Voices of Chandler

VOC Special: Backstage at the Center with Sammy Miller and The Congregation

Tap back in with Cynde Cerf at the Chandler Center for the Arts as she interviews Grammy nominated drummer, Sammy Miller from Sammy Miller and The Congregation. This seven-piece jazz band is coming to Chandler's Center for the Arts on October 21, with a show that celebrates the music of 1973.  Sammy and his band are on a mission to have people rediscover the joy that is jazz. Tune in as he and Cynde talk about how this passion came about, what people can expect when they go to the ...

Backstage at the Center Celebrates 100 Years of Disney with Sean Mason

Tap in with Cynde Cerf as she talks to Sean Mason; pianist, composer, and the music director for a show coming to the Chandler Center for the Arts called, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” a celebration of 100 years of Disney music. Sean and Cynde talk about how the project came about, his approach and what people can expect.

What Happens When a Fire Captain Takes Up Baking as a Hobby?

He fights fires and runs into burning buildings for a living, but bakes sugar cookies and wedding cakes by choice.  Meet Tom Fooshee, Fire Captain for the Chandler Fire Department who recently got casted in the Silos Baking Competition to compete for a chance to win $100,000 on the Magnolia Network. Tune in to listen how he got into baking, the ins and outs of the competition and future plans for this hobby turned passion. 

The Reign of Miss Juneteenth

Have you missed us? We've missed you. Welcome back to the third season of Voices of Chandler, the podcast! We're kicking off the third season with an Unapologetically Diverse episode takeover with Adrianna Tušek Erickson from Chandler's DEI Division, and the current Miss Juneteenth of Arizona, Shaundrea Norman. Tap in to listen to their conversation on the history of Juneteenth, the Miss Juneteenth pageant and the past year of Norman's reign. 

VOC Special: Backstage at the Center with Ashli St. Armant from North, The Musical

On today’s episode, Cynde Cerf and Backstage at the Center interview Ashli St. Armant, the creator, composer and director of North: The Musical. This is Armant’s theatrical debut, tackling slavery and the underground railroad, relationships, grit, joy and being human. With a score inspired by jazz, New Orleans and Black roots music. Tap in!

VOC Special: Hasta La Muerte, A Day of the Dead Celebration featuring Lupita Infante

Tap in with Cynde Cerf as she interviews the two founding members of Las Cafeteras, a Los Angeles band with Afro-Mexican beats that mixes hip-hop and rancheras in Backstage at the Center. They talk about their Chicano roots, the culture and traditions that brought them together and that they now bring to audiences. They'll be performing at the Center for the Arts on October 28 to premiere a new Dia de Los Muertos musical experience called "Hasta La Muerte" with special guest Lupita I...

A tribute to Latino leaders and Led Zeppelin

It's Hispanic Heritage Month and we're bringing feel good stories to you about the Latino leaders in our Chandler community. Tap in with Adrianna Tušek Erickson on Unapologetically Diverse as she talks to Lavaughan Ballesteros, Site Lead at Galveston Elementary with ICAN Positive Programs for Youth on his impact within that community. But Melina, what does that have to do with Led Zeppelin? You'll just to tap in with Cynde Cerf and Backstage at the Center to find out.

Then and Now

Tap in as we talk to Tiffani Egnor, the Cultural Development Programs and Operations Manager over at the Chandler Museum on one of the museums latest exhibits, “Picturing Home: Dust Bowls Migrants in Chandler.” We sit down on location and talk about the decade long process of putting this exhibit together, the Dust Bowl that led to a migration to Chandler and how Chandler was then compared to now.

VOC Special: Water Saving Technology with H2whOa!

Tap in with Deina and Daniella from our Public Works and Utilities Department on their segment, H2whOa. Deina interviews city residents on recent water saving technology, how it works and why they decided to invest.

We're back, Chandler!

Did you miss us? We missed you. Welcome back to Season 2 of Voices of Chandler, The Podcast! We're coming back to you with community, artist and banjo stories and sounds with some new voices from a couple of loved segments. Michelle Mac Lennan and Francisco Luzania take over our season 2 premiere with their segments, Backstage at the Center and Unapologetically Diverse. Tap in!

VOC Live: Offerpad: A Startup's Journey

Headquartered in Chandler, Offerpad is a leading tech-enabled platform for buying/selling residential real estate. During this moderated conversation, Brian Bair, Chairman and CEO, will share how he launched Offerpad and grew it into a publicly traded (NYSE: OPAD), nationally known company. This is your chance to learn from a real industry disruptor.

