(JOHNSON CITY, Texas) April 30, 2026 — Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) today announced that, after more than eight years, Chief Executive Officer Julie C. Parsley has decided to step down from her role later this summer to begin her next chapter.
“This was not an easy decision to make, nor did I make it lightly. Serving as CEO has been the most meaningful and rewarding role of my career, and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built together as a team. PEC is strong, and I have full confidence that our Board and leadership team will move forward with the vision, integrity, and commitment that define PEC,” said Parsley.
The Board of Directors has initiated a structured CEO selection process to identify a leader who will build on Parsley’s legacy and guide PEC into its next phase of growth, starting with a focused group of candidates with deep knowledge of the business and its strategy. As the process progresses in the coming weeks, the Board will assess the current slate of candidates and determine the appropriate next steps to ensure the best possible outcome for PEC and its membership.
Julie C. Parsley’s legacy
Parsley joined PEC as its first female CEO in December 2017. Her more than eight-year tenure stands as one of the most consequential in the cooperative’s 87-year history, defined by extraordinary growth, operational resilience, and national recognition. She guided the cooperative through a period of remarkable transformation across every dimension of the membership, service territory, and organization.
Under her leadership:
- PEC grew from approximately 299,000 to more than 440,000 meters, cementing its standing as the nation’s largest electric distribution and transmission cooperative — serving more than 1 million Central Texans across a territory the size of the state of New Jersey.
- PEC navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, maintaining operations under unprecedented conditions and implementing a rigorous after-action review to strengthen the cooperative’s long-term resilience. Subsequent extreme weather events — record heat in 2022 and 2023 and severe cold snaps — tested the improved system, and PEC held firm each time.
- PEC established its own transmission control center in 2024 — the first time in the cooperative’s history — giving PEC real-time operational visibility and direct dispatching access within ERCOT and strengthening reliability for members across the service territory.
- PEC consistently held an AA- credit rating during her tenure, which is notable in the utility industry, particularly given COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri.
- PEC earned Top Workplace recognition multiple times during her tenure including national awards for Cultural Excellence Among Women-Led Businesses and the Top Workplaces USA Today award in 2025.
- PEC deployed advanced LiDAR and drone technology for transmission and distribution line inspections, completing reviews 23 times faster than manual methods across its 8,100-square-mile service territory.
- Parsley championed the cooperative’s community investment programs, directing grants and capital credits back to the members and communities PEC serves.
“Julie has been a defining force for PEC and for the Central Texas communities we serve,” said PEC Board President Emily Pataki.
“She took on this role as a first in every sense of the word and led with the same excellence that has characterized her entire career. Her dedication to the membership has always been at the center of every decision she made. The team she has built and the foundation she leaves behind give us every reason for confidence in our path forward.”
In the coming weeks Parsley will work with the Board and Leadership Team to ensure a smooth and stable transition to the new leadership.
