WaterPro Conference 2026

Lara Zent
Executive Director
Texas Rural Water Association


Lara Zent is the Executive Director and Chief Legal Officer of the Texas Rural Water Association, which has over 900 water and wastewater utility members across Texas. She leads a team of 41 staff who provide services that include on-site technical assistance, operator certification training, management training, and legal counsel. TRWA is also engaged with advocacy before the Texas and U.S. legislatures as well as state and federal agencies. Lara serves on the Council of the Public Utility Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and was the Chair in 2023-24. She also serves on two committees of the National Rural Water Association – the Legislative and Emergency Response Committees. Previously, Lara worked as a staff attorney at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and as a law clerk for a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge. She is a graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law and the University of Texas at Austin.

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