This episode is brought to you by Do Savannah

Years after playing the tuba on the sideline of a National Championship game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Terrass "Razz" Misher has made his way to Savannah and found it to be a digital watering hole yet to be finished. Paving the way for podcasts and other digital media in the city, Razz has started a number of businesses aimed at helping people use this new, digital landscape to bring more exposure and a bit of personality to their enterprise. But Razz also has goals of his own, and loves helping people find their way to podcasts. He discusses his life up to this point, his family, making his way to Savannah and how people can use podcasts in their daily life on this week's episode of Difference Makers.

(6:27): Early career moves following college

(8:24): Moving to Savannah and becoming interested in the burgeoning digital landscape here

• Savannah Business Showcase on WRUU 107.5 FM

(9:51): Leaders Forum International and Podcast on the Go

• Faith Equestrian Therapeutic Center

(11:43): Trends he has noticed from interviewing passionate people

• Difference Makers: Episode 5 - Savannah Bananas founders/owners Jesse and Emily Cole
• Aunt Laurie's Lowcountry Giftbaskets and Gift Basket Ideas

(16:09): Potential for podcasts

(20:11): How do you motivate clients to take part in podcasting?

(24:11): Where do you see the audience for podcast?

(27:55): Best practice for those interested in starting a podcast

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode is brought to you by Do Savannah and DoSavannah.com

The potential brought Rob Hernandez to Savannah and two years later, he still sees the city ready to thrive. Whether that is through a new arena project or a re-configuration of the Civic Center, change is happening in the Hostess City and Hernandez is a major influence on it. On this episode, Hernandez speaks with editorial page editor Adam Van Brimmer about what drew him to public service, his military career, his time in Florida and what he makes of Savannah now compared to when he first took his position as city manager.

(7:25): The draw to public service and his military service

(13:39): Time working in Broward County, Florida

(16:47): How is Savannah now compared to when he first took the job?

• Savannah council hires Rob Hernandez as city manager for $238,000 (SMN, Sept. 1, 2016)
• City Manager: Savannah facing funding challenges for 2019 (SMN, July 10, 2018) 

(19:49): Arena and canal district plans

• Savannah moves forward with $11.2 million arena contract (SMN, Sept. 13, 2018)
• City Talk: New Savannah arena — meeting point or dividing line? (SMN, Oct. 27, 2018)
• Concepts for new Savannah arena unveiled (SMN, Oct. 30, 2018)

(26:44): Why move employees and government out of the city and sell off old buildings?

• Savannah City Council OKs downtown building sale for hotel (SMN, Aug. 16, 2018)
• City Talk: Sale of public buildings changing character of Historic District (SMN, Sept. 8, 2018)
• Savannah has second thoughts on building buyer after we question  his past violations (SMN, Oct. 9, 2018)

(29:13): What to make of recent developments with the Civic Center

• City determing Civic Center's future with help of public survey (SMN, Sept. 30, 2018)
• CIty Talk: Civic Center future now up to study, debate (SMN, Oct. 6, 2018)

(32:51): What to make of the "threatened" status placed on the Historic District

• National Park Service determines Savannah Historic District 'threatened' (SMN, Aug. 28, 2018)

(34:14): His reaction to his experience as Savannah City Manager

(37:38): His future in Savannah

• Savannah's city manager applies for position in Texas (SMN, June 14, 2018)
• Editorial: City manager at career crossroads (SMN, June 16, 2018)
• Savannah city manager doesn't get Florida job (SMN, Aug. 16, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode is brought to you by the St. Joseph's/Candler Paint the Town Pink campaign

Coming to Savannah from Charleston may prickle with locals when they learn about Daniel Carey, but they have to respect him after learning of his resume with the Historic Savannah Foundation. Forgoing a law career for one in preservation, Carey has sheperded Savannah into an area toeing the line between the past and a more contemporary setting with his organization working with many of the developmental projects around town to take the city into the future but also commemorate its past.

(5:22): Beginning of his career in preservation

(9:20): History of the Historic Savannah Foundation

• Historic Savannah Foundation kicks off 60th anniversary year (SMN, Jan. 27, 2015)

(19:28): What HSF does and how it has to think of both the past and the contemporary

(22:15): Revolving fund property projects

• Historic Savannah Foundation's revolving fund has preserved the face of the city (SMN, Oct. 13, 2018)

(25:36): What does the Oglethorpe Plan look like in 2018?

