Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Jason Herrick, president of Pantera Energy Company and president of the political action committee Amarillo Matters. An Amarillo native, Jason's lived and worked in Europe before he returned to lead his family's oil and gas company. He shares with host Jason Boyett about his career and his ongoing volunteer efforts with opportunities that impact Amarillo's future, like the Texas Tech vet school and the Civic Center campaign. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Nikki Green of Two for the Road, the PBS travel and adventure show she created and cohosts with her husband, Dusty. Nikki tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Claude, quitting her orthodontic career to travel the world, and how COVID-19 has impacted production of their show, which just released its fourth season. Nikki also shares how she and Dusty split responsibilities and navigate the stress of travel as a married couple. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing.

A conversation with Jason Barrett, owner of The 806 Coffee + Lounge and an active community leader in the San Jacinto neighborhood and 6th Street Historic District. The 806 is a coffee shop and vegetarian restaurant specializing in art and live music. With host Jason Boyett, Barrett tells The 806 origin story, details a few of its early controversies, and explains why he is so passionate about breathing new life into a long-neglected neighborhood. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

A conversation with Jasmine Taylor, owner and operator of the new Oh My Fro Lash Co., an online business based in Amarillo. A former 911 dispatcher and college basketball player, Taylor finally launched her business in the middle of the pandemic after years of planning. With host Jason Boyett, she shares about the state of Black-owned businesses in Amarillo, and why working for herself proved to be the best fit after years of trying to find her place. This episode is sponsored by Bivins Pointe.

A conversation with Dr. Paul Matney, the past president of Amarillo College. A retired educator, Matney spent more than three decades teaching media and communications students at WT and AC—while also serving as a weekend weatherman, a baseball umpire, and in other community capacities. He shares with Jason Boyett about the scope of his career in education, and why we need to keep an eye on Amarillo's history as we look to the city's future. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Melynn Huntley, Elections Administrator for Potter County (pottercountyvotes.com). With a little over a month before an enormously consequential presidential election, Melynn speaks with host Jason Boyett about her wide-ranging career, which took her from graphic design to election management. Most importantly, she shares what's on her mind as she coordinates local election equipment, workers, and security in preparation for November 3. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Teresa Kenedy, president of the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee and a retired social worker with Amarillo ISD. Teresa tells Jason Boyett about growing up in the only Hispanic and Catholic family in a small mountain town. Upon arriving in Amarillo for college, she found a much more robust Hispanic culture—and has since become a community leader working on behalf of Amarillo's Barrio neighborhood. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries

A conversation with Ali Ramos, a graphic designer and Amarillo native who just graduated with a master's degree in social work from Columbia University. Ali is also a board member for NMD United, a national organization advocating for individuals with neuromuscular disabilities. She shares with host Jason Boyett about growing up with a physical disability, embracing an accidental leadership role in Amarillo, and using her unique perspective to fight injustice. This episode is sponsored by Bivins Pointe.

A conversation with Bowden Jones Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Officer at FirstBank Southwest. Bowden is involved with several community nonprofits and is one of the creators of the Northside Toy Drive. He shares with Jason Boyett about his military-kid upbringing, coming to Amarillo after having lived in Panama, how he stumbled into a successful banking career, and why he's optimistic about progress toward racial reconciliation in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Austin Sutter, executive director of the Amarillo Hockey Association (amarillohockey.com). A native of Red Deer, Alberta, he tells host Jason Boyett about arriving in Amarillo 15 years ago as a professional hockey player and deciding to stay after his playing career ended. He believes Amarillo is on the verge of becoming a thriving hockey city and explains how the Amarillo Ice Ranch—a new year-round ice facility—will transform local athletics. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dent

A conversation with Karah Gilbert, the founder of Solidarity Isn't Silent (solidarityisntsilent.com) and an employee of Randall County's Youth Center of the High Plains. Karah shares with host Jason Boyett about her work with young people in the criminal justice system. They also discuss her organization, which began this summer as a way to stand up to the injustice faced by Black residents in Amarillo and across the country. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing and SKP Creative.

A conversation with Devenie Graham, artistic director for the brand-new Sharpened Iron Studios, a company working to bring Hollywood-level film and TV production to the Panhandle. An actor/model who worked in New York City and Los Angeles before returning to Amarillo, Devenie shares with host Jason Boyett why Amarillo is the perfect location for a major motion picture studio and how the city can become a cultural character of its own. This episode is sponsored by Bivins Pointe and La-Z-Boy Furniture.

A conversation with Kishore Yalamanchili, MD, a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center assistant professor and Division Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care. Having spent the pandemic treating COVID-19 critical care patients—and sharing about it on Facebook—Dr. Yalamanchili shares with host Jason Boyett about his career, his unlikely social media prominence, and why he has chosen to live and practice in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (panhandle-plains.org

A conversation with Kyla Frye, Executive Director of the WT Enterprise Center (wtenterprisecenter.com). The Enterprise Center is central to Amarillo's economic ecosystem, and Kyla shares with host Jason Boyett how the WTEC helps local people launch new businesses and improve existing ones. They also discuss a WTEC program for tech startups, including why this area is building a reputation as a great place to start a company. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and SKP Creative.

A conversation with Mugisha Aime, a mechanical engineer and recent Texas Tech grad. After Mugisha's family fled genocide in Rwanda, he grew up in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Eventually they resettled in the U.S. when Mugisha was in his early teens. He shares with host Jason Boyett about what it was like to enter American school with no English, and how one teacher at Palo Duro High School gave him the confidence to succeed. This episode is sponsored by Pesttex, Shemen Dental and La-Z-Boy Furniture.