Pedernales Electric Hires First Woman CEO In Its History

CEDAR PARK, TX — The Pedernales Electric Cooperative board of directors has hired Austin attorney Julie Parsley as the utility's new chief executive — the first woman to head the cooperative in its history — officials said Thursday.

A past member of the Public Utility Commission, Parsley was formerly a partner of Parsley Coffin Renner, a law firm specializing in utility regulations, utility officials said on the cooperative's website. In her new role, Parsley heads the nation's largest and fastest-growing distribution electric cooperative, according to officials.

“We’re proud to share that Julie Parsley will be joining the PEC family,” board President Emily Pataki said in a prepared statement. “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 lauded Parsley's background and breadth of experience: "The Board voted unanimously in support of Julie, who we believe 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.”

Based in Johnson City, Texas, the cooperative had $565.7 million in operating revenue last year, according to records. Its service area encompasses 8,100 square miles, encompassing the cities of Cedar Park, Junction, Marble Falls, Liberty Hill, Dripping Springs and parts of Austin.

In addition to her past stint as a PUC commissioner, Parsley focused her law practice on energy-related legal and consulting services in Texas and the Southwest, officials at the cooperative said in making the announcement of her hiring. 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, cooperative officials added.

“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 in a prepared statement.

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.

Ann Coffin, co-founder of Parsley Coffing Renner, added her voice in praising Parsley's breadth of experience: “We are thrilled at the foresight Pedernales had in tapping Julie Parsley to be its next CEO,” Coffin said. “Her expertise in energy is unmatched, and her talent and intellect have been invaluable to the growth and success of our firm. She will be a world-class leader for the cooperative, and we could not be more proud of her success.”

While Pedernales Cooperative officials understandably avoided the subject in their press release, Parley succeeds John Hewa, who resigned from the cooperative in May following a dispute with the board, the Austin American-Statesman noted. Hewa had accused board members of retaliating against him and other employees who spoke out against perceived racism at the cooperative, the newspaper reported.

Through its interviews with sources, the newspaper learned Hewa ultimately secured separation pay of around $1.1 million when he opted to step down four months ago. The cooperative's officials have declined to discuss the payout, the Statesman noted in its report.

In related news, 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, officials said. 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 officials describe the cooperative as 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, according to information found on its website. As of 2016, the cooperative had more than $1.5 billion in plant assets and posted a net margin of nearly $57 million, landing it on the National Cooperative Bank’s top 100 list of cooperatives, officials added.

>>> Photo of Julie Parsley via Chambers & Partners law firm website