Hey Amarillo

This week, Skylar sits down with Heather Manderson—an accomplished actor with a career full of unique and meaningful experiences. Heather is currently involved in a powerful stage production, The Blind, which centers on the 1997 death of Brian Deneke, a member of Amarillo's punk community. His tragic killing shook the city and exposed deep cultural divides. In this conversation, Heather reflects on the role of theater in shaping how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us—and how storytelling can help us process grief, challenge perceptions, and build empathy.

In this episode, Skylar sits down with Billy, a resident of Transformation Park—Amarillo's innovative housing initiative for individuals experiencing homelessness. Coming from San Angelo, Billy arrived in Amarillo with nothing but the clothes on his back, leaving behind an unsafe situation. He shares his journey of resilience: from sleeping in shelters and navigating public transportation to securing a job and building a new life. Billy's story is one of grit, faith, and determination—and a powerful reminder of what's possible when people are given a chance.

In this episode, Will Masters joins me for a powerful conversation about the natural resources that shape our region—especially water. With a legal background and current work at Ogallala Life and Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, Will brings a deep and thoughtful perspective to the complex challenges we face. We talk conservation, community engagement, and the creative, grounded solutions that could help secure our future.

This week, Skylar sits down with Samuel Uwimana, a Congolese refugee who resettled in Amarillo in 2018. Drawing from his own story and those of fellow African refugees, Samuel founded United Refugee Services to support and uplift the community. Together, they talk about the challenges and triumphs of resettlement, the realities versus perceptions of "coming to America," and so much more.

This week, Skylar visits with Amanda Mathias. After working across the state in mental health provider capacities, she was given the opportunity to build programs and systems statewide, which she did successfully, before bringing that expertise back home to get to work on quality and accessible access to mental health services in the Texas Panhandle. Outside of her role as Executive Director of Meadows Institute Panhandle, Amanda is a Texan to the core, mother and wife, and servant leader, all of which she discusses in this episode.

In this episode, Skylar visits with Doug Loomis, former superintendent of Amarillo ISD, just as Loomis enters retirement from a 39-year career, not only in education - but all 39 of those years were in Amarillo ISD. They discuss what is best about the district and the challenges it faces but they also dive into what our schools need to succeed, and what it's like to be the person making some really, really tough decisions.

In this episode, Skylar visits with Sharon Miner. Sharon is the Executive Director of Martha's Home, a women and children's shelter in Amarillo. Sharon has also held some really interesting previous titles and roles, and brings all of that experience, those stories, and her relentless tenacity and pragmatism to her work and to this episode.

In this episode, Jason is back to announce Skylar Gallop will pick up the podcast and continue telling the stories of our neighbors and community. Hear her background, approach to this new-to-her project, and what you can expect as a listener moving forward.

From host Jason Boyett: After seven amazing years and more than 400 conversations, I've decided to bring my time on Hey Amarillo to a close. As a writer, I believe in the value of a well-timed ending. Some stories deserve to go out on a high note—before the fire fades and while the gratitude is still fresh. So this is my attempt to end the show with purpose and intention. To do so, I'm joined by my adult daughter, Ellie Boyett, who asks me a series of questions submitted by a few former guests. I also bring in long-time podcast editor Angelina Marie to talk about making Hey Amarillo. To me, Hey Amarillo has always been more than just a podcast. It's a love letter to this city and the people who make Amarillo what it is, so thank you for listening. And while my time on the show is ending, Hey Amarillo may continue in the future. Don't unsubscribe just yet, and stay tuned for what's next.

A conversation with Holly Ridings, an Amarillo native and the Director of the Exploration Operations Office at NASA. Prior to that relatively new position, her career includes becoming the first woman to serve as NASA's Chief Flight Director in 2018. In this episode, Ridings shares with host Jason Boyett about her path from Tascosa High School to Mission Control. From leading teams supporting the International Space Station to the ongoing Artemis program—with sights set on Mars—Ridings credits the grounding of her Amarillo upbringing and education with her pursuit of the stars. This episode is supported by SKP Creative on behalf of The Amarillo Tribune.