"Midland College does so many things well and we have a lot left ahead of us. We can't just sit back and rest and expect that good things are going to happen. The main thing is maintaining momentum and finding balance. " Damon Kennedy Damon Kennedy is the current President of Midland College. Midland College has been a huge part of Damon Kennedy’s …

"The people at the Aphasia Center are passionate and we love what we do. I want to love God and love other's well." Kitty Binek Helping people with Aphasia live their best life. Kitty Binek is the Executive Director of the Aphasia Center of West Texas since January 2010. Kitty understands the critical need for this type of service and values the ne…

"I want you to know that you will always have a seat at my table. I am going to have the biggest hug for you. I just want people to leave me feeling more loved than before they saw me." Krys Atwater Krys is a storyteller, writer and published poet. Committed to community impact, service and philanthropy, Krys loves people. Currently working with Th…

" Fail fast, learn fast. It's about making calculated risks and you're going to get some things right and you're going to get some things wrong. A risk is forgiving yourself when you fail." Mellisa Hooper The Energy People Group. The leading HR consulting firm in the Permian Basin. Small business and non profits need top notch Hr support. HR servic…

"I think accountability to who we are as men, and that we need to be more transparent and open about what we struggle with and how do we grow from those struggles." Gary Daley Gary shares some stories from his time playing baseball and life on the road, to today, where he is working in industry sales and his involvement with the community. Gary ope…

West Texas native, Tammy Vaught has 25 years of experience in the healthcare field. Tammy is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and has recently become double boarded as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). After four years of working with mental health patients at Ketamine Clinic of West Texas, it became apparent…

"I want to be known for a person who added, who gave, who inspired, who encouraged and I want to be known for the way I made people feel." Joseph Norman Joseph Norman, also known as Fluid Levels, is a seasoned oil and gas consultant with three decades of expertise in optimizing artificial lift systems, particularly rod pump systems. He plays a pivo…

"I want to be known for innovating or being a springboard to someone's future they didn't known they could have." Stacy Livingston Stacy is an entreprenuer and a DIY go getter. We both love Europe and traveling. There is so much to learn from Stacy in this conversation. From the Midland Art Crawl to Midland AF, Stacy has a pulse on small business l…

"I think it was the first time I realized my path that I've walked is going to do some really wonderful things in this world. One of the hardest lessons I ever had to learn, is how to be proud of myself." Meredith Walker Meredith Walker is a fighter. Her story is an amazing testament to never giving up. I trust you will enjoy this conversation, as …

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"Its about getting you where you need to be and finishing together, thats what makes a good win" Robert Gomez Born and raised in Midland. This is Robert's journey form culinary school to the oil field, to leading Midland Run Crew. Experience Robert's love for connecting and engaging with people at any stage of life. His favorite running movie? Watc…

"Every business decision becomes a family decision" Dale Morris From comics to coffee, to vehicle wraps, to arena football, Dale is an entrepreneur at heart. Originally from across the red river, Dale Morris is a legend here in Midland. Past owner of the Odessa Roughnecks, Dale's Plantet Comics, Midland Coffee and now GraphX, this guy has the skins…

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"I do not believe that you are better alone, we were made for community" - Ray Blecher A true "Oklahomie", Ray Belcher has experience his share of failed business adventures coupled with small victories. Living in Midland now with his wife Lace and their 4 kids, Ray is truly a man who has dusted himself off and climbed back on the horse while givin…

"We have a community here that wants to reinvest itself for the betterment of the next generation". - Eric Davidson Eric is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and works for Select Chemistry. Eric currently serves as City Councilman for the city of Midland and is involved in various non profits throughout the community. Along with volun…

"There is a great saying in Midland; you cry coming and you cry leaving. I think there is nothing truer than that". Claire Ramirez is a born and raised Midlander and proud fifth generation West Texan. Claire is a graduate of Baylor University and worked for a few years in Houston aa a corporate event coordinator. Upon her return to Midland, Claire …

"I really try to encourage people to take care of their health, because if you're not doing that then everything else, I'm doing is just quick fixes." - Nicole Stennett, Owner/Founder of Natural Skin Health in Midland. The mission of Natural Skin Health is centered on blending Western and functional medicine to deliver the most synergistic dermatol…

"My why is that I exist to empower others to do the things that inspire them. And that's why being a teacher works well as my job." Born in South Carolina and spending some time in Florida, and eventually landing in Texas, Eric shares some his thoughts on music education, his new career at UTPB, musical influences, family and going viral on social …

