Faces of GRAND Prairie, A Community Podcast

Today, my guests are Dena Petty and Crystal Gaither with Mentors Care. Mentors Care is a 501C3 organization whose mission is to connect high school students who are at risk of not graduating with mentors, tools, and resources to help lead them toward graduation and purposeful, fulfilling lives. Mentors Care works with school districts that are historically underserved to enlist, train and equip adult volunteer mentors who care about and believe in the kids they serve. Crystal and Dena discuss how Mentors Care came to be and how it works within each school. We discuss the success stories from the organization and how mentors are trained throughout the process, how this differs from other mentorship programs and how it can greatly fill a need as students return back to school after the pandemic. Groups like this need you and other citizens who want to help students through this time and this episode will encourage and inspire you to do just that! I will have links to Mentor’s Care on the episode details so you can learn more about how to get involved. And now, here’s Crystal and Dena.

To find out more about Mentors Care, go to https://mentors.care. 

Today my guest is Grand Prairie Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Mike Del Bosque. Council Member Del Bosque was elected to represent District 3 in May 2017. We talk about mentorship and how community members like Ms. Ruthe Jackson came along and encouraged him to get involved more in his local community and in politics. We also discuss the new Mi Familia playground, the different features it will offer the community and how it was designed to encourage meeting more neighbors. Enjoy!

Today my guest is Vandella Menifee. Vandella is retired from a career in the Department of Justice, first starting in the Atlanta Penitentiary System then eventually transferring to the Grand Prairie Office Complex in 2005. Vandella has become a professional volunteer in her retirement, working locally in Grand Prairie and Arlington with local elected officials, nonprofits and citizens to connect people to one another. She works hard at being a community advocate and on the day of our recording, she had received a proclamation from Jeff Williams, the Mayor of Arlington. Vandella talks to me about her journey to Grand Prairie and her first job as a community advocate – as an elementary school student fighting to keep her elementary school open! Vandella is a breath of fresh air and I can’t wait to speak with her again soon!

My guest today is Shebra Hackett. Among many things she is involved in, Shebra owns an Allstate Insurance Agency in Grand Prairie and we talk today about how she got into the insurance industry and then came to own her own office. We discuss the great things that come from owning your own business and some of the challenges that come from balancing family and community priorities with running a successful business. Shebra is also involved in several local community advocacy and networking groups such as the Soroptimist International of Grand Prairie and the Grand Prairie Metro Rotary Club, where today she’ll be installed as the 2021-2022 President. Shebra is always so delightful to talk to and I’m so glad to have had her on to share some of her experiences as a business owner, a mom and a volunteer in her community.

In this mini-episode, Jenna reads aloud the Declaration of Independence.

Incumbent Jeff Wooldridge answers interview questions for the upcoming run-off election for District 6 in Grand Prairie's City Council Election. Challenger Kurt Johnson declined to participate in the interview.  

Today, I talk to Martin Cabellero, President and CEO of Bon Air Service Co. Inc. I caught up with Martin after he was named "Citizen of the Year" for 2020 from the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce. Martin took ownership of Bon Air after his mentor Cal Brundrett, retired. We talk today about mentorship and the importance of taking young people under our wings to help them find their place in our community and in the world, as well as how Martin got into the air conditioning business to begin with. Martin is just one of the nicest people to speak with and I was fortunate to have had this time with him!   

Incumbent Greg Giessner and Challenger Junior Ezeono answer questions in an interview to help voters know about them prior to the June 5, 2021 City Council Election for District 8.