Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Jay Barrett, a longtime academic administrator and the principal of the new AmTech Career Academy. Opened in Fall 2021 by the Amarillo Independent School District, AmTech won the nationwide "Most Innovative Learning Spaces" award from Tech & Learning Magazine and has gained attention all over the United States. Barrett, who began his education in a one-room schoolhouse and taught English before moving into administration, shares the AmTech origin story—and the potential citywide impact of its learning spaces. This episode is supported by the Discover Amarillo app and the TEXAS Outdoor Musical.

A conversation with Kristin DeRight, owner of Purpose + Passion Boutique. Many of the fashion, decór and gift products carried by this Wolflin Village shop are designed to give back to other organizations. This focus is a culmination of DeRight's unique background, which includes stints in the nonprofit world, fashion and retail merchandising, and online sales. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, DeRight shares how a string of career opportunities helped steer her to the idea that became her boutique. This episode is supported by Reviews by SKP Creative, Shemen Dental, and the TEXAS Outdoor Musical.

A conversation with Casie Stoughton, Director of Public Health for the city of Amarillo. Since COVID-19 arrived here in March of 2020, Stoughton has been the public face of the city's pandemic response. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Stoughton shares why she choose public health as a career, how the city rolled out its vaccine distribution so efficiently, and how she and her team have dealt with the mental health aspects of their work over the past two years. This episode is supported by the AC Creative Mind Lecture Series featuring Skip Hollandsworth, the TEXAS Outdoor Musical and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Chris McGilvery, founder and executive director of the Leaders Readers Network (LRN) and a Ph.D. student at Texas Tech University. A long-time educator who came to Amarillo after stints in central Texas, New York State, and the Caribbean island of Dominica, McGilvery started his nonprofit to help improve literacy programming in local school districts. He tells host Jason Boyett how the grassroots LRN ensures equitable education and literacy for all students. This episode is supported by the AC Creative Mind Lecture Series featuring Skip Hollandsworth, the TEXAS Outdoor Musical and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Kaytie Gann, the owner and creator of Hollow Dot Designs. After living in Canada and Europe, Gann eventually settled in Amarillo and launched her jewelry brand in 2016. Her delicate Welded Forever bracelets—which are permanently attached to the wrist—have gained a huge local following, turning jewelry-buying into an immersive experience. She tells host Jason Boyett how her business developed and why Amarillo has proven to be the perfect place to experiment. This episode is sponsored by TEXAS Outdoor Musical and the Discover Amarillo app.

A conversation with Dr. Priscella Correa, Assistant Professor of Nursing at West Texas A&M University. Originally from southwest Kansas, Correa entered nursing after seeing the ways her parents were treated by the medical profession. She tells host Jason Boyett how she now hopes to educate the next generation of nurses to provide care without bias. Correa is just one of 12 Texans chosen this year for the Career and Leadership Development Institute of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education. This episode is sponsored by TEXAS Outdoor Musical, Blue Handle Publishing and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Eric Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer of Education Credit Union. Jenkins has been working in the credit union world for decades, but only came to ECU—and Amarillo—in 2019. He's originally from South Carolina and spent the last several years in Atlanta. He shares with host Jason Boyett about his decision to move to Amarillo, what impresses him about this community, and what role a credit union plays in the financial world. He also reveals details about Education Credit Union's innovative new Buff $mart program at WT. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and the TEXAS Outdoor Musical.

A conversation with Vicki Wilmarth, an employment law attorney and business transactions lawyer with more than 30 years in the business. With host Jason Boyett, Wilmarth details the challenges local businesses have faced over the past two years, and also helps explain the worker shortages that persist today. Vicki is also a passionate birder and photographer, and shares why the Texas Panhandle is such a great place for bald eagles and other species. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and CSAW's Nall Lecture featuring Red Steagall.

A conversation with Joe Bill Sherrod, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Amarillo College and Executive Director of the AC Foundation. What those two lengthy titles mean is that, among other duties, Sherrod serves as an institutional fundraising professional. He spent several years in a similar role for WTAMU, preceded by careers in personal insurance and youth ministry. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Sherrod details his unique resume, his decision to live in Amarillo, and why Panhandle people are so generous. This episode is sponsored by Union Hall and La-Z-Boy.

A conversation with Glenda Moore, the proprietor of Kind House Ukraine Bakery, an Amarillo nonprofit that has been raising money for Ukraine since 2014. A former elementary teacher and assistant principal, Moore fell in love with Ukraine and its people after a mission trip. She began baking to raise money for Ukrainians in need, and eventually left her education career to manage Kind House full time. Moore tells host Jason Boyett how Kind House began, what locals need to know about the invasion, and what the past three weeks have been like for her friends in Ukraine. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing and Discover Amarillo.