Hey Amarillo
350 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 121 ratingsHey Amarillo is a weekly, one-on-one interview podcast hosted by Jason Boyett, and featuring the people and stories of Amarillo, Texas.
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Episodes
Jay Barrett
May 17, 2022 02:16 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBA 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 c...
Kristin DeRight
May 09, 2022 21:00 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBA 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 b...
Casie Stoughton
May 02, 2022 21:06 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBA 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 su...
Chris McGilvery
April 25, 2022 21:03 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBA 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 ...
Kaytie Gann
April 18, 2022 20:56 - 44 minutes - 41 MBA 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 i...
Dr. Priscella Correa
April 11, 2022 21:02 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBA 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 High...
Eric Jenkins
April 04, 2022 21:08 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBA 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 Uni...
Vicki Wilmarth
March 28, 2022 20:58 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBA 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 ...
Joe Bill Sherrod
March 21, 2022 21:08 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBA 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 Am...
Glenda Moore
March 14, 2022 21:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MBA 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 invas...
Stephen Crandall
March 07, 2022 22:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBA conversation with Stephen Crandall, the newly named artistic director for the TEXAS Outdoor Musical. Currently finishing up a career as Department Head and Professor of Theatre at WTAMU, Crandall will assume his new leadership position for the 56th season of the storied musical in Palo Duro Canyon. In this episode, Crandall shares with host Jason Boyett about his acting career before WT, his portrayal of protagonist Calvin Armstrong in 1999, and his thoughts about breathing fresh air into ...
Gayle Callahan
February 28, 2022 22:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBA conversation with Gayle Callahan, the President and CEO of Plains Plumbing. After a multi-faceted career that included a stint as a corporate pilot, Gayle assumed leadership of a multi-generational family business after her husband's death from cancer. Today, the Amarillo-based Plains Plumbing serves customers from Georgia to California. In this episode, Gayle shares with Jason Boyett about her incredible career, including a promise she made—and broke—about maintaining the family business....
Katie Wieck
February 21, 2022 22:02 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBA conversation with Katie Wieck, the broker/owner of Wieck Realty. After growing up in and around a variety of Amarillo schools, Katie got into the real estate business within a year of her high school graduation. Incredibly, she bought her first home at the age of 19. In this episode, Wieck tells host Jason Boyett how she got into the business, why she decided to become a broker, and what's happening right now in Amarillo's wild housing market. This episode is sponsored by The Union Hall Wo...
John Forbis
February 14, 2022 22:33 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBA conversation with John Forbis, coordinator of district communications for Canyon ISD. A former teacher and administrator, Forbis arrived in Amarillo several years ago after working in the Metroplex and in Bryan/College Station. He and his family ended up falling in love with this area. Forbis shares with host Jason Boyett details about the new West Plains High School, how he uses social media to recruit teachers, and why the Canyon school district is growing so fast. This episode is sponso...
Strecia McCaig
February 07, 2022 22:00 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBA conversation with Strecia McCaig, owner of On Target Amarillo and an honorably retired sergeant with the Amarillo Police Department. After 26 years of service with APD, McCaig opened a firearms training business that specializes in teaching women how to shoot or hunt. With host Jason Boyett, she shares about being one of just a few female officers at APD, her path from patrol officer to sergeant, and why she's passionate about using her business to empower women. This episode is sponsored ...
Trevor Caviness
January 31, 2022 23:14 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBA conversation with Trevor Caviness, the president of Caviness Beef Packers, a multi-generational family business that processes nearly a million head of cattle per year. Despite being privately owned, Caviness is one of the largest beef-packing businesses in the United States, with products sold around the world. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Trevor discusses his decision to work for the family business, Caviness's position in the beef industry, and its progressive approaches...
Marcie Steward
January 24, 2022 23:40 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBA conversation with Marcie Steward, a local entrepreneur and minister who works at Park Central. Marcie grew up in Amarillo, dropped out of high school, and became homeless—as a single mother—before getting back on her feet through the assistance of Martha's Home. With host Jason Boyett, Marcie shares how she overcame those challenges through a combination of grit, faith, and the safety net Martha's Home provided. In fact, in the years since, Marcie has earned her GED and even started and so...
Charles D'Amico
January 17, 2022 21:54 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBA conversation with Charles D'Amico, the owner-operator of local Jimmy John's locations and the proprietor of Blue Handle Publishing and Book Puma. D'Amico grew up in Detroit but moved his family to Amarillo when he saw an opportunity to buy three existing franchise locations. He tells host Jason Boyett why he specifically chose this area to sell sandwiches, why he writes thrillers and started an indie publishing company, and how Amarillo customer complaints differ from Santa Fe complaints. ...
