Staff Report
JOHNSON CITY — Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) members have elected Carlos St. James in District 2 and reelected Mark Ekrut in District 3 to serve three-year terms on the cooperative’s board of directors.
The results of the election were presented by Survey and Ballot Systems, Inc., the independent, third-party company that handles the PEC’s election management services. For District 2, St. James won 55.1% of the votes and, for District 3, Ekrut won 53% of the votes. Approximately 7.3% of members across the two districts voted in the election.
St. James takes over for longtime PEC board member Emily Pataki, who reached the board’s term limit after serving 12 years, most recently as PEC’s board president.
According to a PEC news release, St. James said he is committed to serving his community and addressing the cooperative’s rates. He joins PEC with more than two decades of experience in the electric power sector and has served on the CleanTX board and on the board of the Latin American & Caribbean Council on Renewable Energy, as well as worked in partnership with former U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson to establish the Middle East-Americas Energy Council. He co-founded the Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber, which, in partnership with the local government and U.S. Embassy, helps establish policies that attract foreign investment in energy.
He has also served on the Parks and Recreation Committee, Economic Development Committee and quinquennial Charter Review Commission in Leander. He established Keep Leander Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful, and started another nonprofit, the Leander Foundation, to promote, protect and enhance sustainable growth in the city and enhance the quality of life of its citizens.
He lives with his wife in Leander; they have raised five children between them.
Ekrut has served on PEC’s board since 2020, representing District 3. He is currently a municipal judge for the city of Jonestown and an active member of the Texas Municipal Court Association and the Sheriff’s Association of Texas. Ekrut has also earned certifications from the National Association of Corporate Directors, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and as a Texas mediator.
He has been a small business owner in Cedar Park for more than 30 years and is a member of the Lions Club. In his free time, he is a mentor to students at Lago Vista High School, an active volunteer and driver for the local food bank, a volunteer for the North Lake Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Friends of Balconies Canyonland National Wildlife Refuge.
A fourth-generation Texan, Ekrut and his wife of 35 years live in Jonestown.
“We want to thank Emily for her many years of service and leadership and we’d like to congratulate Mark on another term and welcome Carlos to the board,” said PEC board secretary-treasurer and District 4 director Travis Cox. “This is an exciting time to be joining PEC. Together, we’ll continue to meet the needs of our growing membership, while looking at ways to optimize our operations and ensure long-term health.”
At the board’s regular June meeting, directors elected officers and Ekrut will serve as president, Paul Graf as vice president and Cox as secretary-treasurer.
