Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Matt Griffith, the vice president of Rockrose Development, the company behind the development of Amarillo neighborhoods including The Colonies, Westover Park and Pinnacle. Griffith began designing houses in high school, worked in planning for the City of Amarillo, and has now spent nearly 30 years with Rockrose. He shares with host Jason Boyett about the role of developers in a city like Amarillo, how he found his way into that role, and why Amarillo is now on the radar of big national retailers. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo.

A conversation with Rachel Flores, the Executive Director of Amarillo Art Institute. This nonprofit offers art workshops and classes all year long at Sunset Center, where Flores is helping spearhead the renovation of Arts in the Sunset. In this episode, she tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Bushland, moving back to Amarillo as an adult, and beginning her job just a year before the passing of Ann Crouch, the artist and visionary who owned and managed the Sunset Center property. On the cusp of its reopening, Flores explains the vision behind the restored Arts in the Sunset and the eventual return of the city's beloved First Friday Art Walk. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Joshua Raef, the owner/operator of Chick-fil-A Georgia Street and Chick-fil-A Westgate Mall. Raef tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Amarillo Catholic schools, how he got into the restaurant business and how his businesses have weathered challenges—from the pandemic to the chain's nationwide controversies related to politics and gay marriage, more than a decade ago. In 2015, Raef and his wife, Erica, also spearheaded the passage of House Bill 635, a state law that guarantees parents the right to the remains of their unborn children. Raef explains how that law got passed and why it mattered so much to his family. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Idella Jackson, who serves as the Constable Precinct 4 for Potter County. Jackson arrived in Amarillo as a young single mother—and a high school dropout—determined to provide for her children and build a career. She spent more than a decade at the William P. Clements Unit with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, then nearly eight years with the Potter County Sheriff's Office before being elected Constable in 2013. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Jackson explains what her law enforcement job entails, the hurdles she overcame in her career, and why its so valuable for young children see a Black woman in uniform. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative.

A conversation with Kelli Bullard, who is temporarily retired after careers in publishing, communications, senior living and the nonprofit world (among other workplaces). Kelli recently authored an article in Brick & Elm Magazine about her journey to recover from multiple brain surgeries to treat a brain tumor, and the frightening complications that resulted during the process. In this episode, she and host Jason Boyett discuss her Amarillo work history, her illness, and Kelli's personal questions about why she got better when others don't. This episode is sponsored by Gaut Whittenburg Emerson and Jimmy John's.

A conversation with Kevin Carter, the President and CEO of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation. Kevin spent his early career in Plainview before arriving in Amarillo in 2019, and quickly realized he was here to stay. With the AEDC, his job is to sell Amarillo as a destination for primary businesses, with the goal of expanding industry and manufacturing in the city. In this episode, Carter tells host Jason Boyett how he ended up in this position, why he loves promoting Amarillo to outside companies, and why he believes the city is poised for future growth. This episode is sponsored by Gaut Whittenburg Emerson and La-Z-Boy of Amarillo.

A conversation with Gwen Hicks, the Executive Director of Amarillo Angels, an organization that provides community for children and families in foster care. Hicks founded the organization in 2016 after a long career in education, from teaching elementary school to serving as a junior high counselor to coordinating Head Start at Region 16. In this episode, she shares with host Jason Boyett how her education career cultivated a passion for seeing kids succeed, how the challenges of the foster care system get in the way of that success, and the unique way Amarillo Angels helps kids and their families. This episode is sponsored by Gaut Whittenburg Emerson and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with the Rev. Jared Houze, Rector at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Jared is a 7th-generation Texan who grew up in Dallas but has spent most of his adult life in West Texas. He and his family arrived in Amarillo during the summer of 2020. He shares with host Jason Boyett about his ministry calling and conversion to the Episcopal tradition, his journey from rural churches to St. Andrew's, and what he is learning about community and diversity here in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by the Discover Amarillo app and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with chiropractor and voice actor Jeff S. Williams, who currently juggles two careers: He's the owner of Creek Stone Integrated Medical, which combines chiropractic work with acupuncture, a nurse practitioner, and massage and spa services. But he's also a voiceover artist in high demand, thanks to his folksy, working-man baritone and a side gig he experimented with during the pandemic. Williams shares with host Jason Boyett how each of these careers began and why, in Amarillo, no one bats an eye when their chiropractor also records a lot of radio ads. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative, La-Z-Boy of Amarillo, and Leslie Massey Farmer's Insurance.

A conversation with Sister Elizabeth Ann Dockery of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and the convent known as Prayer Town Emmanuel. Located near Boys Ranch, Prayer Town is a Franciscan Charismatic Religious Community. Elizabeth Ann is an Amarillo native, former music educator and a past member of the Amarillo Symphony. She shares with host Jason Boyett about her music career, her conversion to Catholicism and the path to discovering her religious vocation. She also explains the role of Prayer Town in this community. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and Shemen Dental.