Networking Events

Expand your network and grow your business at our networking events! The Columbus Chamber of Commerce provides invaluable opportunities for business owners and community members to connect, collaborate, and build lasting relationships. Our events foster a supportive environment for sharing ideas, generating leads, and strengthening your professional connections.

The power of networking will grow your business!

2025 regional BUSINESS summit

2025 Regional Business Summit RSVP

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Speaker Bios

Reed Clay serves as President of the Texas Nuclear Alliance (TNA), the only industry association in Texas dedicated to the advancement of nuclear technology in the state. TNA was formed with a singular mission: to make Texas the Nuclear Capital of the World. TNA seeks to educate Texans on the advancements in nuclear technology, advocate for public policy changes to support our country’s nuclear renaissance and organize a growing grassroots army supporting nuclear technology. Reed founded the Texas Nuclear Alliance after recognizing that there was no single organization in Texas to advocate for the incredible advancements being made across the nuclear industry.

Reed was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Texas under Governor Greg Abbott, where he worked daily alongside executive and legislative leadership to implement Governor Abbott’s vision for the State of Texas. Reed has earned a reputation as a tireless worker who is trusted for his honest communication, strategic approach, and deep understanding of a broad range of industries and issues. He spent more than a decade at the highest levels of government, and during that time gained a deep understanding of highly regulated industries and how government action impacts the bottom line.

After leaving government service, Reed founded the highly successful government affairs consulting firm Crestline Group. The firm has successfully represented dozens of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to early-stage start-ups across a wide variety of industries. Reed’s approach has led pundits inside Austin and outside of Texas to recognize him as one of the top public policy advocates in the State of Texas. Reed is also a founding partner of Clay Scott LLP; a boutique Texas law firm focused on administrative and regulatory law.

Sam is a cereal entrepreneur, seasoned designer, educator, and core contributor to the field of augmented reality. A pioneer in spatial computing, he launched top brands in video games, footwear, and home furnishings globally and in 3D. He also applied augmented reality to regulated industries, from biologics to blockchain.

After advising a successful ethical NFT collection, he recognized the need to expand the energy grid with distributed compute and Bitcoin mining. Now, as a simple cereal entrepreneur and Cereal Experience Officer of SatoshiO’s, he uses technology that enables a healthier balance sheet to craft a healthier breakfast. Beyond business, Sam strategically advocates for farmers and Bitcoin adoption for our great Lone Star State at the Texas Senate.

Clif has more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record in the electric industry at the Generation and Transmission (G&T) Cooperative level. He began his career with STEC in 2000 as a Qualified Scheduling Entity (QSE) Operator where he learned the basics of wholesale market function and resource operation before becoming the Assistant Manager of Wholesale Marketing and QSE in 2006. He was promoted to Manager of Wholesale Marketing and QSE in 2015 – a role he held until selected to serve as General Manager of STEC effective January 1, 2023.

In his prior roles, he was responsible for designing and implementing strategies related to wholesale electric markets and for managing STEC’s natural gas procurement and hedging activities. He oversaw the financial settlement of all wholesale market transactions, natural gas transactions, and purchase power agreements.

Clif has been active in the ERCOT stakeholder process since 2007 and has served as a member of the ERCOT Board’s Technical Advisory Committee, the Wholesale Market Subcommittee and the Protocol Revision Subcommittee, and has been a participant in numerous ERCOT working groups and task forces. He served as vice-chair of the Technical Advisory Committee in 2019 and 2020, and chaired the Committee in the tumultuous post-Uri environment from 2021 to 2023.

Clif has spent a significant amount of time at the Texas Legislature testifying and educating Legislators on behalf of STEC and its members. He was appointed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas in 2021 to represent the cooperative segment on the Texas Energy Reliability Council established by the Texas Legislature following Winter Storm Uri.

Bailey brings nearly a decade of experience directly managing network teams, planning and executing cyber operations, and developing security strategies. She is always ready to demonstrate that age is just a number when it comes to what cyber professionals can bring to the table. She has served as a cybersecurity consultant for Fortune 100 companies, a penetration tester for industry-leading IT organizations, and embodies the hacker mindset in all she does. As an instructor for numerous venues, including Black Hat USA and Security BSides, her ability to translate technical methodologies into digestible content makes her well-equipped to support professionals of all backgrounds.

Larry McManus is the Director for Business & Community Development in the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office (EDT), within the Office of the Governor. He is responsible for the management of the Office’s Existing Industry and Business Recruitment Activities, Small Business, International, Marketing, Research, and Community Relations initiatives.

Before returning to EDT in 2020, McManus served as Senior Director for Rural Economic Development at the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) where he was responsible for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the State Office of Rural Health, and TDA’s economic development activities.

Larry’s previous tenure with the Office of the Governor involved managing Community Relations and Domestic Expansion and Recruitment (DER) activities, whose teams assisted in the announcement of more than 140,000 jobs and capital investment of over $63 billion between January 2005 and August 2015.

McManus has more than 31 years of economic development experience with the State of Texas. Before joining the State of Texas, he spent nearly five years with NationsBank (now Bank of America).

Kenan Ögelman is LCRA’s vice president of Strategic Projects and Optimization, with responsibility for key initiatives within the LCRA Wholesale Power group.

