Corporate Compliance Driven by Trust and Accountability

In a profession rooted in rules and regulations, it’s rare to find a path that weaves through music halls, military grounds, and legal offices. And for one exceptional compliance leader at Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), it’s a story that rings true. With an educational foundation from the US Military Academy at West Point, followed by a career that spanned orchestral performance, legal administration, and ultimately compliance, her path is a masterclass in how diverse life experiences can align into a purposeful calling.

Before stepping into the world of electric utility compliance, her resume looked like a kaleidoscope of disciplines — each chapter fueled by discipline, structure, and integrity. “Following the rules has always come naturally to me,” she says with a smile. “Probably because I’ve had someone holding me accountable since day one — my identical twin sister!”

That early sense of accountability and teamwork became a lifelong strength. After returning home to Texas, she leveraged professional networking to land a role as a legal assistant in a law firm, which sparked her interest in governance and organizational structure. She then served as Executive Assistant to the CEO of a medium-sized electric cooperative, supporting both executive leadership and an 11-member Board of Directors—an experience that gave her a front-row seat to how leadership and policy intersect in the cooperative space.

Her journey continued at PEC, the largest electric cooperative in the U.S., where she joined as Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Engineering and Energy Innovations, and later to the General Counsel.

With years of experience in legal administration, exposure to corporate policy, and a growing passion for ethics and risk management, stepping into compliance felt like a natural evolution. Today, she brings a unique blend of adaptability, discipline, and people-first leadership to PEC’s Compliance and Ethics team, helping shape a culture of transparency and proactive accountability

What drives her passion for compliance? A deep respect for the “why” behind the rules. “Regulations exist for a reason—whether it’s to protect people or the environment,” she explains. “Helping make a positive impact by doing what’s right, before it’s required, is incredibly rewarding.”

One of the key challenges in compliance lies in ensuring that all regulatory requirements are met with precision and timeliness. With a strong personal ethic grounded in accountability and prompt action, she approaches every task with the mindset that deadlines are non-negotiable and must be met proactively. This commitment to staying ahead of schedule reflects her belief that effective compliance is not just about meeting expectations—it’s about anticipating them.

One of the ongoing challenges she manages is finding effective ways to motivate cross-functional teams and, at times, even leadership, to move initiatives across the finish line. She believes that flexibility and the ability to adapt to a variety of personalities and working styles are vital skills in the field of compliance. By encouraging collaboration and promoting mutual understanding, she helps ensure that objectives are met while maintaining a positive and productive working environment.

“I’ve learned to ask a lot of questions, stay involved, and motivate others with empathy rather than pressure,” she shares. One personal triumph? Researching, compiling, and submitting PEC’s Tier II hazardous chemical report—a feat of environmental compliance that showcases her growing expertise.

In her view, compliance plays a fundamental role in strengthening both the success and integrity of an organization. PEC’s Compliance and Ethics team has been instrumental in championing a “Speak Up” culture—one that encourages employees to take initiative, ask questions, and report suspected policy violations without hesitation.

This proactive approach not only helps create a workplace rooted in transparency and ethical behavior but also serves as a critical mechanism for mitigating risk before it escalates.

One aspect of compliance in electric cooperatives that the public rarely understands is the fundamental difference in their structure and purpose. As non-profit entities, electric cooperatives like PEC operate under a unique model where customers are not just consumers—they are member-owners with a voice in governance.

This ownership model brings an added layer of responsibility and expectation for transparency. As a compliance professional, she plays a vital role in upholding transparency and ensuring that all practices align with the cooperative’s mission. By minimizing risk through strong compliance frameworks, the organization is able to reduce unnecessary costs, directly benefiting its member-owners.

She emphasizes that PEC’s corporate policies are thoughtfully designed to reflect its mission of being prudent financial stewards of member resources—delivering electricity that is not only safe and reliable but also affordable

Regulatory shifts in the energy sector have a direct and ongoing impact on the day-to-day work of compliance professionals, especially within electric cooperatives. At PEC, staying current with evolving federal, state, and local regulatory requirements is essential to maintaining operational integrity and legal compliance.

To meet this challenge, PEC has a dedicated regulatory team that closely monitors changes in legislation and guidance, particularly from the Public Utility Commission of Texas—the governing body responsible for overseeing electric utilities in the state. This team plays a critical role in communicating updates to the compliance department, ensuring that all mandatory reporting requirements are met and that compliance initiatives remain aligned with the latest regulatory standards. Through this structured collaboration, the organization remains proactive, agile, and fully equipped to navigate the complexities of the evolving energy landscape.

Compliance in an electric cooperative carries a unique level of urgency and responsibility that sets it apart from other sectors such as finance. In the electric utility industry, safety compliance is not just a regulatory requirement—it can be a matter of life or death. Field operational line workers and other employees frequently work with high-voltage power under unpredictable conditions, placing them in one of the most dangerous professions in the United States.

Understanding that severe weather and emergencies can strike at any time, PEC has developed and maintained a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan. This plan is regularly reviewed, updated, and tested through simulated drills, which are then evaluated and audited internally to identify lessons learned and drive continuous improvement. PEC invests heavily in the safety of its employees and has created its own dedicated safety and technical training center to better prepare apprentices and lineworkers for the field.

The program is accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor. For PEC and its compliance leaders, complacency is not an option. Continuous training, not just for field staff but across all departments, is vital to maintaining safety, preparedness, and regulatory adherence in an industry where the margin for error is incredibly small.

As a compliance specialist at PEC, no two days are ever the same. The role demands adaptability, critical thinking, and a readiness to shift gears at a moment’s notice. She describes her work as dynamic and ever-evolving, with new challenges and responsibilities emerging constantly.

On any given day, she may be developing interactive compliance training based on corporate policies, documenting and reporting a vehicle incident involving one of the cooperative’s fleet trucks, or responding to an environmental concern—such as mitigating an oil spill from an electric transformer and assessing whether it requires regulatory reporting. The diversity of tasks reflects both the complexity and importance of the compliance function within an electric utility, where responsiveness and precision are key to maintaining operational integrity and public trust.

For those considering a career in compliance or just starting out, she emphasizes the importance of leading by example. In this field, consistency—particularly in writing, communication, and overall work output—is essential. She believes that integrity should be at the core of every action. By remaining honest, dependable, and true to one’s values, a compliance professional earns the trust and respect of both peers and leadership.

…managing risk is everyone’s responsibility. Compliance matters because… -Audri L. Nelson