Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Todd McLees, the Managing Partner at Innovation Outpost, an innovative new learning center associated with Amarillo College. McLees came specifically to Amarillo to work for this initiative after several decades as an executive in the tech world. McLees shares with host Jason Boyett about his short career as the Milwaukee Bucks mascot, why Amarillo is becoming a hub for technical skills, and how Innovation Outpost helps individuals gain credentials that make a difference in career trajectory. This episode is sponsored by Mind & Child, Wieck Realty and US Cleaners.

A conversation with Tim Oditt, Head of School at Ascension Academy. Oditt arrived in Amarillo in the summer of 2020 to guide this college-prep school, after having spent the previous decade at a private school in Ohio and a military academy in Virginia. Oditt is an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne. In this episode, he shares with host Jason Boyett about his career in private schools, the role Ascension plays in the local education sphere, and why his family was so glad to return to West Texas. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental, Blue Handle Publishing and KWTS "The One."

A conversation with Skylar Gallop, a former TV news reporter and anchor who now serves as the Texas Panhandle Regional Advocacy Director for Raise Your Hand Texas. A WT graduate, Gallop spent several years in the San Angelo and Tyler media markets before returning to this area. She shares with host Jason Boyett about her TV news career—and why she stepped away from it. She also details her stint as the Communications Director for the Williams Group in Amarillo and why she now advocates for public schools across the Panhandle. This episode is sponsored by PestTex Pest Control and KWTS "The One."

A conversation with Leslie Massey, a Farmers Insurance Agent in Amarillo and co-owner of The Shop, an event venue. After an early career selling online advertising for the newspaper, Massey changed careers after the 2008 financial crisis. She explains to host Jason Boyett how she built up her insurance business, the challenges the industry is facing today, and why she also helps manage an event venue. They also discuss her home, which was originally built by the legendary gambler Amarillo Slim. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative, KWTS "The One," and La-Z-Boy Furniture.

A conversation with Donivan Blair, an Amarillo resident who lives here but travels all over the world as the bassist for the rock band The Toadies, which he joined in 2008. Over the past couple decades he has recorded 17 albums—several with the band Hagfish, which he founded—and performed in hundreds of venues. Doni also holds a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo, is learning Jiu Jitsu, and is the author of the memoir Even If It Kills Me, a book about martial arts, rock and roll, and mortality. This episode is sponsored by Discover Amarillo, KWTS "The One," and Purpose + Passion Boutique.

A conversation with Rickie Johnson, a motivational speaker in Amarillo who specializes in financial literacy seminars. His family moved frequently when Johnson was a kid—he grew up in Pampa, Tulia, and various stints in Amarillo. He tells host Jason Boyett how his upbringing in a low-income household convinced him most families didn't struggle with a lack of income, but a lack of knowledge about how to handle money when it was available. Johnson's work in sales and exposure to colleagues making better financial decisions inspired him to help others learn good money habits. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and US Cleaners.

A conversation with Lilia Escajeda, a retired banker and long-time community leader. Born in El Paso, Escajeda arrived in Amarillo in the 1970s. Upon being hired by Amarillo National Bank, she became the first female loan officer of any bank in Amarillo. She spent decades at ANB before retiring in 2010, after which she served elected terms as the first Mexican-American woman on the Amarillo College Board of Regents as well as the Amarillo City Council. Escajeda shares with host Jason Boyett about her upbringing, why she's so involved in the community, and how she believes Amarillo needs to continue to grow. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and Book Puma Online.

A conversation with Randy Ray, Director of Broadcast Engineering at West Texas A&M University and a Canyon City Commissioner. A native of Pampa, Ray graduated from WT before spending the next 15 years in Nashville, where he ended up managing the huge Sunset Studios. He returned to WT in 2002 to help design the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex. Ray shares with host Jason Boyett about his stint in a prominent Christian rock band, the opportunity that brought him back to the Panhandle, and why he's excited about Canyon's future. This episode is sponsored by Purpose + Passion Boutique.

A conversation with Lindsay Irwin, who owns CannFusion Juice with her husband, Jarratt. After attending high school and college in the Metroplex area, Lindsay traveled for several years around the United States before landing in Amarillo. Once here, she helped found the Amarillo Community Market, taught school, and launched CannFusion, a brand of juice shots blended with hemp-derived CBD and THC. She tells host Jason Boyett about the personal value of her itinerant years and how the market for cannabinoid products is changing. This episode is sponsored by the Discover Amarillo app and Reviews by SKP Creative.

A conversation with Eric Gomez, principal of the new West Plains High School in the Canyon Independent School District. Gomez is not only in the process of staffing the first new high school in the city in decades, but also helping establish its culture and personality. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, the former coach shares how he found his way into education, how a personal tragedy forged a powerful connection with the community, and how he feels with the first semester at West Plains just a few days away. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture, Wieck Realty and PestTex Pest Control.