By Charles McClure
news@ltview.com
In an unprecidented move, newly elected Pedernales Electric Cooperative District 6 Director Larry Landaker was selected to lead the troubled agency’s board.

The decision was rendered at a special organizational meeting held June 29 at PEC’s Johnson City headquarters.
“If you are a member-owner,” Landaker said, “you have a seat at this table, and your voice will be heard. If you are a PEC employee, I hasten to assure you: everything is going to be all right.”
The move came only minutes after the board accepted election results, which were completed in mid-June. Joining Landaker on the board as vice president is District 1 Director Cristi Clement, who was also just elected to the board. She replaces James Williams.
District 3 Director Kathryn Scanlon will serve as the PEC’s secretary-treasurer, who replaces O. C. Harmon.
His election can only be seen as a changing of the guard at PEC, long mired in numerous allegations that have thus far resulted in two indictments. Last month, former Pedernales Electric Cooperative General Manager Bennie Fuelberg and the agency’s longtime lead attorney, Walter Demond, where indicted by a Blanco County grand jury on three felony charges each. The first two charges are first-degree felonies and could result in up to 99 years in prison if convicted. The final charge is a second degree felony with a maximum 20 year sentence, if convicted.
Landaker, who replaces R. B. Felps, described the meeting as “very dramatic.”
He was nominated by District 7 Director Dr. Patrick Cox. Objections arose from Williams, who had also been nominated for board president, who questioned the legality of Landaker’s nomination. However, after a lot of tense discussion, Landaker was elected in a 5-4 vote, with two members abstaining. Felps, Williams and Harmon are all considered “old guard” PEC board members.
“It is a symbolic passing because there are still a few people on the board from the old guard,” Landaker told the Lake Travis View. “I would say it is a seismic change in the leadership of the board.”
Landaker observed that his rapid ascension to the presidency served as a message to PEC members and employees that they now “have a voice.” He also encouraged members to become involved PEC and promised that he is ready for the challenge of leading the nation’s largest electric cooperative.
“Members of PEC, the power is back in your hands,” Landaker said. “You must pay attention and be engaged. I humbly accept this challenge, there’s heavy lifting ahead, and I have much to learn. I will depend on the kindness of many strangers. But I wish to be very clear: I am prepared, unhesitatingly, to lead the member-owners, the employees and this board.”
For her part, Clement was pleased to join the board, as well as ascend to the vice presidency.
Landaker said it was essential that PEC’s reforms remain permanent, and that its conduct be above board at all times.
“I would look for the future direction of the PEC to continue and to be permanent so that no future board can change the laws without a vote of the members,” Landaker said. “The board must remain transparent.”
Landaker worked in television management for 24 years at stations in Tennessee Ohio, Florida, and Texas. He left the television management business seven years ago after a stint with Time Warner’s News 8. Today, he is a real estate agent.
“I’m very honored to be on this board,” Clement said. “I think we all have different perspectives, and our membership is going to be properly attended to. I think we’re at a very crucial point in time, a juncture in PEC history where there are many difficult issues that will require thoughtful, critical evaluation. There’s a lot of work to get done — let’s get to it.”
Former directors Rusty Allen, Vi Cloud, Robert A. Reed Jr., Val Smith, James Spellman, Blas Tenorio and Dr. Charles Tesar were recognized for their contributions to the cooperative in separate resolutions passed by the board.
PEC’s next Board meeting is scheduled for July 20, at 10 a.m. at the cooperative’s E. Babe Smith headquarters in Johnson City.