This is the Panhandle

Kristen Moudy, Executive Director of the Wheeler Chamber and EDC, shares her journey from Dallas back to her hometown of Wheeler, Texas, to invest in rural community development. In this episode, she talks about improving quality of life through collaborative projects like downtown revitalization and the Tom Britt Memorial Park, while addressing common misconceptions about Economic Development Corporations (EDCs). Kristen also explores how small towns can attract and retain young talent, participate in regional initiatives like The Panhandle Gives, and harness community spirit to build a vibrant future. This conversation highlights the power of local leadership and the value of rural roots.

Kullen Sorrels, a third-year veterinary student at Texas Tech, shared his journey from Dalhart, Texas, to veterinary school. He highlighted the rigorous first year, which involves 22-23 hours of classes per week, and the hands-on experience that begins in the first semester. Colin emphasized the importance of grit and adaptability. He also discussed the unique community at Texas Tech, where students support each other through the challenging program. Peyton Priest, Associate Director of Development, highlighted the school's focus on rural and regional veterinary needs, its non-traditional student demographic, and the impact of the mobile veterinary unit funded by the Louise Bowers Splints Foundation. Both speakers expressed confidence in the readiness of the first graduating class for practice.

The podcast introduces three new co-hosts from the Amarillo Area Foundation - Kimberly Anderson, Kevin Friemel, and Raul Rodarte Suto - who will bring diverse perspectives to sharing stories about the Texas Panhandle. The hosts discuss the unique characteristics of their region, highlighting its pioneering spirit, philanthropic nature, innovative problem-solving, and rich community talent across various sectors including arts, agriculture, and nonprofit work. They emphasize the Panhandle's strength lies in its people's ability to come together, adapt to challenges, and support each other, while also hoping to change external perceptions about the region by showcasing its depth, creativity, and remarkable community-driven initiatives.

Since the historic fires raged across our area, Hemphill County Judge Lisa Johnson has been right on the frontline of the disaster. She recently sat down with us to discuss the inside perspective. In the episode, she shares the behind-the-scenes workings of the largest fire in Texas history and how she worked to keep her community safe in a very turbulent time.   To give to the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, GO HERE

This week we sit down with Mary Coyne with Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance.  She shares what PBHA is working on, what the data is showing, and how to increase mental health access in this Texas Panhandle.   Learn more about PBHA: CLICK HERE Learn more about Panhandle Mental Health Guide: CLICK HERE www.PanhandleMentalHealthGuide.org

This week, we sit down with Dr. Amy Stark, Texas Tech Physicians Psychiatrist. Dr. Stark talks about how substance abuse can be detrimental to mental health.  Her goal is to break down the stereotypes regarding substance abuse.       Learn more about Dr. Stark here:  CLICK HERE 

This week, we sit down with Bobby Medford, a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Dallam-Hartley Counties Hospital District.  Bobby talks about meeting the mental health needs in a rural setting.  He shares how seniors have fared through the Covid 19 Pandemic and how they have settled into a new normal that can cause more problems in isolation.      Learn more about DHCHD HERE. 

This week, we continue our mental health focus by talking with Family Support Services', Jim Womack.  Jim talks about how FSS is meeting the heightened demands for mental health services since the start of the covid 19 pandemic.  He shares how FSS began using telehealth services to meet the needs in the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.     To learn more about FSS: CLICK HERE or call 806.342.2500 

This week we sit down with Region 16's Robin Terry.  Since the start of the pandemic, educators and students have seen rising numbers of mental health concerns.  Robin shares what Region 16 has seen and how schools are accommodating the increased demand.  To learn more about Region 16 CLICK HERE *Episode note, due to an upgrade in Region 16's website, the Mental Health Moments Podcast is not available at this time. 

This week we start our special episodes about mental health.  Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it's a focus area for our organization, we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about our partnership with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.  Dr. Amanda Tinsley-Mathias sits down with us to talk about this collaborative care model of mental health resources. More about Meadows Mental Health Institute: https://mmhpi.org/ Tune in to the entire series!

This week we sit down with Dr. Guy Loneragan, Dean of the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Loneragan gives a recap about the first semester of the new school located in the Harrington Regional Medical Campus.  Students interested in TTUSVM can get more information HERE. 

This week we sit down with Zack Wilson, Executive Director of the High Plains Food Bank. Zack has been at the HPFB for 17 years and has been at the helm for 11.  He shares with us what HPFB does, how they do it, and how you can help!  Since the COVID 19 pandemic began, the necessity of food programs has become vital for many of our neighbors. How is HPFB keeping up with the demand? Zack shares those details and gives a glimpse into the future of food banking!     Learn more about High Plains Food Bank HERE 

This week we sit down with legendary news personality turned entrepreneur, Lisa Schmidt.  She talks about her days behind the news desk and why it was time to leave.  She started a new venture called All The Things for You, a box subscription service.  Listen and subscribe.   More about All the Things: CLICK HERE

This week we sit down with Wendy Taylor, Executive Director of Don Harrington Discovery Center and Wildcat Bluff Nature Center.  Wendy talks about the merger of these two organizations and what it means for our community.  The singular organization now brings the Earth sciences and STEM sciences together under one organization. For more information on Don Harrington Discovery Center, CLICK HERE For more information on Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, CLICK HERE

This week we sit down with AmTech Career Academy's principal, Jay Barrett.  Amarillo ISD's new AmTech campus is connecting students to career pathways while helping them achieve industry certifications to start moving towards their dream careers.  Jay has been an educator for 37 years and he now calls himself the “AmTech Cheerleader”.  The campus has garnered national attention for innovation and acceleration.  In the episode, you'll learn what career paths students can choose.     To learn more about AmTech Career Academy, GO HERE!

This week we sit down with City of Amarillo's Managing Director and CIO, Rich Gagnon. The city is working with Region 16 to provide high-speed internet access to a broader population in our community.  If the pandemic has shown us anything, it's the disparity that comes from lack of access.  Rich shares his personal reasons for working so hard on this project, but also why it makes economic sense for the city. 

This week we sit down with Michael Evans, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, Dean of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing.  Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a spotlight on the profession of nursing. Dr. Evans shares how that has affected nursing students and enrollment in nursing programs for TTU.  For more information on Texas Tech's School of Nursing GO HERE

This week we sat down with Chris McGilvery, founder of Leaders Readers Network.  Chris has a passion for early childhood literacy and the organization he founded is working to increase children's access to books and mastery of reading.  In 2021, Leaders Readers Network focused on children's books that celebrated the diversity of children and was featured in a New York Times article, read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/04/neediest-cases/bringing-books-to-children-that-speak-their-language.html     To learn more about Leaders Readers Network, GO HERE 

This week we talk to Jim Whitton, about literacy among our youngest neighbors.  His passion to see kids read was sparked by a conference regarding the first 5 years of children's lives.  His passion has turned into action by working with StoryBridge and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to put books in the hands of birth through 5 year-olds in Potter and Randall Counties.  If you would like to donate to StoryBridge's campaign, you can do that here: GIVE HERE

www.texaspanhandle100club.org The 100 Club is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization fully membership/donation supported with the mission to: Provide immediate financial assistance to the families of certified peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty Provide immediate financial assistance to certified peace officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty and unable to work Purchase life-protecting and lifesaving equipment for law enforcement and firefighting agencies that cannot be secured through budgeted funds.  Just as our lives have not been easy, theirs have not been either.  Many of them don't feel as safe as they once did in serving and protecting.  We have seen the need for more (and better) life-protecting and lifesaving equipment thus increasing the need for more funding.  Please take a few minutes to watch this quick video about the 100 Club story https://youtu.be/D5D2QipL4D8.  Will you join me in standing behind the men and women behind the badge with an annual membership and a year-end donation to help with lifesaving and life-protecting equipment?  Join online www.texaspanhandle100club.org/membership and/or make a donation to help with lifesaving equipment for our area first responders: Firefighters Equipment Fund     https://square.link/u/v53sG4Ns Law Enforcement Equipment Fund   https://square.link/u/eVgGyHGQ  

In the Season 4 premier we talk with Jackie Pearson, 2018 Chairperson of the Amarillo Area Foundation.  Jackie was instrumental in advocating for #ThePanhandleGives and helping the campaign get off the ground.  She rolls off the board this year, so we wanted to capture her “behind-the-scenes" view and her passion for philanthropy in the Texas Panhandle.      Do not forget to give to your favorite organization beginning Monday, November 22 through November 30.  Give online at www.thepanhandlegives.org!  

This week’s season 3 finale is a conversation with Panhandle PBS’s Karen Welch about the new series, Living While Black. The series is Thursday nights on Panhandle PBS and showcases interviews from some of our Black neighbors. We also talk with one of the featured interviewees, Ms. Melodie Graves.  Ms. Graves, a TEDx featured speaker and Amarillo native, shares her perspective of living while Black in Amarillo and how she is hoping to create a better place for her child through activism.  For more information on the project: https://www.panhandlepbs.org/livingwhileblack/

This week, we sit down with Anna Lisa Ramos, owner of Cocina on the Go!  Ms. Ramos received the first loan from Communities Unlimited to purchase the food truck she currently uses.  She is no stranger to our podcast; this is her second special episode, and we can’t wait for you to hear the exciting updates Anna Lisa shares.  Here’s more on Anna Lisa: Cocina on the Go Her first time on the podcast

This week, we sit down with Communities Unlimited, a new organization in our community, to learn about their various programs. Katy Parrish shares details of their first loan and how they plan to create self-sustainability throughout our region.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with newly-promoted No Limits No Excuses Program Officer, Kimberly Anderson. An Amarillo native and Palo Duro High School graduate, Kimberly currently serves on the Amarillo ISD School Board. We talk education and how Kimberly was never going to follow her mother into teaching but is now a self-confessed public education advocate!