Suzanne Talley
January 10, 2022 23:27 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBA conversation with Suzanne Talley, the executive director of the 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle, an organization that helps the families of local firefighters and peace officers who are killed in the line of duty. Before that, she spent 17 years as the executive director of Coffee Memorial Blood Center. Suzanne tells host Jason Boyett about her two decades in the nonprofit world, how the 100 Club "fills in the gaps," and how the blood center navigated the pandemic. This episode is sponsore...
Lance Garza
January 03, 2022 22:39 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBA conversation with Lance Garza, owner of Bitter Buffalo Records and one of the partners at Caliche. Lance grew up in Amarillo before departing during his high school years. But in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, he and his wife decided to move back here from Chicago. More than a year later, Lance tells host Jason Boyett about the growth and opportunity he recognized in Amarillo—especially within the local creative scene—and why that encouraged him to invest in this community. This epis...
Special Episode: Holiday Mailbag
December 27, 2021 22:15 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBIn a special year-end episode, Hey Amarillo host Jason Boyett and editor Angelina Marie answer listener-submitted questions about the podcast, including surprises during recording, Jason's vocal tics, how he chooses guests, what Angelina edits out, and a lot more. They also discuss Amarillo itself: local "hidden gems," their individual Amarillo-related worries, and what their dreams are for the city. This episode is sponsored by the Discover Amarillo app, SKP Creative and Panhandle Plains Hi...
A Short Message from Jason Boyett
December 20, 2021 18:51 - 2 minutes - 1.83 MBJason's father, Mike Boyett, passed away on December 16, 2021, after a year-long journey with cancer. As a result, there will not be a new Hey Amarillo episode this week. Instead, host Jason Boyett has recorded a quick message for listeners. Read Mike Boyett's obituary here. Contribute to the T. Mike Boyett Memorial Scholarship Fund here.
Jim Whitton
December 13, 2021 21:27 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBA conversation with Jim Whitton, who is officially retired but has made enormous contributions helping connect Storybridge to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jim has had an incredibly diverse career, from international banking to talent representation in New York City to marketing at Hastings in the 1990s, followed by a lengthy tenure with The Hunger Project. He tells host Jason Boyett about the various stages of his career, how they led him to Amarillo, and why he decided to stay. This ...
Claudia Stuart
December 06, 2021 21:52 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBA conversation with Claudia Stuart, recently named Distinguished Alumni at West Texas A&M University. Decades ago, she became WT's first full-time, African American female faculty member and authored several books, including African Americans in Amarillo, which she cowrote. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Stuart shares about growing up in Germany, being one of the first Black students at WT, and her incredibly diverse career in sociology, criminal justice and other fields. This ...
Angela Workman
November 29, 2021 22:23 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBA conversation with Angela Workman, the proprietor of Aunt Eek's Books & Curiosities on historic 6th Street in Amarillo. Angela grew up in rural Amarillo, married early and left town. She eventually found her way back to Amarillo, where she spent time in the antiques world and working in temp agencies. Last year, during the pandemic, she opened the popular Aunt Eek's with a desire to create something fresh and new on 6th with a truly distinct personality. She tells host Jason Boyett that sto...
Jill Goodrich
November 22, 2021 22:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBA conversation with Jill Goodrich, the executive director of Opportunity School. A native of Nebraska, Jill first came to Amarillo as an intern during her college years. She then spent the first decades of her career in marketing and communications—work that eventually brought her back to Amarillo. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Jill shares how she found her way into the nonprofit world and why early childhood education can be such a powerful force. This episode is sponsored by...
Natalie Schlabs
November 15, 2021 22:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBA conversation with Natalie Schlabs, a Nashville singer-songwriter who grew up in Hereford and spent the first few years of her music career in Amarillo. After working in the food and catering for a few years, Schlabs eventually moved to Nashville to take her burgeoning music career more seriously. In this episode, she tells host Jason Boyett about getting her start singing in church, the early influence of former podcast guest Ryan Culwell, and how the Amarillo area continues to inform her ...
Judge Doug Woodburn
November 08, 2021 22:00 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBA conversation with the Honorable Judge Doug Woodburn of the 108th District Court in Potter County. A long-time family law attorney before his election in 2008, Woodburn is nearing his retirement. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, he shares why he committed so much time to family law, why he decided to run for judge several terms ago, and how the actual courtroom differs from what we see on television. Woodburn also shares about the new indigent defense plan he helped launch for P...
Susan Sherali
November 01, 2021 21:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MBA conversation with Susan Sherali, a third-year medical student and one of nine Afghani siblings who arrived as refugees in 2000. Susan and her family fled the Taliban and happened to end up in Amarillo—and two decades later, continue to love living here. Susan tells host Jason Boyett about learning English at Lamar Elementary and First Baptist Church, practicing her Islamic faith in a predominantly Christian area, and why she's so grateful for the opportunities she's been given. This episod...
