Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Devin Barnett, owner of Renu Painting, which recently was awarded the 2024 Torch Award for Ethics (Medium Business) by the Better Business Bureau of Amarillo. Barnett grew up in Abilene and has worked in a variety of industries, from petroleum to nursing to self-employed retailing. Despite that meandering career path, he's found success with Renu Painting. He and host Jason Boyett discuss Devin's various career stops before coming to Amarillo, why he chose not to go to college, and why he has become so passionate about creating jobs in the skilled trades. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Megan Reed, the communications and public affairs manager at Bell, and a former communications manager for Make-a-Wish North Texas. Reed, an Amarillo native who played Division II soccer for WTAMU, tells host Jason Boyett how she found her way into a career at the manufacturer's Amarillo Assembly Plant, what Bell's new U.S. Army assault aircraft contract means for the area, and how she and her employer are already looking 10 years into the future as they prepare a workforce to fulfill that contract. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Storybridge and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A return conversation with Jason Crespin for Hey Amarillo's 350th episode. Crespin was the guest in this podcast's second episode ever (October 9, 2017) and returns to share about his role as Managing/Artistic Director at Amarillo Little Theatre and the legacy of the late Allen Shankles, who passed away March 20, 2024. Crespin also turns the tables on host Jason Boyett to ask about Boyett's upcoming ALT debut in the cast of the musical Spamalot, which opens May 2. Tickets are on sale now for Spamalot. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Jimmy John's, Wieck Realty and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Cindi Bulla, the broker/owner behind Realty Central Services and a recent primary candidate for Texas House District 87. Bulla shares the story of how she ran away from home at age 15 and ended up in Amarillo, how she found her way into careers in banking and construction before getting into real estate, and why she decided to run for office. (Her campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.) Bulla also speaks with host Jason Boyett about the local real estate market and her decades of involvement with Amarillo Little Theatre. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Amarillo Habitat Pickleball Bash, La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Tate Atkinson, one-half of the husband-wife duo behind Free Cheese Prints, a custom screen printing shop in Amarillo. Known for their Amarillo-focused souvenir t-shirts and constant presence at local popups and community markets, Free Cheese has an intense loyal following and a compelling origin story. Atkinson shares with host Jason Boyett about his creative approach, how sobriety helped focus and grow his business, why he and his wife, Reesa, are so passionate about getting away from Amarillo to travel. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, SKP Creative and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Micha Boyett, Jason's youngest sister and the author of the new book Blessed Are the Rest of Us. Micha is a poet, writer, pastor and podcaster whose work includes advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome. She's the cohost of the popular podcast The Lucky Few and will be preaching in Amarillo at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 5. She and host Jason Boyett discuss Micha's upbringing in Amarillo, her son Ace and the family's connection to the Down syndrome community, and how Amarillo continues to inform her life and writing—even though she no longer lives here. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Isaiah Flores, a 2023 Caprock graduate who is currently completing his first year as a student at Harvard University. As profiled in the July/August 2023 issue of Brick & Elm, Flores is one of two Caprock students accepted last year into Harvard’s freshman class. Home for Spring Break, Flores sat down with host Jason Boyett for a conversation about his upbringing in Amarillo public schools, what his first year had been like at Harvard, and how leaving Amarillo was helping him better understand and appreciate his hometown. This episode is sponsored by the Amarillo College Creative Mind Lecture Series featuring George Saunders, Pinnacle by Rockrose, Storybridge and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Gina Woodward, the Regional Director of America's SBDC at WTAMU. Gina is a Canyon resident who grew up here and has earned multiple degrees from WT. At the SBDC, she helps clients in the top 25 counties of the Texas Panhandle start and expand small businesses. She shares with host Jason Boyett about the no-cost, one-on-one consulting offered by the SBDC, as well as the low-cost training and research available to clients. Gina also details how the diverse and energetic local business community continues to inspire her. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty, Pinnacle by Rockrose and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Scott Houdashell, the inventor of the Eggmazing Egg Decorator and, with Curtis McGill, the owner of the toy and game company Hey Buddy Hey Pal. A former Farmers Insurance agent, Houdashell had always worked with his hands, and in 2015 came up with an idea for decorating Easter eggs without the messy dyes. What began with a hot glue stick, a spoon and an electric screwdriver soon turned into several makeshift prototypes before the final product took shape. The rest is history. Houdashell tells host Jason Boyett about his pre-Easter Bunny career, how he endured the product development process, getting on Shark Tank, and how his company is giving back to Make-a-Wish North Texas through MyTrueWish.org. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores, Pinnacle by Rockrose and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Darlene Martin, a retired Amarillo ISD first-grade teacher, reading instructor, community volunteer and the founder of Westminster Presbyterian Church's Bear PAWS program, which serves students at Austin Middle School. Martin shares with host Jason Boyett about her teaching career and more than 20 years of service as a local hospice volunteer. Born with mild hemiplegia cerebral palsy—which restricts muscle movement on one side of her body—Martin also details the many ways the Turn Center impacted her over the course of her life and why Amarillo is such a significant part of her story. This episode is sponsored by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity, Blue Handle Publishing and Pinnacle by Rockrose.

