This is the Panhandle

In this episode, Raul Rodarte Shuto sits down with Julie Winters, Executive Director of Aspire: A Mindful Place, to discuss the growing need for accessible mental health support in rural Texas Panhandle communities. Julie shares her journey through years of service with Hutchinson County United Way, the personal experiences that shaped her passion for this work, and how Aspire is helping bring compassionate behavioral health services closer to home. Together, they explore the realities of rural mental health, the importance of community collaboration, and how Aspire is working to create new pathways for healing and support in Hutchinson County.

In this episode of This is the Panhandle, host Raul Rodarte Soto sits down with Blake Siebrecht of BOOM Adventures (Brothers of Our Military Adventures) to explore how the organization is creating purpose, connection, and healing for veterans, first responders, and their families across the Texas Panhandle. Blake shares how transitioning out of service can leave many searching for identity and mission, and how BOOM Adventures helps fill that gap through outdoor experiences, community events, and peer-to-peer connection. The organization serves not only veterans and first responders but also Gold Star families, building a powerful sense of extended family and support. Through initiatives like outdoor trips, community service projects, and events for families, BOOM creates spaces where individuals can reconnect, open up, and find encouragement—often in ways that feel more natural than traditional support systems. From providing bikes to foster children to helping families impacted by disasters, their work continues to ripple throughout the region. Blake also shares the organization's long-term vision of building a retreat space for service members and their families, along with a powerful message for those who may be struggling: keep going, reach out, and remember—you matter.

In this episode, Broc Carter sits down with Brandi Reed, the CEO of Family Support Services, to talk about the life experiences that shaped her leadership—and the critical, behind-the-scenes work Family Support Services provides across the Texas Panhandle. Brandi shares her journey from being born in Fresno, California, to growing up in tiny Logan, New Mexico, before moving to Amarillo to attend West Texas A&M University. After earning her degree in mass communications, she spent years serving others—working everywhere from nonprofit and community service roles to mission-driven work that fueled her passion for helping underserved populations. Her career path eventually led her to the Amarillo Globe-News, then to Camp Fire USA, where she worked in development and events, deepening her nonprofit leadership experience. Brandi explains how motherhood, life transitions, and a strong pull toward advocacy ultimately brought her to Family Support Services—first as a volunteer hospital advocate, then as a staff member starting nearly two decades ago. Broc and Brandi discuss how her early "hands-in-everything" role evolved into building prevention and education programming through evidence-based models, community partnerships, and competitive state and federal grants. Brandi breaks down what "evidence-based" really means and why fidelity to proven program models matters when working with families and youth. Brandi also reflects on stepping into the CEO role at a pivotal time—especially after the agency's devastating 2020 fire and the long road to rebuilding. She shares the emotional loss of the organization's historical archives, the resilience of staff who kept services running (including the crisis hotline), and the community support that helped the organization continue serving survivors through both the fire and the pandemic. The conversation closes with a look at the ongoing needs in Amarillo—especially around counseling access, prevention work in schools, support for veterans, and sustainable funding. Brandi emphasizes that there are many ways to support Family Support Services, and Broc highlights the organization's essential role in the region. About the show: This Is the Panhandle is a production of the Amarillo Area Foundation. Learn more at amarilloareafoundation.org.

In this special edition of This Is the Panhandle, Broc Carter sits down with Amarillo Area Foundation CEO Keralee Clay for a wide-ranging conversation about her "long and windy road" back to the Texas Panhandle—and the leadership journey that brought her to the Foundation's top role. Keralee shares her deep Panhandle roots, her unexpected pivot into vocal performance and opera, and the steep learning curves that shaped her: managing the Amarillo Civic Center at a young age, moving to New York City with everything she owned in a Ryder truck, and building a career that blended leadership, HR, operations, IT, and people development. Keralee reflects on living in New York through 9/11 and how that season strengthened her belief in shared humanity—something she also sees in the Panhandle during disasters and hard times. After starting a family, she and her husband made the "step-down" move from NYC to Denver, then home to Amarillo for community, quality of life, and the support of family (and affordable childcare realities). Back in Amarillo, Keralee returned to the Civic Center before receiving a call from Clay Stribling that changed her path: joining the Amarillo Area Foundation first as Director of Operations, then advancing into senior leadership and ultimately CEO. She credits Clay with seeing potential in people and stretching them into new leadership spaces—something Keralee now aims to continue through culture-building, collaboration, and long-term systems work. The conversation also highlights the Foundation's strategic shift toward big, complex quality-of-life challenges like broadband access/digital equity and childcare as infrastructure. Keralee explains why these aren't problems you can "grant-cycle" your way out of—and why convening, partnerships, and systemic change are essential. Looking ahead, she shares her priorities as CEO: listening, questioning assumptions, strengthening the Foundation's role across all 26 counties, and helping donors build place-based philanthropic legacies—especially as the "transfer of wealth" becomes a daily reality for many families.

Guest: Dr. Jamelle Connor, President of Amarillo College Host: Kimberly Anderson, Amarillo Area Foundation Episode summary: Kimberly sits down with Dr. Jamelle Connor to meet the person behind the title. Jamelle shares her Florida upbringing (yes, baton twirling and boat days!), how high-school band shaped her life, and the long-story-short of finally dating and marrying her husband, Martin. She introduces us to their three very different (and very close) daughters, talks about falling in love with Amarillo's hidden-gem culture—from Comic Con to the symphony—and dishes restaurant favorites (Drunken Oyster, OHMS, The Big Texan). We also hear about Martin's new birding obsession, camping adventures in Palo Duro Canyon (first scorpion sighting!), Jamelle's love of reading (James Michener, Georgia O'Keeffe/Frank Lloyd Wright), and her current music kick (Blue October). Wrapping up, Jamelle shares her vision for AC: "Every student, every dream. One AC."—aligning programs, partnerships, and student supports to meet Amarillo's growing workforce and community needs.