VOC Live: The Intel Effect

Intel Arizona Leader, Ninette Vaz, sits with Chandler Museum Administrator, Jody Crago, to explore the impact of Intel on the Chandler community from Vaz's unique perspective from her 30 year Intel career. From its small Arizona beginnings, discover how Intel has grown and changed to remain relevant in the global technology industry and become the powerhouse of Arizona's “Silicon Desert.”

A Cesar Chavez Day VOC Special: A conversation with Alberto Esparza

Dive in with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion's Rori Minor and her conversation with "I Rise Foundation" President and CEO, Alberto Esparza. Long time activist whose social work began when he joined the National Farm Workers Association as Cesar Chavez's body guard, Esparza takes a moment to reflect on his journey and work then, the movement led by the Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist and how that has led him to his most recent endeavors.

A VOC Live Event: The Arts Mean Business

Join a panel of arts executives as they discuss the role the arts has in the vitality of local economies. Moderated by Chandler Center for the Arts General Manager, Michelle Mac Lennan.

VOC Special: A Conversation with Professional Athlete, Dashawn Jordan

We're coming to you live from Snedigar skate park in Chandler, Arizona, joined by a very special guest and professional athlete, Dashawn Jordan. He's part of Team USA’s National Team, he’s won multiple competitions nationally and is sponsored by brands like Nike, Toy Machine Skateboards and Essentia Water, just to name a few. Tap in to listen to our conversation with the local Chandler celebrity as he talks about his skateboarding journey, which Chandler school has the best school sp...

VOC Special: Kara talks about Continental Divide Hike with Martin Gatrost

Ever wondered what it would take to do a five state-wide hike? Tap in with wellness coordinator and snack connoisseur Kara Boley, as she talks snacks, prep and sights with Martin Gastros, who did a 2,700 mile trek through the Continental Divide.

A VOC Live Event: Craft Brewing and Arizona's Downtowns

Love Downtowns? Love Beer? Us too! Join our Voices of Chandler host, Melina Zuniga, as she hosts a preshow of Voices of Chandler LIVE at the Downtown Breweries Panel with downtown brewers like SanTan Brewing Company, Pedal Haus Brewery, The Perch Brewery, and the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild as they discuss the current state of craft brewing in downtown Chandler and around the state.

Conversations with Chandler's Historic Black Families: Charles Payne

Join us on this special Voices of Chandler episode that highlights a long-time Chandler resident and community member, Charles Payne. Hosted by Chandler's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion division, learn about the Payne's family deep roots in the Historic South Chandler area starting with the family's move from Texas to Chandler. Charles talks about his life as a youth in Chandler, integration into Chandler schools and the neighborhood that he still, to this day, calls home.

VOC Special: The Center and The Baylor Project

Join the Center's Cynde Cerf as she talks to the dynamic duo that make up The Baylor Project. Tap in to their charming conversation to listen to their influences, their gospel roots, and what Bobby Brown has to do with all of it.

VOC Special: New Years Eve with the Center and JR McAlexander

Tune in with Chandler's Center for the Arts, Cynde Cerf, as she interviews JR McAlexander, owner of the Phoenix-based entertainment company, Showtune Productions. Tap in as they discuss New Years Eve at the Center with their show, The Best of Broadway.

The Life of a Pearl Harbor Survivor

Jack Holder is a WWII Veteran and one of few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors.  As a US Navy Flight Engineer, he flew over 100 missions during WWII including the infamous 1942 Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay on the west coast of France.  When he received his honorable discharge in 1948, Holder took with him 36 Medals and Commendations, which included 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses.  Holder turns 100 years old this year (December 13, 2021) and...

Chandler for the Holidays

On the last episode of season one of Voices of Chandler, The Podcast, we're getting festive with it. 🎄Our Parade of Lights hosts, Niki Tapia and Jeff West host this special Chandler for the Holidays episode and talk about Chandler's Tumbleweed Tree history, events happening during the holiday season and parades past. Tune in for things to do around the holidays!

A Chandler Veterans Day Special

On this special Veterans Day episode, we honor all Chandler's Veterans and reflect on their history and sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Join us in remembering Chandler's past with interviews with Chandler Museum Collections Curator, Nate Meyers, as he talks about the restoration and moving of the F86D Sabre Dog Korean-era war plane; the new memorial located at Veteran's Oasis Park opening this Veteran's Day; and a Chandler residents service in ...