• City Talk: Restoring Oglethorpe plan should be apart of arena project (SMN, Jun. 6, 2015)

(29:22): Balance between thinking of residents and thinking of tourists with downtown plan

(32:51): What to make of the "threatened" status placed on the Historic District

• National Park Service determines Savannah Historic District 'threatened' (SMN, Aug. 28, 2018)

(38:00): The future of the Civic Center, Starland/Thomas Square area, arena district and other development projects

• Savannah City Council OKs Starland District development (SMN, Mar. 29, 2018)
• City Talk: Civic Center site use requires long-term vision (SMN, July 23, 2018)
• Savannah to rehabilitate 19th century property, house police officers (SMN, Sept. 26, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode is brought to you by the St. Joseph's/Candler Paint the Town Pink campaign

Terri O'Neil would be the first to admit that a career in music wasn't the immediate course she intended to take, but she's happy she made the choice. Now executive director of the Savannah Philharmonic and Chorus, she has been instrumental in bringing classical music and the musicians that bring it to life in the city to people in the community — both through concerts and through educational or outreach programs. Terri sits down with Adam to discuss her upbringing in Savannah as the daughter of a military member as well as her education and early professional life before diving into what the Philharmonic is doing to reach the community and what the 10 years has meant to the city of Savannah.

(6:41): The role of music in her life

(9:10): What she thinks of running an orchestra

(10:00): The outreach and educational programs the Philharmonic puts on

• Savannah Philharmonic's street party brings free music, ice cream (Do Savannah; May 15, 2018)

(16:31): What the annual Picnic in the Park event means to the Philharmonic and the community

• Savannah's annual Picnic in the Park full of light, fun and flair (Do Savannah; Oct. 2, 2018)

(23:19): How are they bridging the gap with the next generation?

• Savannah Philharmonic reaches out to new generation with Orchestra Labs in schools (SMN, Jan. 27, 2018)

(26:39): A brief history of the Savannah Philharmonic

(29:56): What has caused the growth of the Savannah Philharmonic?

• To the next 10 years: Savannah Philharmonic celebrates first decade while looking to the future (SMN; Sept. 8, 2018)

(32:38): Life of the musicians that make up the orchestra

• Review: 'Fire & Spirit' were joined with fanfare, celebration to open Savannah Philharmonic's 10th season (Do Savannah; Sept. 27, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode of Difference Makers is brought to you by the Savannah Brunch Festival.

Growing up in Savannah, Katrina Bostick was unaware of the lives of people on the other side of the tracks. Coming home after college, she began to understand the struggle of children she was watching along with her mother at her child care facility and this attention to helping those less fortune has carried over to her position at Family Promise of Greater Savannah. The organization specializes in helping the homeless community and the families affected, and on this episode of Difference Makers, Bostick sits down and talks about the misconceptions of the homeless population, ways in which Family Promise helps their families and what the community can do to help.

(2:19): Growing up in Savannah

(5:29): Seeing the difference in lifestyles between the kids coming through child care

(7:35): Her journey to Family Promise of Greater Savannah

(12:05): How Family Promise of Greater Savannah works and why it is not a homeless shelter

• 'It really changes their world': Family Promise brings stability to Savannah's homeless (SMN, Dec. 9, 2017)

(16:06): The process of families coming to Family Promise and what the volunteer experience is like

• Volunteers feed homeless at 2018 Summer Feast (SMN, Aug. 4, 2018)

(20:47): Challenges and barriers for families coming to Family Promise

(26:16): What homelessness does not look like compared to preconceptions

• Savannah's homeless talk challenges of getting out of poverty (SMN, Aug. 4, 2018)

(32:26): What can be done to address homelessness more efficiently

• Savannah residents, officials talk homelessness at forum (SMN, Jun. 13, 2018)
• Tiny cures for Savannah homeless woes (SMN, Jun. 9, 2018)

(36:40): How the community can help

• Letters to the editor: Homeless population needs attention, solutions (SMN, July 7, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode of Difference Makers is brought to you by the Do Savannah Big Calendar.

Tasked with leading Georgia Southern University into a new era, interim president Shelley Nickel plans to steer the ship on its best course — and it isn't her first time doing so. In this episode, she talks about her upbringing, what led her to public administration, her thoughts on Georgia Southern as a campus and connecting the university to the thriving hubs in Savannah.

(2:44): Growing up in Pennsylvania and her pursuits

(8:25): Making the move to Georgia after working in Pennsylvania, taking the position later at Georgia Southern

• Georgia Southern University president Jaimie Hebert resigns (SMN, May 16, 2018)

(10:22): Her student success plan

• Editorial: GSU's Nickel looks to turn jeers into cheers (SMN, July 5, 2018)

(16:55) The search for the next GSU president

• These people will be picking Georgia Southern's next president (SMN, Aug.22, 2018)

(19:20): High education beliefs

(21:22): How does GSU respond to the competition for students in the state?