This week we sit down with Spearman native and entrepreneur, Suzanne Bellsnyder.  Ms. Bellsnyder had worked in Austin for decades but coming back to her roots proved to be a great place to raise a family and start a couple of new businesses.  In the interview, Ms. Bellsnyder shares her view of this year’s legislative session and how a self-described policy wonk views policy for our area.   

This week we sit down with Dr. Pam Kirby, a local Licensed Clinical Psychologist.  Dr. Kirby talks about mental health in the era of COVID, what she is seeing in her practice, and what you can do to improve your mental health during a global pandemic.      Documents mentioned in the podcast:    Click HERE for American Psychological Association 

This week we are sitting down with Dr. Scott Milton, Infectious Disease physician at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and the Public Health Authority with the City of Amarillo. We have a conversation about how the increased COVID cases affects our local hospitals, what that means for our community, and how you can help keep the infection rates down.

We sit down with Representative Ken King in this week’s episode.  He talks about the upcoming legislative session and how the state is continuing to be impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Representative King shares why he loves his district and the work he’s done to make the Panhandle an even better place to live.  

We sit down with Representative Four Price in this week’s episode.  He talks about the upcoming legislative session and how the state is continuing to be impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Representative Price shares why he loves his district and the work he’s done for mental health legislation.

We sit down with Senator Kel Seliger in this week’s episode.  He talks about the upcoming legislative session and how the state is continuing to be impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Senator Seliger shares why he loves his district and how he prioritized legislation to benefit our area. 

On this week’s episode, we speak with Lucia Mendez Polston the Director of Community Engagement and Impact at Amarillo Area Foundation.  Lucia recently moved from Washington D.C. back to her roots in the Texas Panhandle.  We talk about her important work in D.C. and what she’ll be doing at the Foundation. 

This week we sit down with Colonel Andrew Scott DeJesse, one of the Monuments men in the United States Army.  As well, as an accomplished artist in his own right, Colonel DeJesse speaks about life in the Panhandle, and how growing

This week we sit down with Colonel Andrew Scott DeJesse, one of the Monuments Men in the United States Army and an accomplished artist. Colonel DeJesse speaks about his life in the Panhandle and how growing up with dyslexia has helped him in his career. 

Andrew J. Brandt is a local author and entrepreneur living in Amarillo, Texas.  Andrew has published several books that have catapulted him up the fiction lists on Amazon.  He is also the owner of Phone Medic and various other companies in and around Amarillo.   In this episode, Andrew shares about his new book, set in the picturesque Palo Duro Canyon.  Listen and subscribe for the latest episodes. 

This week in our Season 2 finale, we talk with legendary girls' basketball coach, Joe Lombard.  Coach Lombard shares about his time at Canyon High School, how he builds a team, and what skills he develops that will stay with the girls throughout their lives.  Joe’s son, Tate Lombard, joins him on the bench this year as an assistant coach.  Coach Lombard shares what Tate has added to the team and the future of the girls’ basketball program at Canyon. 

This week we sit down with Dr. Nick Gerlich, professor at West Texas A&M, and Route 66 enthusiast.  Dr. Gerlich talks about how he ended up here and why he loves to call the Panhandle home.        

We sit down with Crystal Moroney this week, the owner of Milk House Market in Friona, Texas.  Crystal and her husband also are the owners of the Del Rio Dairy in Friona.  They moved to Friona from the Phoenix area.    Crystal, who has a degree in fashion design and merchandising, talks about how the store, Milk House Market, came to be and how the community and region has responded since its opening in 2014.  She also talks about life in Friona with her 3 kids.  More about Milk House Market: Facebook Page: CLICK HERE Shop Online: https://www.milkhousemarket.com/

This week we sit down with Amy Sheets, owner and designer at Marrs Makers, a fashion brand in New York.  Amy grew up in Amarillo and is the granddaughter of legendary saddle maker, Bob Marrs.  Amy is honoring the heritage of her grandparents with a new spin on tooled leather and western fashion.  Learn more about Marrs Markers: Website: https://marrsmakers.com/ Email: amy@marrmakers.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/marrsmakers Instagram: https://instagram.com/marrsmakers

