Spanning three generations, the Peavy-Loerch family has turned the Texas Department of Transportation into a familial dynasty. According to a report by TxDOT, Betty G. Peavy kicked off the tradition in 1982, passing the baton onwards to daughter Cathy Dunn Loerch and granddaughter Regina Loerch, both of whom have also carved out their roles in the agency.
Betty initiated her office manager role in a quest for good benefits but stayed to fully and quite genuinely, invest herself in the fabric of the agency. After a career that spanned over two decades until her 2004 retirement, Betty reflected, "My career was very beneficial and one that I enjoyed very much," and cherished the bonds formed during those years.
Carrying on the legacy, Cathy presently oversees the design section as Traffic Systems Administrator at Lufkin. Her start as a summer intern in the '80s spun into a thriving career that found her re-joining the district office in 2013. On the job satisfaction, Cathy said, "I have been very blessed to have found my niche as a roadway designer," appreciating the tight-knit office culture. It's this sentiment of closeness, this unity in a shared mission, that seems to be a recurring note for the Loerch women at TxDOT.
For Regina Loerch, growing up with TxDOT as backdrop talk surely did the trick to woo her into the fold. She took to the organization first as a summer employee in 2014 and worked her way up, now serving as an administrative assistant. In her own words from TxDOT's feature, "My career at TxDOT so far has been a great experience and very enjoyable."
Away from their respective desks, the trio each harbors their sanctuaries. Betty finds serenity among her flowers, Cathy wades in the quest for aquatic catches, and Regina escapes into narratives, both digital and printed, or the company of friends. The diversity in their pastimes is only matched by their collective zeal for TxDOT.
The intergenerational kinship within TxDOT is more visible here than perhaps anywhere else. “Before Mom retired, it was nice to be able to ask her how and why things were done a particular way,” reflecting on the shared wisdom between the lines. With gratitude, she adds, “To learn the ropes. After a while, it was nice to have someone who could appreciate what I do. Having the chance to explain the TxDOT way to my own daughter is more than I could ask for. It is like passing down the torch.”