Kenan joined LCRA in 2024 and has over twenty-eight years of experience in the Texas power market. Prior to joining LCRA, Kenan worked at ERCOT as VP of Commercial Operations. Kenan was the director of Energy Market Policy for CPS Energy for seven years. In that role, he was responsible for managing CPS Energy’s activities at ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and developing strategic policy. Previously, Kenan worked for the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel, which represents residential electric consumers in Texas, as a senior economist from 1997 to 2007.

Kenan has held various leadership roles in the power industry, including Chairman of the ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee and the board of the Gulf Coast Power Association’s (GCPA), presiding as vice president in 2014 and president in 2015.

Born and raised in Columbus, George Pate is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience across agriculture, cybersecurity, data centers, and rural business development. His career includes working with Fortune 500 companies and leading innovative projects that combine technology with community-focused solutions.

In cybersecurity, George has developed and implemented hardened network architectures, incident response protocols, and secure infrastructure for both private sector and decentralized environments. His work includes designing compliance-ready systems based on NIST and DoD frameworks, particularly in crypto mining operations and industrial systems.

In the data center industry, George has led operations and consulting for large-scale facilities, specializing in crypto mining, high-performance computing (HPC), and energy optimization. He brings a deep understanding of electrical infrastructure, cooling systems, and network reliability, especially in off-grid, containerized, and renewable-powered deployments.

With roots in agriculture and farming, George has hands-on experience in rural land use, greenhouse integration, regenerative farming methods, and ag-tech innovation. His current work explores how energy waste from data centers can be recycled into farming systems for food resilience and carbon offset initiatives.

In rural business development, George is a driving force in empowering small-town economies by launching training programs, tech events, and nonprofit initiatives focused on blockchain, education, and job creation. As a local leader in Columbus, he’s helped connect rural entrepreneurs with emerging technologies to create long-term, sustainable growth.

As the founder of SP33DCO and Sr. Mining Manager at Ionic Digital, George is dedicated to empowering small businesses, advancing rural economies, and integrating modern tech into traditional industries like farming and local enterprise.

Jerry Rogers is a seasoned technology leader, hands-on systems architect, and combat-tested U.S. Army Airborne Ranger with a global track record of building secure, resilient, and future-ready technology systems. As the founder and president of a private innovation firm, he leads digital transformation initiatives that span secure infrastructure, decentralized systems, and ethical AI frameworks designed for real-world civic and enterprise impact.

With two decades of experience across defense, enterprise, and emerging technology sectors, Jerry operates at the intersection of strategy, systems thinking, and hands-on engineering. His work includes designing mission-critical networks, advising on AI and blockchain governance, and building scalable digital platforms that prioritize sovereignty, privacy, and operational integrity.

He is actively advancing secure, federated infrastructure models for communities seeking to modernize responsibly, with a focus on resilience, education, and economic empowerment. Jerry’s leadership emphasizes practical application – he codes, architects, and directs cross-functional teams, while also advising stakeholders on long-term system design and digital ethics.

A veteran of five combat deployments and a recognized leader in operations and logistics, Jerry brings unmatched clarity, decisiveness, and discipline to every project. He mentors veterans entering the tech industry, contributes to industry working groups on digital assets and infrastructure, and champions the development of AI tools that support, but never manipulate, human insight.

Betty Russo has worked as the 58-county Gulf Coast/East Texas Regional Representative within the Office of the Governor for over ten years. In her role, she works to market Texas and the region as one of the best places to do business and supports local economic development allies with projects, opportunities and training.

Betty is a native Texan who graduated from the University of Texas in Austin. She has been married for 41 years and has two sons who are both working in the East Texas region. With over 20 years of economic development experience, she has served in rural, regional and state efforts in Texas to recruit, retain and expand businesses.

John has been with SBEC for 21 years and has served the SBEC members as an Energy Advisor, Cooperative Communicator, and Key Accounts Representative. Currently, in his role as Member Services Manager, John oversees the communications, energy advisory, facilities maintenance, and takes the lead role in Community, Government, and Key Accounts Relations. John also serves as a member of the SBEC Business Development Team, which works with businesses looking to bring new load to the SBEC system.

Vince Yokom, CEcD, EDFP, is the Executive Director at Waller County Economic Development Partnership. Vince is a strong business development professional with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Texas A&M University.

Recognized for strong strategic and innovative thinking, working through complex project requirements, building consensus among groups, and creative problem solving; Vince is a proven economic development executive. With over 22 years of experience building and running the Waller County Economic Development Partnership Vince added global experience to his portfolio. Working with international companies establishing relationships with various trade agencies, and proficiency in working with state and local statutes governing incentive and development agreements. With his extensive experience negotiating with companies of all sizes within a variety of industries, Vince has developed a strong network of site selectors, consulate staff, and industrial developers. He is skilled in Nonprofit Organization Management, Budgeting, Local Government, Financial Modeling, Consulting, Strategic Planning, and Public Speaking.

QUARTERLY MIXERS

Columbus Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Mixers are casual, relaxed networking mixers hosted at various local businesses. Members are invited to join us for food, drinks, and door prizes.

Anywhere from 40-100 people typically attend each quarterly mixer. Mixers are free for current Chamber members and those interested in joining the Chamber. Non-members are asked to contact us ahead of time to be added to the guest list.

Chamber members are welcome to host a mixer at their place of business. Hosts are given the chance to address the guests, promote their products or services, and showcase what makes their business unique.