Schedule of Events
Monday, May 5, 2025

Join Abilene Elected Officials, Company Partners, and the DCOA Team for dinner at Vagabond Pizza.
- Taylor County Judge: Phil Crowley
- City Council Member: Dr. Travis Craver
- DCOA Board Members: Sam Vinson, Buddy Napier
- Company Partners:
Chris Watola | Lancium
Jason Trevino | Primal Pet Group
Rafael Henao | AbiMar Foods - DCOA President and CEO: Misty Mayo
- DCOA Team
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Join the DCOA Team and Abilene Elected Officials for breakfast at the offices of the DCOA.
Please meet Brock and Lindsay in the DoubleTree Hotel Lobby at 7:45 AM.
- City Council Members: Kyle McAlister, Brian Yates
- DCOA Board Members: Shea Hall Board Chair, Floyd Miller
- DCOA President and CEO: Misty Mayo
- DCOA Team

Explore cutting-edge clean energy innovation at Lancium’s Clean Campus.
As the owner and master developer of the Lancium Clean Campus, Lancium developed a new 200-megawatt electrical substation with an additional 1-gigawatt electrical substation and 300-megawatts of natural gas generation under construction. Lancium is leasing a portion of the Lancium Clean Campus to Crusoe, that is constructing hyperscale data centers -- marking the beginning of a new era for Abilene to play a critical role in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

See how this growing nutrition brand powers healthy lifestyles.
Chike Nutrition, an Abilene-grown company, reflects the entrepreneurial drive and innovation that the DCOA champions. Starting as a small manufacturing operation, Chike quickly expanded to meet increasing demand for its protein-packed products, now sold in major retailers across the country.
The DCOA supported this rapid growth, ensuring the company had the resources to scale operations while continuing to grow in Abilene. With this expansion, Chike repurposed a large vacant building along Interstate 20, transforming it into a high-capacity manufacturing facility.
- Abilene Mayor: Weldon Hurt
- Company Partners:
Jason Hodges | Chike Nutrition
Caleb Kelso | Chike Nutrition
- DCOA President and CEO: Misty Mayo
- DCOA Team

Discover research driving the next generation of nuclear solutions.
NEXT Lab at Abilene Christian University is leading a national consortium to design, license, and build the first university-based nuclear reactor cooled by molten salt, with a long-term strategy to commercialize this technology for clean energy solutions.
- City Council Member: Lynn Beard
- Company Partners:
Rusty Towell | NEXT Lab
- DCOA President and CEO: Misty Mayo
- DCOA Team

Experience student innovation in action at this advanced learning hub.
The Development Corporation of Abilene partnered with the Abilene Independent School District and Wylie Independent School District to support students seeking careers in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math and Career Technical Education fields. The NextU Program is a highly focused initiative designed to grow Abilene's talent pipeline by aligning education with industry needs.
- DCOA Board Vice Chair: Tracy Howle
- Company Partners: Mitch Fiedler | Great Lakes Cheese, Brandon Randell | Abilene ISD, Jay Ashby | Abilene ISD
- DCOA President and CEO: Misty Mayo
- DCOA Team
Day 1 of the Consultant Summit at D&W Underground
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Day 2 of the Consultant Summit at D&W Underground