2026 Fall Meeting
October 19-21, 2026
Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel
Addison, TX
The Fall Meeting is a members-only business event that includes our Town Hall Meeting, Business Session, board meetings, committee meetings, and several networking opportunities and social events. It is the last of DCA’s three main meetings of the year and sets the stage for the coming year.
| DCA 2026 Fall Meeting Agenda* | ||
| Monday, October 19 | ||
| 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Welcome Reception & Dinner | Gazebo Courtyard |
| Tuesday, October 20 | ||
| 7:30 am – 8:30 am | Group Breakfast | La Gala |
| 8:30 am – 10:00 am | Business Session Keynote: Mike Howard, Howard Energy Partners | Lalique Ballroom |
| 10:00 am – 10:30 am | Town Hall | Lalique Ballroom |
| 10:30 am – 10:45 am | Break | Lalique Foyer |
| 10:45 am – 11:45 am | Trenchless & HDD Committee Meeting | Lalique Ballroom |
| 11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Safety & Risk Management Committee Meeting | Lalique Ballroom |
| 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm | Group Lunch | La Gala |
| 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm | Workforce & Leadership Development Committee Meeting | Lalique Ballroom |
| 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Innovation & Technology Committee Meeting | Lalique Ballroom |
| 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm | Break | Lalique Foyer |
| 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm | Government Relations Committee Meeting | Lalique Ballroom |
| 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Reception & Dinner (First shuttle departs Front Drive at 5:45pm) | Puttshack Addison |
| Wednesday, October 21 | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:45 am | Associate Nominating Committee** | Baccarat |
| 8:00 am – 8:45 am | Contractor Nominating Committee** | Spectrum |
| 9:00 am – 9:45 am | Executive Committee Meeting** | Spectrum |
| 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Board of Director Meeting** | Spectrum |
| **indicates closed meeting | *As of 08/26/2026 | |
Tuesday, October 20
Business Session Keynote Speaker – Mike Howard
Chairman and CEO, Howard Energy Partners
“The Business of Human Flourishing: Why Energy Access Matters”
ABOUT Mike:
Mike Howard is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Howard Energy Partners, a privately held energy infrastructure company he founded in 2011, that owns and operates assets across five U.S. states and Mexico. Mr. Howard has more than 30 years of experience in the midstream energy sector. Prior to founding HEP, he served as President of Midstream at Energy Transfer Partners. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions with Union Pacific Resources, Duke Energy Field Services, and Crosstex Energy.
Mr. Howard is passionate about building high-performing teams shaped by continuous development, and is a committed advocate for reliable, abundant energy. He often says he is “pro energy, pro climate, and anti-poverty”. Mr. Howard holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University–Kingsville, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of HEP, Atlas Energy Solutions (NYSE: AESI), TXOGA, INGAA, Jonah Energy LLC, and was appointed to the National Petroleum Council by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
Active in philanthropy and civic engagement, he is also on the Board of Trustees of the Texas A&M University–Kingsville Foundation, the San Antonio Academy, Energy Corps, Switch Energy Alliance, and numerous other civic organizations including the South Texas Recovery Foundation. Mr. Howard lives in San Antonio with his wife and three children where he can often be found coaching his kid’s sports, being a Patrol Leader in Boy Scouts, and spending time outdoors on his ranch in George West.
Tuesday, October 20
Dinner & Putt at Puttshack
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Join us for an evening of networking, dinner, drinks, and a whole new take on mini golf at Puttshack Addison! Enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and drinks while catching up with DCA friends and colleagues. Then get ready to tee up for a game that is anything but your typical putt-putt.
Puttshack takes mini golf to the next level with tech-infused gameplay, interactive challenges, and automatic scoring. Enjoy continuous play throughout the evening and jump in when you’re ready. Whether you’re looking to connect over dinner and a cocktail, show off your putting skills, or simply have some fun with your DCA friends, Puttshack is the perfect setting for an unforgettable night of friendly (or not-so-friendly) competition and connection!
*Shuttles provided on a loop to and from Puttshack and the hotel.*
Registration Fee: $950 member/ $350 spouse/guest. Prices will go up by $50 after Monday, September 28.
Housing: Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel:
Single or Double Rate: $229.00 plus applicable sales tax and resort fee. Reservation cut-off is Monday, September 28.
The official room block is Sunday, October 18 – Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Click here to make an online reservation. To make reservations outside of the housing block, please call (888) 236-2427 and reference DCA Fall Meeting. When booking, please note the hotel website auto-populates pre- and post-Fall Meeting dates — confirm your arrival and departure dates before finalizing.
Airport Information: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is ~18 miles from the hotel. Love Field (DAL) is ~10 miles from the hotel. Recommend taxi or shared ride rather than rental car given closeness.
Committee Meetings: Meetings are open to all attendees on Tuesday. If you are not on a working committee, we encourage you to attend those that interest you. If you would like to be a permanent member of a committee, please let one of the DCA staff members know.
Monday Evening Networking Reception & Dinner: Please plan to join us for a reception and dinner at the Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel from 6:00 – 8:00 PM or upon your arrival.
Tuesday Evening Putt Putt Reception & Dinner: Join us for an evening of mini golf, bold bites, craft cocktails, and networking at Puttshack. Complimentary shuttle from the hotel will be provided.
Dress: Dress for the DCA Fall Meeting is business casual. No jackets or ties required.
DCA Events App: The DCA Events App is your personal link to the DCA Fall Meeting. The app will keep you in sync with everything happening at the Fall Meeting including the schedule of events, speaker information, registration list, meeting floor plans, meeting materials and event updates and alerts. The data syncing feature also enables you to share event information across mobile devices. Don’t miss out – if it is not already on your mobile device download now by going to EventsApp. The app developers have made updates to the app and suggest that you delete and app and reload it to incorporate the changes.