A new leader has been selected to helm Pedernales Electric Cooperative months after the company’s former CEO resigned following allegations of intimidation against employees.
Julie Parsley was selected by PEC’s board of directors to lead the cooperative, according to a press release. Parsley is a former partner of Parsley Coffin Renner, a law firm that specializes in utility regulations.
“We’re proud to share that Julie Parsley will be joining the PEC family,” Board President Emily Pataki said. “As we approach our 80th anniversary, we’re confident we have found the leader who provides great value to the cooperative’s membership and will honor PEC’s rich tradition and history.
Pataki said the board voted unanimously in support of Parsley, as they believe she will leverage her “deep knowledge of the electric utility industry to implement member-focused programs while keeping costs low and maintaining high levels of service reliability and member satisfaction.”
Parsley is a former Commissioner of the Public Utility Commission of Texas and focused her law practice on energy-related legal and consulting services in Texas and the Southwest. Parsley is also a former Solicitor General of Texas, is board certified in civil appellate law and was an adjunct professor of law teaching appellate practice and procedure at the University of Texas School of Law. She has also built an appellate practice in addition to her energy practice.
“I am honored to be named as CEO of Pedernales, which is not only the largest distribution electric cooperative in the country, but in my opinion, also the best,” Parsley said.
Parsley’s hire comes months after John Hewa, who was the former CEO of Pedernales Electric, abruptly resigned in May after levying allegations of intimidation directed at company employees.
Hewa claimed PEC employees and executives were intimidated after they condemned racially insensitive comments made by current PEC board member James Oakley in 2015.
Parsley is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in industrial distribution. She received her Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law.
PEC’s board of directors also unanimously selected Eddie Dauterive to serve as the cooperative’s chief operations officer. Dauterive previously served as PEC’s vice president of member services.
“I’m excited to work with Eddie Dauterive in his new role as chief operations officer, and I am confident that as a team we can move Pedernales into a very bright future that delivers excellence for our members and continues to be a great place to work,” Parsley said.
Dauterive joined the PEC team as a software development operations manager in January 2002 and later moved to member services, which he has led for more than eight years. Dauterive is a licensed project manager and certified in Six Sigma process improvement methodologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from The University of Louisiana in Lafayette and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
“It has been an honor to serve PEC’s membership as vice president of member services,” Dauterive said. “I am humbled and excited about the opportunity to serve as PEC’s chief operations officer, and I am looking forward to working with Ms. Parsley to preserve PEC’s excellent tradition of putting our members’ needs first.”
PEC is the nation’s largest distribution electric cooperative with nearly 300,000 meters and a service territory of 8,100 square miles.
The cooperative serves four of the fastest growing counties in the United States – Comal, Hays, Kendall and Williamson – and employs more than 700 Central Texans.
