🏡 How Can Stronger Neighborhoods Create More Opportunities? 💡

In this episode of the Four Evansville Podcast, we explore the powerful connection between neighborhood revitalization and upward mobility in Evansville. Adrienne, Amy Mangold (President & CEO of United Way), and Austin Maxheimer (Love Your Neighborhood Director at Community One) dive into how shifting the focus from poverty reduction to celebrating upward mobility can unlock the potential within our communities.

Discover how initiatives like Love Your Neighborhood are empowering residents, fostering economic growth, and creating lasting change. When neighborhoods thrive, so do the people in them!

What if better connectivity could transform Evansville’s economy, healthcare access, and overall quality of life? In this episode we talk about how transportation impacts everything from job access to community vibrancy. We also dive into METS Micro, an innovative new transit solution that’s already making a difference. 73% of rider's feel more connected to our city.

Tune in to discover why a well-connected city is a thriving city!

Guests:

• Jonathan Siebeking, Director of METS
• Andrea Hayes, Chief Program & Impact Officer at Welborn Baptist Foundation
• Matt Schreifer, Chief Transportation Planner at the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization

Show Notes:

METS Micro

How do we bridge the gap between education and employment? In this episode, we dive into the Thriving Workforce section of Talent EVV's annual report.

Join us as we speak with BJ Watts (Executive Director of OptIN), Robin Woebkenberg (Counselor & CTE Program Operations at OptIN), and Annie Hills (Chief of Staff at Old National Bank) about how local businesses and schools are creating hands-on learning opportunities for students—ensuring they’re not just prepared for the workforce but thriving in it.

From apprenticeships to industry-driven training, this conversation highlights the power of partnerships in shaping the future of Evansville's economy.

Show Notes

• Talent EVV's Annual Report
• Bosse High School Principle Aaron Huff's talk at Imagine Evansville
• Explore OPT-IN

“Bringing new talent to Evansville isn’t just about numbers—it’s about building a community that’s excited to be here.”

In this episode discussing Talent EVV's annual report, Adrienne sits down with Abby Elpers and Ashley Riester to talk about how Evansville is tackling population growth.

Programs like Make My Move and Belong Here bring new residents and talent to the city while strengthening the local economy. Tune in to hear how these initiatives are shaping Evansville’s future and what you can do to help!

Show Notes:

Check out the Evansville Region Newcomer's Guide

Join the For Evansville Collective

We're back with season 5! Can you believe it?

We're kicking off the year in collaboration with Talent EVV, taking a look at their annual report. They had some big goals for Evansville by 2025, and it's that time...did they meet them?

Adrienne and Jonathan are joined by Tyler Stock, Executive Director of Talent EVV, to discuss the region’s ambitious goals for growth and transformation. We explore key insights from the Talent EVV's annual report, highlighting both the successes and challenges in areas like workforce development, population growth, health, and poverty reduction. Tune in as we uncover what’s shaping Evansville’s future and how the community is working together to create meaningful change.

Discuss: What’s one thing that would make you more excited to live and work in Evansville—and how can you be part of making it happen?

Notes:

Explore Talent EVV

We know, nutrition and wellness seem like buzzwords right now. But before you roll your eyes and decide to skip this episode, there's a reason we thought it was important.

Our guest, Theresa Scheller, applies the science of nutrition to mental and physical wellness. After years of struggling with ADHD, Theresa's journey into science and nutrition and mental health started with her own personal hurdles.

Active in her faith, Theresa believes bringing the Kingdom of God here on earth includes people's bodies and mind.

Immigrants. Refugees. All hot button phrases right now. But what if these "political issues" sat down next to you at church?

In this week's episode we sit down with local pastor Brett Doninger and a long-time member of his church, Elizabeth. Over the course of a year, their church has transformed into something they couldn't have imagined, therefore changing their congregation to act differently beyond the church walls. 

Husband, father of eight kids, ultra-marathon runner, psychologist, author, podcaster … you get the point. Jim Schroeder seems to do it all. It’s his self-prescribed mission of wholiness – the synonymous drive of holiness and wholeness in all aspects of our being: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual.

Our current miniseries is about places we find the Church outside of the church building, and Jim has found it everywhere. He joins us today to talk about how it took some personal inner battles to fully discover the integration of faith and psychology. 

You can check out more of his books, articles, and podcast on ⁠his website⁠ 

Want to recommend a guest? Email us at [email protected]

Brian grew up thinking the most spiritual, closest people to God were missionaries and pastors. So that was his goal - to become a lead pastor. But Brian started noticing a trend in his personal experience - church was becoming more and more stressful and work was more and more life-giving. 

This unexpected reality caused Brian to reconstruct his ideas of who and where God wanted him to be. Join us for another episode of Stories Beyond the Pew where Brian Fleming, Regional Sales Manager at North America at MCC Verstraete, walks us through his journey. 

What do politics, the environment, and the Church have in common? Loving your neighbor.

The Church in politics is a risky thing to say. But this episode with Councilwoman Mary Allen explores how followers of Jesus can navigate that space.

You may also know her as the owner of Sixth + Zero, the beautiful store on Main Street in downtown Evansville that inspires us all to waste less and live more.