diversity officer, was named an IDEAL Black Woman Leader in February and a Top 100 HR Professional in April.

IDEAL Black Women Leaders
IDEAL is an acronym for Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible and Learning.  The IDEAL Black Women Leaders is a list of 20 extraordinary Black women who help organizations create and sustain an IDEAL workplace.  ICARUS Consulting, an Atlanta-based firm that specializes in helping companies leverage diversity and inclusion for a competitive advantage, began the list in 2019.

“Every year, Black women are helping make their companies, communities and the country a better place, and we’re excited to announce our third annual list of IDEAL Black Women Leaders,” said Dr. Shelton Goode, president and CEO of ICARUS Consulting.  “These impressive women are leveraging the current crises as a platform for change by optimizing organizational culture through five key areas – inclusion, diversity, equity, access and learning while sustaining profitable bottom lines.”

Top 100 HR Professionals
The Top 100 Human Resources Professionals honors leaders in HR who are changemakers in the area of diversity and inclusion.  These individuals possess the highest commitment to growth and the advancement of an inclusive community.  This award honors leaders who are advancing the HR field in meaningful and changing ways within society at-large.  It’s among several diversity awards being announced at the 18th Annual National Diversity and Leadership Conference being held virtually April 4-7.  For more information, visit www.top100hr.org.

“Cleco is demonstrating consistent change in the areas of diversity and inclusion through recruiting and hiring, talent and employee development, and we’re proud to recognize Normanique for her leadership in this area,” said Dennis Kennedy, founder of the Energy Diversity & Inclusion Council. 

About Normanique Preston
Normanique Preston joined Cleco in August 2018 as vice president of human resources.  The following year, she was promoted to chief human resources and diversity officer.  Under her leadership, Cleco has established a Diversity & Inclusion Council, signed a CEO pledge with specific actions the company will take to advance D&I in the workplace and established its Power of a Promise Scholarship Program with a local community college to help economically disadvantaged female and minority students attend college.  In addition to overseeing Cleco’s D&I strategy, Preston is responsible for corporate communications and a full range of human resources functions, including talent acquisition, learning and organizational development, compensation, benefits, human resources business partners, human resources information systems, workforce planning, labor relations and payroll.  She has worked in the energy industry for over 20 years.

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