Skateboarding, Snedigar and Tokyo 2020: A Conversation with Men's USA Skateboarding Coach, Andrew Nicolaus

This week, we're tapping in with a local Chandler celebrity and USA Men's Skateboarding Coach, Andrew Nicolaus. As a youth, he spent his time at Snedigar Skate Park here in Chandler, and now, he's one of only a handful of professional skateboarding coaches on an Olympic level. Tap in to learn more about his Chandler roots, how he began coaching and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Where Kidnapers Were Captured

We've all heard the notorious crime stories from the 1930s with names like "Machine Gun” Kelly, “Pretty Boy” Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde, but did you know that Chandler also has a true crime past on one of its most popular landmarks? Tune in this week to hear some spoOoOoky stories told by Chandler Museum Administrator, Jody Crago; Collections Coordinator, Nate Meyers and Downtown Redevelopment Specialist, John Owens as they dive into Chandler's true crime past and the history behind ...

Minisode: René Lopez Talks Water

The United States Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage in August. This announcement did not come as a surprise to the City of Chandler as Chandler has spent decades planning and preparing for natural occurring droughts through smart investments in infrastructure, a diverse water portfolio and a robust conservation program. Chandler Councilmember Rene Lopez sits down with Warren Tenney, Executive Director with the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association to...

Conversations on Conservation

I know we've all heard the big and scary D word living in the desert. Drought. But that does that mean for Chandler? This week, Water Conservation Coordinator, Deina Burns and Water Conservation Specialist, Daniella Rodriguez, discuss topics like water supply, water quality and conservation in this episode takeover of their segment, H2whOa.

Having Fun Isn't Hard

Having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card! This week we're tapping in with our Chandler libraries in a lot of different ways starting with a long-time Downtown Library volunteer and when we say long-time, we mean long-time. Join Lisa Aquafredda as she talks to the community about ways that they've seen our libraries grow from just books to 3D printing and everything in between.

Art, STEM and... George Lopez?

You might be thinking, what do art, STEM and George Lopez have in common? Well, you'll have to listen and find out. This week, we're tapping into segments that include Peter Bugg's "Chandler's Got Art" with Hispanic artist Miguel Godoy and Niki Tapia's "Unapologetically Diverse" with Nationally Recognized STEM Educator, Fred Lajvardi. Did I forget to mention George Lopez accidentally on purpose?

An Episode of a Peculiar Nature

Yet again, we're tapping in with our artistic selves, my favorite self, personally, on this peculiar episode. We're tuning in with Cynde Cerf with Backstage at the Center as she interviews Mykal Kilgore, a Grammy nominee that will be taking on the Chandler Center for the Art's mainstage and Peter Bugg as he talks to Rebecca Blume Rothman about her colorful and provocative exhibition that skillfully twists nature into unusual situations, drawing out the peculiarities and similarities ...

Chandler Contigo

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office takes this episode over to talk about their newest initiative within the Chandler community, Chandler Contigo. A month long celebration in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Niki Tapia, Rori Minor, Cici Cantabrana and Cisco Luzania talk about all the events happening around Chandler and a deeper dive into the events happening all month long, community & culture and the census.

Chandler’s Youthful Energy

Do you want to learn more about how Chandler has evolved to be the diverse, innovative City it is today? Tune in to find out about the developments and artistic inspiration that make Chandler such a great place to live and visit. Host Melina Zuniga dives into some of the attributes in Chandler that set it apart from other metro Phoenix cities, focusing on downtown and public art. City of Chandler Downtown Redevelopment Specialist, John Owens, discusses exciting changes and places to...

Happy 'N' Healthy

Are you an avid hiker? Do you and your family like to spend time outdoors? If yes (or even no) listen in to this episode of Voices of Chandler to learn the best tips and tricks to remain safe while having fun outside. Host Melina Zuniga is joined by Chandler Fire Battalion Chief, Jeff West, and Wellness Coordinator, Kara Boley, to discuss the best ways to face the elements in Arizona and how to deal with friends you might spot on your hike. Tune in and listen to Come Wander by contri...

Here's the Thing About Chandler

Voices of Chandler, the Podcast, will cover the inside stories from this metro Phoenix city. Podcast listeners will hear from Chandler residents, community leaders, business owners, non-profits, and experts from the City of Chandler who will cover city-wide topics of interest. For example, what happens behind the scenes at the Chandler Center for the Arts? Who painted the mural that you walked past in Downtown Chandler? Or, what is the story behind your favorite coffee shop in your n...

The Artsy Episode

Let's talk art. There’s no question that Chandler, AZ is in tune with its artistic side. But, if you need more proof, join host Melina Zuniga and local contributors Peter Bugg, City of Chandler Visual Arts Coordinator, and Cynde Cerf, Marketing & Communication Coordinator for the Chandler Center for the Arts (CCA) as they discuss the effort that goes into showcasing arts and culture in our city. Episode 2 of Voices of Chandler dives into all things creative around town. From exhibit...

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