(27:00) Ties between Georgia Southern in Statesboro and Savannah

• Interim Georgia Southern president prioritizes programs for Armstrong campus (SMN, July 1, 2018)
• Georgia Southern holds traditional watermelon cutting on Armstrong campus (SMN, July 19, 2018)

(30:00) What parents should think about with student finances

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode of Difference Makers is brought to you by the Do Savannah Big Calendar.

Taking the helm of a new police force is always nerve-wracking, but doing it for a brand-new police force with hardly any other members is something else. Chatham County police chief Jeff Hadley did just that last November when he came to the area to become the chief for the newly formed police department for the unincorporated part of the county. Hadley talks about his family, his decision to come to Chatham County from Michigan and the type of culture he hopes to instill in his department.

(3:16): Hadley's work in Kalamazoo, Michigan and its cross-training program

(6:19): Starting with the Chatham County Police Department

• New Chatham County Police Department swears in chief, 22 officers (SMN, Dec. 4, 2017)

(8:57): Process of hiring and training officers for the new force

• Chatham County police chief remains focused on staffing, property crimes (SMN, May 19, 2018)

(19:15) Creating a culture for the Chatham County Police Department

• New Chatham County police chief hopes to create departmental culture, community trust (SMN, Nov. 6, 2017)

(24:48): Strong belief in relationship policing

• Unincorporated Chatham crime down 5.3 percent so far in 2018 (SMN, July 7, 2018)

(28:37): How would you respond to a concerned citizen?

• Chatham County police chief: First night 'pretty uneventful' (SMN, Feb.1, 2018)
• Chatham commission gets update on police staffing, crimes (SMN, July 20, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode of Difference Makers is brought to you by the Georgia Southern Extra podcast. Click the link to listen to episode one.

After a fireworks proposal and clandestine visit to Savannah, Jesse and Emily Cole returned to the Hostess City after the previous team inhabiting Grayson Stadium, known by the Coles as "the other team," left for Colombia. Three years later and the Savannah Bananas are thriving more than one could ever imagine and the couple attributes that to dedication, a driven group of staff members and a focus on creating a fans first experience. In the episode, Jesse and Emily discuss how they met, why they chose Savannah as the site of a new team, creating the culture with their staff and what plans they have for the future.

(1:53): How Jesse and Emily met — and how baseball played a role

(5:43): Making the move to Savannah

(8:07): The challenges facing them when they arrived at Grayson Stadium and their new living space

(12:35) Creating a fans first mentality for the Bananas

• Juggling Act: Savannah Bananas co-owner 'putting everything' into entertaining fans (SMN, Jun. 1, 2016)
• Business as Unusual: Owner Jesse Cole thanks Savannah for going Bananas (SMN, Jul. 28, 2018)

(15:58): Establishing the culture of the Bananas and how the staff responds to their work environment

(20:52): How did Jesse and Emily get the players to buy into the Bananas way?

• Savannah Bananas host Fan Fest before 2018 season begins (SMN, May 28, 2018)

(28:05): Naming their team as the Bananas

• Savannah's new baseball team: the Bananas (SMN, Feb. 25, 2016)

(30:11): Grayson Stadium and why the Coles love the history of "their home"

• PHOTOS: Grayson Stadium, baseball history in Savannah (SMN, Aug. 7, 2014)

(31:47) What is in store for the future of the Savannah Bananas?

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.

This episode of Difference Makers is brought to you by a digital subscription to the Savannah Morning News.

Aleshia headed to London to go to school, which was the area she would later meet her now husband, Max. After a short jump to Silicon Valley, the Howells have settled into Savannah with their company, Codebase Savannah. There, they aim to teach people of all ages how to code and develop apps for themselves. Over the conversation, they talk about moving to Silicon Valley, why they decided to come to Savannah and what makes coding an appealing career path for kids and young adults.

(1:40): Aleshia makes her way to London and meets Max

(5:55): Learning about app development and finding a niche

(7:57): Why they chose Savannah as their landing spot

• Editorial: Grow the local technology ecosystem (SMN, Jun. 13, 2018)

(9:15) Silicon Valley as a "hub of technology"

(11:28) Creating Codebase Savannah

• Codebase offers chance to grow new mobile apps (SMN, Aug. 25, 2017)

(18:17): Going to college vs. coming to a place like Codebase

• Codebase training effort sees early results in Savannah (SMN, May 31, 2018)

(21:30): Is there a rise in people interested in tech-based careers?

(24:00): The pitfalls of getting a computer science degree

(30:42): Why kids and young adults should consider a career in app development

• New Savannah public school grad? Apply for a scholarship to learn iOS code (SMN, May 31, 2018)

Make sure to follow The Commute podcast for daily news briefs from Adam.