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Welcome back from a short summer break. The Catwalk is locked and loaded for another great season and today we are excited to welcome to the table, Mayor Lori Blong. Lori Blong is a native of the Permian Basin and Co-Founder/Partner of Octane Energy, as well as the current Mayor of Midland, Texas. She is committed to lead, learn, and serve in the o…

The secrets for life and effective entrepreneurship. From riding horses in Arizona, to working in the World Trade Center on 9/11, to launching The Little Gym and Urban Air Adventure Parks locally, Ginamarie shares her incredible journey this week on The Catwalk. Follow on socials @urbanairodessa @urbanairmidland @ginamarie.soto @unleashed.brands @t…

Lauren Howard Anzwers Marketing / Female Entrepreneurs of Midland Finding the magic in a community of female entrepreneurs. Lauren Howard leads a community of female entrepreneurs along with running a strong marketing company here in Midland. Join us as Lauren shares her journey this week on The Catwalk. Follow on Socials @lauren_a_howard @supportf…

Erin Wallander Erin was born in Billings, Montana and moved to Sheridan, Wyoming her senior year of high school. Erin attended the Art Institute of Colorado, earning a Bachelor of Arts Interior Design and an Associates of Applied Science Kitchen and Bath Design. Erin is also a Nationally Certified Interior Designer and Registered Interior Designer.…

Our guest this week is the Former Chief of Police for the city of Midland. Seth Herman managed over 200 officers and 53 civilian employees since he was sworn in as Police Chief on December 18, 2018. A 25-year veteran of the Midland Police Department, Seth served in various units from patrol to K9, gang units to Narcotics. He is leaving the Midland …

Need a blueprint for a successful career in the O&G industry? Derrick has some skin in the game. Derrick Clark is from Houston Texas and graduated from Deer Park High School in 2009. Derrick played football at Texas State University for one year, then transferred to the University of Houston, where he graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Criminology. A…

Years of struggle with fostering, adoption and infertility. Tasha grew up in Farwell, a small farming town on the border of Texas and NM. At age 7 years old, Tasha moved to Clovis, NM where she graduated high school. Tasha attended South Plains College in Levelland, and after one year moved back to Clovis to take on a role in the hotel and hospital…

Form the oilfield to serving the homeless. Follow John Mark’s journey. John Mark Echols John Mark was born and raised in Midland. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in Business Management, he reluctantly returned to Midland. Soon after returning to Midland, he was invited to church and was radically transformed and made n…

The win in launching a podcast, Christian's version. This week on The Catwalk. Born in Madrid, Spain, Christian grew up in New York City in the 70s. Leveraging years of experience in leadership and management with exceptional interpersonal skills and insights to help individuals and teams increase performance and reduce costly turnover. Christian i…

Ever experienced the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur? Kelli Davis has. Here is her story. Kelli was born and raised in Midland. She attended Texas Tech graduating in 2004 with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. She landed roles in media sales in Lubbock and North Dallas before starting a Dallas area marketing franchise in…

Finding my passion working with nonprofits in the Permian Basin. Autumn Vest has served as the Executive Director of Midland Shared Spaces (MSS) since March of 2018. Autumn oversees the daily operations of the nonprofit multi-tenant shared space facility and works to encourage collaboration throughout the community. She is the host of the MSS podca…

A vulnerable conversation about suicide, infertility, grief and loss with Jessica Phillips. Jessica is a skillful storyteller who speaks and writes candidly about the battles that have come in her life. Jessica’s message is to encourage people to live every day in their purpose, and to offer people hope on the days when it is difficult to keep goin…

Hannah grew up in Midland, Tx with three older sisters. A graduate of Midland Christian High School in 2013. There Hannah was on the speech and debate team and participated in state and nationals’ competition in duet acting. Hannah attended Harding University in Searcy, AR where she received a BA in theatre in 2017. After graduating from Harding, H…

A proud small business owner in Midland, Tx. Kristen has been the owner of Absolute Dance for the past 10 years and is passionate about bringing dance opportunities to our community and providing a space where kids can form lifelong friendships. Born and raised in San Diego, Ca. Kristen attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with a degr…

Nidia Soriano was born and raised in Odessa, Texas. Her parents were immigrants to the United States, and she is the oldest of 3 sisters. Nidia says she always knew she would work in non-profit without realizing what non-profit was. She grew up with help from her community and because of non-profit organizations her family was able to have a home. …

