In Our Town with Tom Carlson

As Missouri State University students return to campus for the 2024 fall semester, another newcomer is joining their ranks. President Richard "Biff" Williams has just begun his tenure at the university this year, but he already has big plans about what this chapter will hold for the MSU. 

In this episode, President Williams joins host Tom Carlson to discuss his past at Utah Tech University, the strengths and challenges that come with taking the helm at MSU and what he hopes to achieve with the Bears' acceptance into Conference USA and the potential university-wide application of AI.

During the excitement of beginning a new school year, many children will experience an added layer of anxiety due to not having the necessities needed to succeed in their classes. To help ensure that every child is given the ability to excel, Springfield nonprofit Care to Learn addresses emergent health, hunger and hygiene needs of students across Missouri while empowering school staff and faculty and centering children's confidentiality. 

In this episode, host Tom Carlson sits down with Care to Learn CEO Krystal Simon to learn more about her career trajectory, the process Care to Learn implements to provide resources to children and the importance of collaboration within communities when acting in service. 

We often don't choose the circumstances that inform our trajectories in life. For at-risk and foster care youth, difficulties such as poverty, teen pregnancy and incarceration can create monumental hurdles that severely impact early development. Addressing these issues head-on, Springfield-based nonprofit I Pour Life utilitizes full-spectrum programs to promote positive growth and opportunity.

In this episode, host Tom Carlson interviews I Pour Life executive director Ben McBride to learn more about his own journey into this work, I Pour Life's methodology and the incredible transformations that can occur when holistic support is provided to young people. 

When Amy Blansit moved to north Springfield during her college years at Drury University, she fell in love with both the charm of the historic buildings and her late husband Drew Lewis.

Continuing the mission she and Lewis shared of improving the community through asset-based urban development, she founded the Drew Lewis Foundation, which provides programs that foster well-being, self-sufficiency and empowerment for those facing financial hardship.

Host Tom Carlson sat down with Blansit to learn more about her own lived experience growing up in a working class household, how the Drew Lewis Foundation has grown over the years and the powerful work the organization is doing for Springfield and beyond.

With anxiety, depression and the risk of suicide on the rise among children and teens, mental health and education experts are searching for answers to intervene in the ongoing mental health crisis impacting our youth. 

In this episode, Tom Carlson speaks with Amy Hill LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), Executive Vice President of Community and School-Based Services at Brightli, to learn about the difficulties young people face, the various causes underlying their mental health struggles and the role of social media and technology in this epidemic. 

Award-winning Springfield photographer Randy Bacon is driven by a simple but profound ideology when it comes to his work in portraiture, filmmaking and the nonprofit sphere: each and every person is a unique individual who deserves to have their story shared with the world. Never losing a sense of wonderment, he has used the culmination of four decades of experience to explore the stories of those who are often overlooked and misunderstood in our society. 

Host Tom Carlson sits down with Bacon to discuss his beginnings in photography, the practices he uses to authentically capture his subjects and the evolution of his artistic practice as it has expanded into multiple ongoing projects and mediums over the years. 

For Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield CEO Brandy Harris, leading efforts to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in the Springfield metro is a full circle moment. Having lived through a difficult childhood facing poverty and abuse, Harris believes her current position is a testament to the transformational impact caring adults can have on a child’s life.

In this episode, host Tom Carlson speaks with Harris about her formative experiences growing up in the Queen City, what she has learned as she spearheads the development of services and resources for youth and the key insights she has gained by listening to and advocating for children in the community.

Get ready, football fans, Southwest Missouri will welcome its new professional arena football team, the Ozarks Lunkers, on June 1, 2024. For the first time, Springfieldians will get the exhilarating opportunity to watch this fast-paced, indoor version of American football live.

As a kickoff to this noteworthy season, host Tom Carlson sat down with the Lunkers’ general manager Caleb Scott to discuss the upcoming season and the incredible backstory of how the team came together.

While becoming the superintendent of Missouri’s largest school system in 2021 may have been a daunting task, Dr. Grenita Lathan’s extensive experience in education has uniquely equipped her for this leadership role for Springfield Public Schools. Having served as the superintendent of Houston, Texas schools and held a variety of positions in public schools across the country, she brings a wealth of knowledge to spearhead our school board. 

Dr. Lathan joins host Tom Carlson to discuss the protocols and role of the board of education, insights into key issues facing Springfield Public Schools and how she hopes to support the district in its future growth.

As a third-generation policeman, Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams has devoted his life to law enforcement. He joins In Our Town host Tom Carlson to discuss policing from the perspective of 43 years of expertise in the field.

Touching on topics such as the impacts of public perception of officers and the COVID-19 pandemic on the police force, diversity initiatives within the Springfield Police Department and the use of surveillance technology, Williams shines a light on the current developments within law enforcement and where the establishment is headed.