How Steve Ahlenius Took On Tough Controversies and Revived San Angelo's Chamber

SAN ANGELO, TX — Steve Ahlenius took the helm as president and CEO of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce in November 2024, succeeding Walt Koenig, who retired abruptly. Upon arrival, the organization faced declining membership rolls, questions about its relevance, and eroding influence in a city with more than 4,000 businesses. Ahlenius described this as part of a nationwide trend for chambers of commerce but believed San Angelo could become an outlier through decisive action.

He moved quickly on high-stakes issues. Shortly after starting, Ahlenius led the chamber in strongly supporting the San Angelo ISD’s $397 million Bond 2025 package (Proposition A), despite concerns that it would push property tax rates higher. The bond, which voters approved on May 3, 2025, funds a new Glenn Middle School, renovations and additions at Central and Lake View high schools, and district-wide safety and security improvements.

Business leaders initially took a wait-and-see approach, but Ahlenius publicly backed the measure early.

“When it passed, I saw this community had its heart in the right place,” Ahlenius said. “An excellent K-12 education system is the cornerstone to any successful community.” He aimed to “clear the air” and make support politically safer for others, prioritizing long-term community strength over short-term tax concerns. The bond passed comfortably.

Ahlenius has similarly positioned the chamber as a vocal advocate for data center development in the Concho Valley, even amid loud vocal opposition from some residents. His office features a terrain map highlighting three announced or proposed projects in the region. These include:

• Skybox/Emergent’s planned campus on roughly 350 acres of city-owned land northeast of San Angelo (near U.S. Highway 67 North and City Farm Road), which advanced through zoning approvals in January 2026 and new land-use and wastewater regulations in May 2026.
• Cipher Digital’s Colchis project, located roughly 2,500 feet east of the Skybox site on a large parcel with a fully executed 1 GW interconnection agreement with AEP Texas. The project has moved more quietly through the ERCOT process and has not faced the same level of organized public resistance as Skybox.
• Beacon Data Centers’ proposed “Dove Creek Technology Campus” (Westline Site) in Precinct 4 of Tom Green County, which has undergone community meetings and recent county discussions, including a failed moratorium proposal at the Tom Green County Commissioners' Court in early June 2026.

Ahlenius views these large-scale projects as the modern equivalent of manufacturing plants—delivering substantial new commercial and industrial tax valuation that can ease pressure on residential property taxpayers.

That pressure is real. San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffith has publicly highlighted staffing shortages, noting in recent months that the department needs more officers and competitive pay. In a mid-June address to the Pachyderm Club, he outlined challenges including being significantly undermanned and mid-career officer pay trailing comparable cities like Wichita Falls by 20-25%. Expanding the force and closing pay gaps could require millions in additional annual funding—potentially several cents on the property tax rate—without growth in the non-residential tax base. Similar strains affect the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office and San Angelo Fire Department.

To expand the tax base and strengthen the chamber’s economic development capacity, Ahlenius pursued two key changes. First, he secured a substantial increase in the chamber’s economic development contract funded by the City of San Angelo Development Corporation (COSA-DC) half-cent sales tax revenue. The longstanding annual amount of $262,500 rose to just under $500,000, with added emphasis on business retention and expansion. He hired Andrew Killingsworth to focus on retention efforts alongside Vice President of Economic Development Michael Looney.

Second, he prioritized rebuilding the chamber’s clout and membership. Starting in May 2026, Ahlenius brought in chamber development professional Jimmy Cassano to run a structured membership drive branded internally as the “Chamber Cup.” They recruited and trained a cross-section of about 140 chamber volunteers, organizing them into competitive teams with a tiered structure. The four-week campaign culminated this week (mid-June 2026) with 276 new members or membership upgrades, generating $162,000 in new annual recurring revenue.

Ahlenius framed the effort around shared ownership rather than individual credit.

“It wasn’t about ‘I,’ it was instead about ‘we,’” he said.