Adam Reed is a lover of great stories and film. Adam is the co-owner of Filmhunter Media that pursues building relationships and aids local businesses, nonprofits, and individuals in providing quality media and marketing. Filmhunter Media is based in Midland and Odessa to bring the power of professional video production and marketing to make your s…

Joni Robinson was born and raised in Regina, SK, Canada. She moved to Odessa, Texas in August of 1998 to work in the school district as a Speech Language Pathologist. She has been in this career ever since moving to Texas. Throughout her time in Odessa, Joni has worked in the Odessa ISD, schools, nursing homes, hospitals sharing her knowledge and l…

We are flipping the script on this episode of The Catwalk. On this episode, our favorite podcast host, Jay Whitlow, sits down for a deep conversation on his non-profit organization, view of ministry, the family business to now as a podcast host and much more. Chris kicks off the conversation chatting about the Mighty Ducks Movie franchise and then …

Jessica McCoy is a local swim coach who owns a swim school called Head Above Water Midland. Jessica swam competitively for 22 years where she competed both nationally and internationally on the nationally ranked University of Texas' club team-Texas Longhorn Aquatics. Signing with Southern Methodist University as a student athlete on scholarship, Je…

Tatum Hubbard is currently the Chief of Staff and Vice President of Communications & Marketing at The University of Texas Permian Basin. She graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Political Science and Communications. She is responsible for branding, marketing, messaging, internal and external communication at UT Permi…

Since his October 2018 retirement from Stonegate Fellowship, Patrick has begun The Payton Group, a leadership, coaching, and performance organization committed to personal and organizational excellence through growing the individual, and thereby unleashing the human and organizational potential. In addition to Patrick’s professional career, he has …

Keith Stelter is from Central Alberta, just outside of Edmonton. He attended the University of Alberta and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Keith began working in the road construction industry and then found himself at Schlumberger Wireline in 2003. Soon after he was transferred to the Barnett Shale with Schlumberger in 2006 where he met …

For the past 8 1/2 years, Ami has called Midland home. Her professional journey has been diverse, starting as an elementary school teacher and eventually transitioning to her current role at Stonegate Fellowship as the women’s minister, where she has been contributing for 7 years. Through her life's journey, Ami has embraced various roles and exper…

Meet Jennifer Jordan Strain, a seasoned Production Engineering Analyst with over a decade of expertise, renowned for her visionary approach. Beyond her corporate engineering prowess, Jennifer is the creative force behind Supergirl Summer Camp, a local non-profit on a noble mission—to empower and inspire young girls to dream big. Known as Bench Pres…

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to Season 2 of the Catwalk Podcast. It has been a joy to sit behind the mic and interview so many great people this past year. Starting out with audio only episodes and then quickly moving into video episodes was the biggest adjustment to the first season. In this episode we look back at a few conversations and r…

Santa, aka Scott Windham, drops by the Catwalk today. Scott is the owner at Scott’s Santa & Co, an entertainment option for holiday parties and events. A creative leader, Scott is the owner at Ink Lion Design with his wife Nikki. Hear some fun stories as Santa answers a few of our questions. Scott and Nikki and there 3 children live in Odessa. Scot…

Tyler West, Vice President of Admiral Permian Resources, drops by the Catwalk this week. Tyler and his wife Bonnie also operate Fostering Restoration, an organization dedicated to providing a safe space for foster children and the fostering community. You will enjoy Tyler's story of foster parenting and launching a community organization. For infor…

Shauna Todd, Executive Director of The Attic Foster Network, drops by the Catwalk this week. Shauna shares the history, vision and current work of The Attic, serving foster families in the Permian Basin as well as her journey of foster parenting to now leading The Attic Foster Network. For information on how you and your business or organization ca…

“The Living Proof”, Jastin Taylor drops by the Catwalk this week. We dive into the world of professional wrestling. Hear JT share about his journey to the ring and the daily grind of training for matches. Performing for over 12 years, and appearing on TV and film in places like Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Philadelphia and more. JT shares his passion f…

Today on The Catwalk Show, we welcome Justin McConnell, Executive Director of People and Culture at Chick -fil-A Midland Drive. Great conversation about the CFA brand, and how Justin got connected to CFA. Jay drops his menu item idea and learns about all things CFA. Actually, there are a few things he did not know. CFA has the best milkshakes! Conn…

Today on The Catwalk Show, we welcome Stephanie Miller, publisher of the Permian Basin Real Producers, the premier publication for the Permian Basin's top-performing real estate agents. Stephanie connects her market's most impactful players in real estate with the area vendors who serve them best. Hear Stephanie's journey through business, law, rea…