Brady Clark
October 25, 2021 21:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBA conversation with Brady Clark, the co-founder and executive director of Square Mile Community Development, an organization working to bring long-term improvements to the San Jacinto neighborhood. A former pastor and veteran nonprofit consultant, Brady spent several years working in inner-city Dallas before returning to his hometown. He tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Amarillo's 1990s punk scene, what makes the SanJac neighborhood unique, and how Amarillo drew him back home. Thi...
Josh Gilmore
October 18, 2021 21:57 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBA conversation with Josh Gilmore, RN, a medical ICU nurse by day and a concert promoter by night. Gilmore has been in healthcare since graduating from Tascosa High a few years ago, and finished his RN degree right in the middle of the pandemic. He tells host Jason Boyett about working in a local COVID unit, as well as about his side hustle bringing headliners like Genuwine and Dru Hill to the area through Nfinity Entertainment. This episode is sponsored by the Discover Amarillo app and Brick...
Helen Burton
October 11, 2021 21:13 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBA conversation with Helen Burton, the small business owner behind Burton Insurance and Burton Leadership Solutions. Recipient of the 2019 Hispanic Woman of the Year award, Burton grew up in the Barrio neighborhood before attending Amarillo College as a single mom—and represented the first in her family to pursue higher education. She tells host Jason Boyett about her career path, breaking stereotypes, and why she is optimistic about the local business community. This episode is sponsored by ...
Richard Walton
October 04, 2021 21:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBA conversation with Richard Walton, a partner at NCW Risk Management. Walton spent several years working in Dallas before making the calculated decision to return to Amarillo. (His DFW friends staged an intervention.) Walton specializes in health insurance, and tells host Jason Boyett about the complexities of that world, along with what it's like working for a 95-year-old, generational business like NCW. They also speak about intentional parenting and why Amarillo is such a good place to ba...
Andrew Hall
September 27, 2021 20:06 - 45 minutes - 42 MBA conversation with Andrew Hall, chair and founder of the Hoodoo Mural Festival, an organization bringing large-scale public art to downtown Amarillo. Hall grew up in Amarillo but left during his college years. He launched a financial services career before moving back home several years later, at which point he noticed his hometown still lacked the cultural elements—including murals—he'd appreciated elsewhere. Hall tells host Jason Boyett how he helped bring high-profile artists to the inau...
Jeremy Bradford
September 20, 2021 20:45 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBA conversation with Jeremy Bradford, Vice President of Development at the Hope to Opportunities Foundation, which supports Advo Companies. Bradford shares with host Jason Boyett about how Advo provides training, work opportunities and residential housing for individuals with intellectual disabilities. A veteran of nonprofit work in the Metroplex area before returning to Amarillo, Bradford discovered our city to be a "hidden gem" of philanthropy. This episode is sponsored by NCW, the Amarillo...
Dr. Katie Blake
September 13, 2021 21:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBA conversation with Katie Blake, PhD, a social psychologist who teaches at Amarillo College and is a Masters-level yoga instructor. Though based in Amarillo, she also hosts a virtual community of women all over the world who are in the process of deconstructing their faith. Dr. Blake tells host Jason Boyett why a reevaluation of religious traditions and beliefs can be so valuable—and why relationships and support are critical during that process. This episode is sponsored by NCW, La-Z-Boy Fu...
Larry Borger
September 06, 2021 23:38 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBA conversation with Larry Borger, owner of Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm. A former builder and developer with a degree in finance, Borger found his way into agricultural tourism around 14 years ago. Agritourism become a big deal and Maxwell's was one of the first of these kinds of local destinations. With host Jason Boyett, Borger shares the Maxwell's origin story, how he develops new, family-friendly activities, and how the economics of a seasonal business work during the rest of the year. This ep...
Lori Crofford
August 30, 2021 21:12 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBA conversation with Lori Crofford, a longtime local radio personality and now the Resource Development Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Texas Panhandle. Originally a Hereford native, Crofford shares with host Jason Boyett about the past two decades of change she's seen in the local radio industry, how she transitioned out of radio into the nonprofit world, and why mentorship can be so influential in the life of a child. This episode is sponsored by NCW and the WT Enterprise Center.
Gus Trujillo
August 23, 2021 18:37 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBA conversation with Gus Trujillo, the former office manager of the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the 2020 Democratic congressional candidate for Texas District 13. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Trujillo describes growing up in Amarillo's Barrio neighborhood, his work interning for former U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry in Washington, and what he learned about this area while running for Congress himself. This episode is sponsored by NCW, SKP Creative, and Pesttex.