This week we talk with Jeff Blackmon, owner of several local newspapers in the Texas Panhandle.  About a year ago, The Hereford Brand announced it was going to shutter. Jeff and his wife, Angela, jumped at the opportunity to make the paper their flagship investment in our area.  Jeff talks about how local newspapers are important to rural communities and why he’s working hard to make sure they have a strong future.      To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB   

This week we sit down with Jill Goodrich, Executive Director of Opportunity School.  She shares the mission and vision behind the program and why, after 50 years, Opportunity School is expanding in our community.  To learn more about Opportunity School go here: https://www.opportunityschool.com/ To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB  

This week we sit down for a great discussion with Marcy McKay.  In 2017, Marcy’s family lost their home in a fire. The aftermath resulted in an emotional breakdown, but it also helped her find her new path as a life coach.  You will learn how Marcy overcame being stuck and how she moved from hurting to thriving.  To learn more about Marcy’s work, go here: https://marcymckay.com/ To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB

Aaron King has spent his entire life in the trucking industry. Together with his family, Aaron has developed several vertically aligned businesses that help the individual truckers in our area. Aaron has a real passion for each trucker and is in the process of creating a nonprofit to help them in times of crisis.   To learn more about Aaron's companies, you can go here: https://www.deekingtrucking.com/ https://k3towing.com/ http://thetwiagency.com/ https://www.kingcountrytrailer.com/ To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB

Carlos Lopez grew up in Spearman, Texas and left the Panhandle for an amazing career in marketing and advertising in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He worked for Dr. Pepper/Snapple, and JC Penney’s.  He and his wife, Kathy, were looking for a way to get back to the Panhandle and opened a business, Little Bees Play House.  Entrepreneurship is nothing new for Carlos - his mother has owned La Milpa tortilla factory for more than 20 years.  This episode speaks to how Amarillo is attracting talented people to return to their roots.    More about Little Bees Play House:   Facebook:  http://bit.ly/39eixki  Website: http://bit.ly/2vd5kct   To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB 

Josh Butler and his wife, Allison, are the owners of Butler Benefits and Consulting in Amarillo. In this episode, we speak with Josh about a project he's working on to absolve $1,500,000 in medical debt for people in Potter and Randall Counties. You'll learn why he so passionate about this project and how it came to be.   You can give here:  https://secure.qgiv.com/event/butlerbenefitstx/ More about Butler Benefits and Consulting: Office: 806-350-3158 2800 Civic Circle Suite 200 Amarillo, TX 79109 To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB  

This week we sit down with Wayne Craig, the Executive Director of Cactus Cares, the philanthropic arm of the employee-owned Cactus Feeders.  Wayne gives background on Cactus Feeders, how the organization became employee-owned, and how Cactus Cares is working to strengthen the communities they serve.  To learn more: http://cactusfeeders.com/ To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB  

This week we sit down with The Harrington House’s Board Chair, Dr. Sue Park, and Executive Director, Phyllis Rice.  Both share how the former house of Don and Sybil Harrington was founded and why Mrs. Harrington chose to open her home for people to tour.  To learn more about this historic home, log on to https://www.harringtonhousehistorichome.org/   To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB    

This week we talk to Wendie Cook who is the Executive Director of the Citadelle Art Foundation in Canadian, Texas.  She also serves on the Canadian City Council.  Wendie shares her experience and how she got to the Panhandle, as well as information about the incredible collection of art on display at the Citadelle.  To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB  

This special episode features three grants the Amarillo Area Foundation awarded in 2019 to combat homelessness in our area.  We will hear from all three of the grant recipients and discuss how those funds will help our friends and neighbors who are dealing with homelessness.  This is just another way AAF is improving quality of life in the Texas Panhandle.  To submit your question for Questions from a Boot go here: http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB  

Benny Barraza grew up in Mexico and came across the border when he was just a young boy.  He talks about his days growing up in Borger, Texas “in the shadows”, making sure he didn’t draw attention to himself.  He’s now a principal at Amarillo ISD.  Learn more about Benny’s story and how he went from constant worry to an extremely successful elementary principal.  To submit Your Questions from The Boot:  http://bit.ly/TITP_QFAB

This week we sit down with the Executive Director from Borger Inc., Katie Lingor.  As the economic development corporation for the city of Borger, Katie talks about how Borger Inc. is investing in improving the quality of life.  She shares what is happening now and the Boomtown Scholarship that was just announced in October.  More on Borger Inc.: Web: CLICK HERE To submit Your Questions from The Boot:  CLICK HERE