Hey Amarillo podcast

41:55

A conversation with Steve Burton, the executive director of Children's Learning Centers of Amarillo, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in April. A Colorado native, Burton arrived in Amarillo after having launched Boys & Girls Clubs in rural towns in both Colorado and Texas. He spent six years leading the Maverick Club before moving to Children's Learning Centers, which provides quality, low-cost childcare to the people of this area. Burton shares with host Jason Boyett about the history of his nonprofit, his ongoing career as an ice hockey official, and why 2025 Amarillo feels like the Colorado Springs of the 1990s. This episode is supported by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Shilee Pearson 41:06

8 days ago41:06

41:06

A conversation with Shilee Pearson of RuffLife K9 Training . A former horse trainer who grew up in Nebraska, Pearson pivoted to establish an award-winning dog-training business in Omaha. But two years ago, she moved to Amarillo in pursuit of a relationship. (They ended up getting married.) Pearson shares with host Jason Boyett—who happens to be a client—what it's like to uproot your business and start over in a new place, why her approach to dog training tends to stand out in the Panhandle, and why dog culture in Amarillo is different from anywhere else she's worked. This episode is supported by PestTex Pest Control and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Meaghan Collier 53:05

15 days ago53:05

53:05

A conversation with Meaghan Collier, the communications and marketing manager for the Amarillo campus of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center . Collier was recently named 2025 Volunteer of the Year at the Brickly Awards. A native of Canyon, she spent several years as a local television journalist with KAMR 4 Local News. Locals recognize her from that career, but may not know that she spent a year in post-Katrina New Orleans with Teach for America. Collier shares with host Jason Boyett why journalism became her passion, why her year in New Orleans was the most transformative of her life, and why volunteering in this community is so central to her identity. This episode is supported by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Greg Lusk 44:10

22 days ago44:10

44:10

A conversation with Greg Lusk, the executive director of Amarillo Botanical Gardens , a four-acre oasis near Medi-Park. Lusk is a trained horticulturalist, and right out of college he worked as the private gardener for legendary local businessman T. Boone Pickens. More recently, Lusk has spent the past decade with the Botanical Gardens, leading that organization through a period of growth thanks to seasonal attractions like Christmas in the Gardens and its position as a premier event venue for the community. Lusk shares with host Jason Boyett about the important role his organization plays in the region, and what it’s like to make a career out of cultivating beauty in a hostile environment. This episode is supported by SKP Creative and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Marcee Mangiameli 32:17

29 days ago32:17

32:17

A conversation with Marcee Mangiameli, who owns and operates the new Lesson Lounge in Amarillo along with her husband Taylor. This music education co-working space allows multiple music teachers to give lessons on a variety of instruments, offering a relatively new concept in Amarillo. Most of the instructors are local performers in the live music scene. A pianist herself, Marcee shares with host Jason Boyett how she and Taylor came up with the idea, why they returned to the Panhandle after living in other big cities, and why the Lesson Lounge concept may already be heading elsewhere in the state. This episode is supported by Shemen Dental , Storybridge , and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Lindsay London Baker 40:02

5 weeks ago40:02

40:02

A conversation with Lindsay London Baker, a registered nurse and one of the founders of the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance (ARFA), a local nonprofit formed, in part, to oppose the City of Amarillo’s sanctuary city ordinance in 2024. When voters voted against Prop A last November, Amarillo became the first city in the United States to reject an abortion travel ban proposition. Lindsay shares about her nursing career, her early activism, and how she ended up the voice of ARFA in national news stories about Amarillo’s opposition to the ordinance. She also shares with host Jason Boyett what her activism has taught her about the people of the Texas Panhandle. This episode is supported by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Chris Griffin 50:40

6 weeks ago50:40

50:40

A conversation with Chris Griffin, who owns Blue Crane Bakery with his wife, Donna. The Griffin family recently were named Entrepreneurs of the Year in the Brickly Awards, and have built a reputation at Blue Crane not just for unique Keto-friendly, vegan and gluten-free baked goods, but for community involvement. In this episode, Chris tells host Jason Boyett about his transition from the Fort Worth nightclub scene to motorcycle mechanic to baker, how meeting Donna online brought him to Amarillo, and how the need for open-heart surgery transformed his mindset and career. This episode is supported by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Keralee Clay 43:08

