Robert Allen is President and CEO of Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC). Previously, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Greg Abbott, during which time he worked closely with the Director of the Economic Development and Tourism Division to further Governor Abbott's mission to position Texas as a global leader in economic development and as the best state for business innovation, job creation and continuing economic expansion. Prior to his role at the Office of the Governor, Allen served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the Attorney General, where he assisted with the administration of the more than 4,000-employee agency. A native Texan, Robert earned a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Veronica Beyer is the Director of Marketing and Communications for TxEDC. Her professional career started in television as a local on-air reporter. But after realizing she wouldn’t be Oprah (this, in her own words), she ventured into Public and Media Relations where she served as spokesperson for the Austin Community College District. She later became Chief Communications Officer for the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and then was promoted to Director of Marketing for that agency. Most recently, Beyer was the Director of Media Relations for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). There she was responsible for creating and implementing statewide strategies for informing the media and public about TxDOT’s many highway projects and multitude of marketing campaigns, such as Don’t mess with Texas and Click It or Ticket, aimed at protecting the beauty of the state’s roadways and saving lives. Beyer is a graduate of Texas State University. She’s also completed the Governor’s Executive Development Program and Leadership Texas, two renowned leadership training programs. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of two daughters and the most loving Italian Mastiff. In her spare time, you can catch Veronica at a live music performance, enjoying everything from classical and jazz to classic rock and electronic music.

Scott Buchholtz is the Director of Operations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation with oversight of the Corporation’s Human Resource, Accounting, Payroll, Benefits, Insurance, Bookkeeping, IT and general business operations. Prior to working for TxEDC, Buchholtz served in various leadership positions as the Vice President of Human Resources for Citizens Inc. (NYSE:CIA), the Director of Human Resources for the Texas Railroad Commission and 123 Home Care. Prior to Buchholtz’ Human Resources career, he founded two small businesses here in Texas. Buchholtz holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree from Trinity University. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and daughter.

Michael Chrobak is responsible for spearheading strategic marketing activities for Go Big in Texas, a program to market Texas as an ideal business destination including market awareness, events management, location marketing, business relations and industry development for the state. Chrobak served in prior leadership positions as Chief Financial Officer for the Economic Development & Tourism Division within the Office of Governor Rick Perry, Director of the Texas Economic Development Bank, Senior Director of Dell Ventures, a strategic business development initiative for Dell Computers, Director of Corporate Development, computer products and Internet services for Compaq Computer, and Manager, Product Development and International Business Development, education and calculator products for Texas Instruments. Chrobak holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in Economics from Southern Methodist University. He was recently recognized as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America by Consultant Connect.

Before joining TxEDC, Christin served as National Fundraising Director for a Presidential Campaign where she managed a multi-million-dollar fundraising operation. She began her fundraising career with the Republican Party of Texas. Christin's previous experience blends political strategy with execution of deliverables in public affairs and messaging. Directing the day-to-day operations for a national media firm, she worked closely with political clients at all levels managing deadlines and strategic deliverables. She began her career in Texas, where she worked as a governmental affairs associate for a top Austin consulting firm and handled accounts at a public affairs company for a variety of corporate and political clients. Christin is a graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and has a Master's in Business Administration degree from Texas State University. She enjoys traveling and currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Sydney Loyed is charged with coordinating the logistics for a robust program of national and international investment attraction missions, industry events and other signature initiatives that not only help to market Texas on the world stage as a premiere destination for doing business, but also connect our partners with one another to create a collaborative environment to discuss the current and future economic status of various regions. Sydney previously worked with both for-profit and non-profit organizations, allowing her to manage everything from small executive retreats to community-wide events hosting more than 30,000 people, transforming each event into a messaging platform. Most recently, Sydney worked for the Special Events team at The University of Texas at Austin under the President’s Office and the VP of Central Development, facilitating high-profile events recognizing academic and financial contributions to the institution. During this position, she was awarded the President’s Award for Exemplary Service. Sydney graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. Originally from Colorado, Sydney quickly made her way to Austin and has a passion for philanthropic causes as well as traveling, running and cooking.