The approval came two weeks after commissioners approved the SDC's bylaws during a March 11 meeting.
What you need to know
An SDC is a public, private or public-private partnership that develops, manages and operates a spaceport—or a specialized launch and landing facility for spacecraft, rockets and satellites.
The Central Texas SDC would be a collaboration between Williamson County and Burnet County. Burnet County commissioners decided to take no action and did not adopt the bylaws during a March 25 meeting.
“The Commissioners Court would like to take a more in-depth review into the bylaws before making a decision,” said Stephanie McCormick, Burnet County administrative director and court coordinator, in an email to Community Impact.
Diving in deeper
Current bylaws show the SDC will consist of a seven-member board of directors with four Williamson County representatives and three Burnet County representatives.
On March 25, Williamson County commissioners appointed their four board members to the future SDC, including:
- Julie Lessiter, Place 1
- Ed Trevis, Place 3
- Dave Porter, Place 5
- Lori Magruder, Place 7
Meet the players
Trevis is the founder, president and CEO of Corvalent Corporation, a Cedar Park-based business that focuses on industrial computing solutions.
“For over 35 years, I have been passionate about driving economic development and advancing industrial technology,” Trevis said in an email to Community Impact. “I am eager to collaborate with fellow leaders and stakeholders to drive meaningful, long-term impact for Central Texas.”
Magruder is an associate professor in the Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department at The University of Texas. She serves as the director of the UT Center for Space Research, an organized research unit in the Cockrell School of Engineering.
“I bring a background in aerospace engineering, but this endeavor will be so much broader in terms of the space ecosystem as it encompasses a wide range of technologies, science, innovation and workforce,” Magruder said in an email to Community Impact. “The SDC is bringing a strong partnership of academia, industry and government entities together in Central Texas to realize new infrastructure to benefit the economy but with an eye for future education growth.”
Lessiter has been the inaugural vice president at Texas State University’s Round Rock campus since August 2023. She has spent over 25 years in the higher education sphere and is a native of Southampton, England, according to county documents.
Porter is the executive director of the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership. He has “extensive international experience” in Asia and European markets, and he hopes to bring prosperity to Williamson County through high-wage jobs, according to county documents.
Lessiter and Porter did not immediately respond to Community Impact’s request for comments.
Those opposed
On March 25, four Burnet County residents spoke against the agreement during the meeting's public comment section. Resident Patricia Cope cited uneven representation between counties as a concern.
“If the current agreement grants Williamson County a majority vote, but the spaceport project will also affect Burnet County, this will create a disproportionate influence over decisions that directly impact Burnet County residents,” Cope said.
Taking a step back
Firefly Aerospace is headquartered in Cedar Park and became the first commercial company to successfully land on the moon March 2. The company’s testing facility is located within Burnet County, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Dan Fermon, Firefly Aerospace chief operating officer, was in attendance at the Burnet County Commissioners Court meeting March 25.
“I understand the concerns that were brought up, and they’re fair,” Fermon said. “My only ask is for us to be able to address those in a timely manner.”
What happens next?
If Burnet County commissioners make changes to the Central Texas SDC’s bylaws, Fermon said he expects Williamson County commissioners will need to reapprove it.
If approved by both parties, the Central Texas SDC would become the state's sixth SDC.