7 weeks ago43:08

43:08

A conversation with Keralee Clay, the Interim President and CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation . She's been part of the AAF team for years, but stepped into her new role after the passing of Clay Stribling in December 2024. Keralee has a deep background in operations and management, but her career has also been broad. She spent several years working for Amarillo Little Theatre and the Amarillo Civic Center. She lived and performed in New York City for a decade. She was a human resources consultant. Keralee shares with host Jason Boyett how those roles prepared her for this new one, what it's like to guide a large organization during a tragic leadership change, and what she learned from Stribling as a colleague. This episode is supported by SKP Creative and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Tony Ensor 53:39

8 weeks ago53:39

53:39

A conversation with Tony Ensor, the President and General Manager of the Amarillo Sod Poodles , the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks and baseball's 2023 Minor League Organization of the Year. Before Amarillo, Ensor led the front office of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and the Birmingham Barons. The first time he appeared on Hey Amarillo (via phone) was in 2019 at the height of the local controversy about the team name. Six years later, he shares with host Jason Boyett how his own career developed, how that moment of drama made the organization stronger, and why Amarillo is the key to the Sod Poodles' overwhelming success. This episode is supported by Storybridge and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Stephani Serna 57:24

9 weeks ago57:24

57:24

A conversation with Stephani Serna, who lives in Amarillo but works for Porsche Financial Services . Stephani grew up in Amarillo but was born in Mexico, which means she spent most of her childhood in the High Plains without legal immigration status. A DACA recipient, Stephani grew up in extreme poverty and spent her childhood navigating the anxiety of deportation while also serving as a language interpreter for her mother and grandparents. She eventually became a U.S. citizen, graduated from high school and college, landed at Porsche, and has even given a TedX talk. She shares her story with host Jason Boyett, including the impact of local organizations like Mission 2540 . This episode is supported by Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Jim Dewitz 48:05

10 weeks ago48:05

48:05

A conversation with Jim Dewitz, the local owner/operator (along with his wife, Candy) of Big Jim's Pizza , the iconic KN Root Beer , and the Tascosa Drive-In Theater . Originally from the Chicago area, Dewitz came to Amarillo in his late teens, then built a career in construction and apartment management before ending up an owner of the La Bella Pizza on Olsen. He rebranded it as Big Jim's—and soon added the other two businesses to his portfolio. Dewitz shares with host Jason Boyett why he stayed in Amarillo, his rocky path to entrepreneurship and what he loves about this community. This episode is supported by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Carter Estes 43:41

11 weeks ago43:41

43:41

A conversation with Carter Estes, the executive director (and first full-time staff member) of Elevate Amarillo , a nonprofit dedicated to connecting young professionals through networking, professional development, and community service. Estes is also a City of Amarillo employee, having served in multiple positions since earning a Masters of Public Policy at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School—formerly the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Estes tells host Jason Boyett about his path from growing up in White Deer to attending Harvard, and how that journey ultimately brought him to Amarillo. This episode is supported by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Elizabeth Pakravan 42:34

12 weeks ago42:34

42:34

A conversation with Elizabeth Pakravan, the founder and executive director of Martha Root Community Building , a nonprofit that equips children and their parents in underserved communities. Originally from Paraguay, Pakravan spent several years in Oregon before moving to Amarillo two years ago. She is a member of the Bahá'í faith, and her work reflects the promotion of unity and betterment of society that are central to this fast-growing global religion. Pakravan tells host Jason Boyett about her work, her appreciation for Amarillo as her family's new home, and how locals respond to her religious tradition—especially given the pervasive Christian beliefs of the Texas Panhandle. This episode is supported by SKP Creative , Storybridge , and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Matthew Wright 50:29

13 weeks ago50:29

50:29

A conversation with Matthew Wright, an Amarillo-based Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Texas . This past summer, Wright argued a landmark case before the U.S. Supreme Court, United States vs. Rahimi , related to firearm possession by individuals who are subject to domestic violence restraining orders. And though the Court decided against his client, the outcome made headlines across the United States. In this episode, Wright tells host Jason Boyett why he became a public defender, how the work brought him to Amarillo, and how it ended up taking him all the way to the Supreme Court. This episode is supported by Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum .…

Hey Amarillo

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Ben Parks 54:14

14 weeks ago54:14