A conversation with Tim Reid, the executive director of the Texas Panhandle War Memorial. The museum and memorial represent what he calls his "third career," following a stint in education at Ascension Academy and 30-plus years as an FBI agent. Reid shares with host Jason Boyett about growing up in the foster care system, his unsuccessful 2022 political campaign for Texas Senate 31, why he chose Amarillo for his "retirement," and why he believes the War Memorial to be one of the city's premier educational experiences. This episode is supported by Wieck Realty and Panhandle Plains Historic ..read more

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A conversation with Jeff Whelchel, M.D., of the Healthy Hormones clinic in Amarillo and a financial advisor at Wood Financial. He's also the author of The New Thyroid Handbook. A native of Claude, Whelchel served as a family doctor in Amarillo for more than 23 years before pivoting to financial services, a transition triggered by a personal health crisis. Whelchel tells host Jason Boyett about the joys and frustrations of his medical career, why he made a midlife career change, and how helping people manage their money aligns with helping people improve their health. This episode is supported ..read more

A conversation with Sharla Valdez, president of the Crown of Texas Hospice Foundation. As a young hospice nurse and entrepreneur, she became one of the founders of Crown of Texas Hospice, which operated in Amarillo from 1991 to 2004. Then in 2000, she launched Valmed Home Health & Pharmacy and served as its CEO and founder before exiting that business last year. Valdez shares with host Jason Boyett about her passion for hospice care, how her family's farm-and-ranch background prepared her for entrepreneurship, and why she's not yet ready to retire. This episode is supported by Blue Ha ..read more

A conversation with Toby Giddens, the president and co-founder of Run Business Solutions (RunBiz), which provides technology services for local companies. He tells host Jason Boyett how RunBiz grew from a small team in a local accounting firm into a firm that offers IT support for small to mid-size business across the High Plains. Giddens grew up in Canyon as the son of the Canyon football coach Ted Giddens and WT's Terri Giddens, Ph.D., who introduced Toby to computer science. They also discuss the Ted Giddens Foundation, which formed after Coach Giddens' passing and assists families who have ..read more

A conversation with Kristin Key, a nationally headlining musical comedian who performs in sold-out shows across North America, appeared in Last Comic Standing and Bring the Funny, and got her start in Amarillo. She's bringing her Lesbian Army Tour back home to Amarillo on June 27 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. In this episode, Kristin tells host Jason Boyett about her upbringing as the daughter of a Church of Christ preacher, how she came out in high school only to "take it back," and how an open mic night at the Amarillo Comedy Club changed her life. This episode is support ..read more

A conversation with Jamie Fleck, the travel photographer, writer and custom fine art baker behind Flecks of Love. While living in Oklahoma, Fleck spent a weekend in Amarillo, stayed in a charming Airbnb, loved the local vibe, saved the house on Zillow and then—after getting an alert that it was on the market—decided to buy it and move here. Her baked items have since become a fixture at local markets and pop-up events. She's also been researching and writing her newest book, Best Lake Hikes Texas, with a cover photo featuring Lake Meredith. She tells host Jason Boyett how her accounting career ..read more

A conversation with Chris Israel, the executive director of Homeless Heroes, an organization serving homeless veterans in Amarillo. Chris is a formerly homeless veteran himself. He grew up in New York City and Florida before joining the U.S. Navy. After serving as a submarine sailor, he spent several years traveling across the United States for work, but never put down roots. Israel shares with host Jason Boyett how a crisis of homelessness in New Mexico brought him to Amarillo and the VA, where the support he found helped put his life back on track. Now he's guiding Homeless Heroes in renovat ..read more

A conversation with Kashion Smith, the executive director of the Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau. After several years in the hotel industry—including a stint as wedding specialist at the old Ambassador Hotel in Amarillo—Smith has spent the past decade with the CVB. She took over leadership of that organization in 2020. In this role, she is responsible for promoting and supporting tourism, conventions and events in Amarillo. The CVB “sells” Amarillo as a destination for people who don’t live here. Smith shares with host Jason Boyett about her former hotel career in Taos and Amari ..read more

A conversation with Vanessa Fiaud, Ph.D., an associate professor of sports and exercise science at the WTAMU College of Nursing & Health Sciences. Fiaud was born in France, where she studied business law, and continued her education in Oklahoma and Texas. She arrived in the Texas Panhandle and at WT in 2009, and tells host Jason Boyett about her work on sports biomechanics, as well as her recent approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to serve as an official volunteer at this year's Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Paris. This episode is supported by The Amar ..read more