Traci Mahannah
August 16, 2021 20:32 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBA conversation with Traci Mahannah of the Acupuncture and Holistic Medicine Clinic in Amarillo. One of the first state-licensed acupuncturists in the Panhandle, Traci has been providing pain relief and alternative therapy to locals for more than 15 years. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Traci describes how she encountered Chinese medicine after relocating to Austin, and why she decided to bring the practice to Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by the WT Enterprise Center and B...
Zivorad Filipovic
August 09, 2021 21:14 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBA conversation with Zivorad Filipovic, director of marketing and communications for High Plains Food Bank. Z first came to the U.S. as a refugee from Serbia during the Balkans crisis in the 1990s. He learned English at Sam Houston Middle School and became the first in his family to graduate from college. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Z describes his intense upbringing, the Amarillo teachers who invested in him, and how he found a home in Amarillo's nonprofit world. This episod...
Jimmy Lackey
August 02, 2021 21:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBA conversation with Jimmy Lackey, President and CEO of Kids, Incorporated, the nonprofit youth sports organization that celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Lackey tells how he arrived at the iconic organization in the 1990s, how he helped bring Kids Inc online in the early days of the internet, and how Cal Farley and a few friends originally founded the program in the 1940s. This episode is sponsored by the WT Enterprise Center and Wieck Re...
Abigail Rivera
July 26, 2021 22:25 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBA conversation with Abi Rivera, owner of The Society Barbershop. The first of her family to graduate from high school, Rivera has found success with her upscale shop, which specializes in men's cuts and beard services. She only opened a year ago but is already launching a second Amarillo location. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Rivera reveals why Amarillo was the perfect place to start her business. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, SKP Creative and Jimmy ...
R. Taylor Moore (RERELEASE)
July 19, 2021 19:49 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBRERELEASE: A conversation with R. Taylor Moore, a former CIA operative and the author of the thriller Down Range, set in the Panhandle. Taylor grew up in South Texas, traveled the world, and found his way into a decade-long career in intelligence. With host Jason Boyett, he shares how he arrived in Amarillo "kicking and screaming" but saw that decision launch his writing career—and change the direction of his life. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical and the WT Enterprise ...
Julian Reese
July 12, 2021 18:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBA conversation with Julian Reese, head coach of the Amarillo Venom and a co-owner of Golden Gate Mortuary. Reese arrived in Amarillo as a football prospect hoping the Arena League would offer a path to the pros. He ended up staying, getting married, and coaching the local indoor football team. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Reese details his unconventional career paths and why he's chosen to stay in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, Shemen Dental...
Shawn Kennedy
July 05, 2021 19:02 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBA conversation with Shawn Kennedy, executive director of Blank Spaces Murals & Gallery. Kennedy teaches art at Caprock High School and guides this local mural group—made up of high school students—which is responsible for 20-plus public murals in and around Amarillo. He tells host Jason Boyett about his temporarily itinerant life after high school, the deep educational value of Blank Spaces, and how art is a form of storytelling. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, the WT...
Ryan Culwell
June 29, 2021 13:59 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBA conversation with Ryan Culwell, a Texas Panhandle native and former Amarillo resident now working in Nashville as a singer-songwriter. Culwell's acclaimed album Flatlands was inspired by this area, and his recent work has won further accolades. Returning to Amarillo for a show at the Golden Light, he shares with host Jason Boyett about his career, his influences, and why he kept returning to Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" during the pandemic. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Out...
Viv Salomon
June 21, 2021 23:05 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MBA conversation with Viv Salomon, the Amarillo-based host of the national podcast How to Liv with Viv. Originally from Borger, Salomon ended up in Amarillo after college and works in the world of physical therapy. But she's passionate about mental health and helping others, like her, navigate successfully through their 20s. She tells host Jason Boyett about her upbringing, her career path, and the friendships that sparked her popular inspirational podcast. This episode is sponsored by the TEX...
Doug Lill
June 14, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBA conversation with Doug Lill, a local pharmacist, nutritionist and supplements expert at Drug Emporium. A local TV fixture as "Pharmacist Doug," Lill spent his career traveling the world as a relief pharmacist before returning to Amarillo a decade ago. After having grown up in this area, his travels helped him come to terms with who he is—and gave him a more positive perspective on the city as a result. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, Shemen Dental and Wieck Realty.
Episode 200 (Jackie Kingston Interviews Jason)
June 07, 2021 17:03 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBIn this special 200th episode of Hey Amarillo, host Jason Boyett takes a seat on the other side of the mic, interviewed by KAMR Local 4 News anchor Jackie Kingston. They discuss his early career, the books he's written, how he chooses guests for the podcast, his new print magazine Brick & Elm, and the overall media landscape in Amarillo. Plus, Jason offers his answers to the typical Eight Straight questions. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical, the WT Enterprise Center, an...