A conversation with Britten Ratcliff, a Tascosa High School senior. Host Jason Boyett starts this interview by explaining that he is typically uninterested in interviewing high school students for the show, but Ratcliff changed his mind about that rule. A member of the FirstBank Southwest Banking Advisory Council and founder of The Neighborhood, a Tascosa student group, Ratcliff shares with Boyett about what it's like to be a teenager in Amarillo, what the city needs to consider related to its younger population, and why he decided to take classes at AmTech Career Academy. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental, SKP Creative, and Pinnacle by Rockrose.

A conversation with Robert Altman, who is retired from two prominent local careers, first as a manager at the women's clothing store Kline's of Amarillo and then as an assistant scout executive with the Golden Spread Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Altman, whose family owned and operated multiple Kline's locations in the city until the 1990s—including along Polk Street and at Western Plaza—reflects on how retailing changed over the years. He also shares with host Jason Boyett how his parents arrived in the area, describes the glory years of Western Plaza, and explains why Scouting remains so prominent within the Panhandle. This episode is sponsored by Pest Tex Pest Control and Storybridge.

A conversation with Sonja Gross, a Public Involvement Specialist with the Texas Department of Transportation and a former Public Information Officer for TXDOT. Gross arrived in Amarillo from Georgia around 20 years ago, and embarked on a communications career that took her from the local newspaper to the City of Amarillo to her current position with TXDOT. She shares with host Jason Boyett about road construction, the city's eternal Loop project, how to handle complaints from grumpy citizens and why, even as a transplant, she feels at home in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Mark D. Williams, an Amarillo educator and author who has fly fished all over the world, written a variety of fishing and travel books, been published in dozens of national magazines, and taught for nearly 30 years at North Heights Alternative School. He's also an entrepreneur, consultant and public speaker. In this episode, Williams shares with host Jason Boyett about the recent—and very public—cancer journey that forced him to retire from teaching, how he became a sports and fly fishing writer, and why Amarillo ended up being the perfect location for his diverse career. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo.

A conversation with Kori Cooper Clements, a speech pathologist with Canyon ISD and a local volleyball legend. Kori was inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame last year with her father, former WTAMU basketball coach Rick Cooper—making them the first father-daughter duo to be inducted. One of the best players to ever come from this area, Clements spent one season as the Amarillo High School volleyball coach in 2018 before resigning due to issues related to athletes' playing time and the resulting fallout. (It was a big, local controversy at the time.) More than five years later, she shares with host Jason Boyett about her volleyball career, her resignation in early 2019, and what she's been doing since. This episode is sponsored by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.

A conversation with Joseph Peterson, an Edward Jones Financial Advisor serving Amarillo, and the city's 2023 Black Man of the Year. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Peterson moved with his family to Amarillo when he was a child. He played football for WTAMU before opening his office in Amarillo. Since then, he's built a reputation for community involvement, from membership in 101 Elite Men to service on municipal boards to volunteerism for the United Way of Amarillo & Canyon and other nonprofits. Peterson shares with host Jason Boyett about his career path, why he chose to live and work in Amarillo, and why civic engagement is so important to him. This episode is sponsored by Jimmy John's and SKP Creative.

A conversation with Diane Dick, a legendary model and agent who opened the Diane Dick International Modeling and Talent Agency in Amarillo more than 50 years ago. Her agency currently places local models in films, magazines and runways all over the United States and around the world. Now 80, she shares with host Jason Boyett the details of how her own career began, how the world of modeling has changed since she got her start in the 1960s, and why agencies and retailers from as far away as China are interested in models from the Texas Panhandle. This episode is sponsored by Storybridge and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Andrew Hay, Executive Director of the Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle, which provides oversight for Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation. Before taking the reigns of the CFTP and PPHM, Hay served as executive director of the Amarillo Symphony and has a background in theology and seminary administration. Hay shares with host Jason Boyett about the journey that took him from growing up in the Denver area to doctorate studies at St. Andrews University in Scotland to the opportunity to lead Texas' largest history museum into its second century. This episode is sponsored by Attorney Dean Boyd.

A conversation with Katharyn Wiegand, the President and CEO at the Mary E. Bivins Foundation. A product of the Texas Panhandle, Wiegand has spent the past few decades in leadership roles in the nonprofit world, including 15 years with Opportunity Plan and another 12 years with the Amarillo Area Foundation. At the Bivins Foundation since 2018, she helps lead the organization in serving older adults and helping fund the education of Christian ministers. In this episode, she shares with host Jason Boyett about her career, the Bivins family's local legacy, and her 12-plus years on the Canyon ISD Board of Trustees. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and La-Z-Boy of Amarillo.

A conversation with State Representative Walter Thomas "Four" Price IV, who has decided not to run again after he completes his 7th term representing Texas House District 87, which includes Potter County. Price is from Amarillo and has been instrumental in creating significant legislation related to telemedicine, telehealth, mental health and more. A former practicing attorney and current Trust Officer with Amarillo National Bank, Price shares with host Jason Boyett about his legal career, his path into state politics, and the characteristics he hopes his eventual successor will bring to the task of representing Panhandle people. This episode is sponsored by Attorney Dean Boyd and Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.