Julie Parsley
CEO
Pedernales Electric Cooperative
Public career highlights and education: I have served as CEO of Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) since December 2017. Prior to PEC, I was commissioner on the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas, and before that, I served as the first female Solicitor General of Texas. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University, and I received my JD from Texas Tech School of Law.
What I like best about my public service is: I have always felt a keen calling to public service, and the fact that it involves the electricity market in Texas has been the icing on the cake. Being part of such a vital service like providing electricity to Texans is incredibly rewarding, and I enjoy tackling the challenges while fostering collaboration, transparency and resiliency.
The best advice I’ve received: If a new opportunity scares you, you should take it. That means it’s a challenge, and to grow you must be challenged.
Something people might be surprised to know about me: My early career was all over the place. My first “real” job out of college was selling toilets for a commercial plumbing company. From there, I became the clerk of the Energy Committee of the Texas House of Representatives.
Later, I clerked at the Texas Supreme Court, argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as Texas Solicitor General, led Texas electric deregulation as a PUC commissioner and led the nation’s largest electric cooperative through COVID, Winter Storm Uri and challenging economic times. I’m proof that taking on challenges in your career choices is necessary if you want to grow (and it can be fun, too).
One thing I wish more people knew about the PEC: PEC is the largest and fastest-growing electric distribution and transmission cooperative in the country, serving approximately 1 million Central Texans. But we’re more than just a utility provider. PEC is a lifetime partner to the families, businesses and communities that comprise our region. PEC’s territory spans 8,100 square miles, which is bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined. Our members always have been and always will be the heart of everything we do.
