Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Nate Green, who owns and operates Starlight Canyon Bed & Breakfast with his wife, Liz. This historic property, located south of Amarillo in the Village of Palisades, is a wedding venue and boutique hotel, and Nate and Liz both have hospitality backgrounds. Before coming to this area, he worked in restaurants at a ski resort in Colorado and served as a diesel mechanic and snow-maker. He explains to host Jason Boyett how his career journey led him to the Panhandle, what makes Starlight special, and why he feels a deep connection to Texas and the western mystique. This episode is sponsored by Leslie Massey/Farmer's Insurance and Attorney Dean Boyd.

A conversation with George Jackson, who has just begun his second year as music director of the Amarillo Symphony, guiding the organization during its 100th anniversary season. He's a resident of London, but travels all over Europe to work with symphony orchestras from Paris to Zurich, which has helped shape his perspective on the international reputation of both the Amarillo Symphony and its venue, the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. Jackson shares with host Jason Boyett about his garage-band background as a guitarist and drummer, how he found his way into conducting, and why Amarillo is such a special place for the arts. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Chad Conner, the executive director of Acts Community. For the past few years, Chad has managed this growing Christian organization, which includes a resource center in San Jacinto and a new downtown community center. Prior to that, this Amarillo native lived in Las Vegas, where he played poker professionally. And during the pandemic, he and his wife, Joy—known together as the Connersseurs—launched an extremely popular Youtube channel dedicated to Indian food and travel. With host Jason Boyett, Chad details each of these elements of his story and explains how they continue to inform his local nonprofit work. This episode is sponsored by Attorney Dean Boyd, US Cleaners, and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Dr. Carolina Perez, a surgical podiatrist with the Amarillo Veterans Healthcare System. Dr. Perez is a veteran of the United States Air Force, and served for several years as a combat medic—including during wartime operations in Iraq—before attending medical school and completing her residency. A native of Colombia, she immigrated to the United States as a child and lived in Florida, Kentucky, and New York City before coming to Amarillo. She tells host Jason Boyett about her intentional decision to move here, as Perez and her husband decided they wanted their children to be from somewhere—and that "somewhere" was Texas. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing, Storybridge, and Farmers agent Leslie Massey.

A conversation with Patrick Swindell, one of those guests whose identity isn't easily contained within a single career description. He's a longtime local bankruptcy attorney. He's a prominent jazz musician and the leader of the Esquire Jazz Band. He launched and owned the Esquire Jazz Club on Polk Street before closing it pre-pandemic. He was one of the founders of Ascension Academy and is still chair of that prep school's board of directors. In this episode, Swindell explains these elements of his work and interests, and why Amarillo is a place that allows so many diverse personal passions to flourish. This episode is sponsored by Attorney Dean Boyd and La-Z-Boy of Amarillo.

Dr. Shane Harper is the surgical ICU director for Northwest Texas Healthcare System and a professor in the Surgery Department at Texas Tech Physicians. He’s also the founding editor-in-chief of the West Texas Journal of Medicine, a new publication that distributes original medical and health sciences research. In this episode, Harper shares with host Jason Boyett about the lifestyle impact of being a critical care specialist, why he decided to launch an independent medical journal, and the distinct ways his work in Amarillo differs from other places he's lived around the country. This episode is sponsored by Starlight Canyon and Reviews by SKP Creative.

A conversation with Alyssa Heck Lewis, owner of Hudson House, a senior living community in Canyon and the recent recipient of the Woman-Owned Business of the Year for the West Texas region of the national U.S. Small Business Administration Awards. Lewis bought Hudson House in 2020, during the pandemic, after stints in banking and healthcare administration. She tells host Jason Boyett about the role Hudson House plays for Canyon and surrounding communities, the challenges of serving her residents during the pandemic, and how the local business ecosystem has contributed to her success. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and US Cleaners.

A conversation with Norbert Chirase, PhD, a former scientist and nutritionist with WTAMU and the founder of GTX Organics and GTX Technologies. Based in Amarillo, Chirase is an expert on humic and fulvic acids and holds multiple patents on applications for human health, agriculture and animal nutrition. GTX manufactures multiple products here in Amarillo—including alkaline "black water"—and exports them all over the world. Chirase tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Ghana, coming to the United States as an exchange student, and how he transitioned his career focus beyond cattle and soil health to human health. This episode is sponsored by PestTex Pest Control and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Lindsey Lane, one of Amarillo's most in-demand country singers and all-around performers. Originally from Lubbock, Lindsey arrived in this area to pursue an education degree from WTAMU, then taught 3rd-grade math for several years before pursuing music full-time. She shares with host Jason Boyett how she grew up learning the craft from her father, how she decided the time was right to go all-in on her dreams, and offers an expert perspective on the local music scene—including how she and her band keep their audience engaged. This episode is sponsored by Storybridge.

A conversation with Sherman Bass, the new film commissioner with the Amarillo Film Office and the former general manager of the Amarillo Civic Center. An Amarillo native with a background in acting, Bass worked for the Civic Center across two different stints before a brief retirement last year. In that previous job, he oversaw every detail of the Civic Center—which makes him an expert on the needs and challenges related to the current complex. Regarding his new role, Bass explains to host Jason Boyett how he has begun selling Amarillo as a prime location for film and television production. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing.