Amazing Arizonans

Jay Dobyns tells us the dangers he faced, the fallout that followed and his road back to civilian life. He’s written two books about his experiences, "No Angel" and "Catching Hell." His story is very compelling. I hope you enjoy it.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb has over 20 years in law enforcement and was a candidate for the United States Senate in 2024. But he has had such an interesting life. He’s lived all over the world. He served as a missionary in Argentina and volunteers all over Arizona. He tells us of a deeply moving experience he had while serving as a missionary and how it affected how he treats people. I h...

Jimmy Walker is one of the most interesting, motivating, humble and faithful people I’ve ever met! Celebrity Fight Night is a star-studded charity event that has become internationally known and attended. It was started by Jimmy as a way for professional athletes and international stars to raise money for charity. He is truly what Amazing Arizonans is all about. I hope you love this conversa...

The goal of Amazing Arizonans is to let the audience see and hear amazing stories from legendary Arizonans. Frank Caliendo certainly qualifies.  Frank is not only the best in the business as an impersonator, he is also a brilliant joke writer. He makes both look very easy. I loved talking with him about the creative process. For someone that is so well known and talented, he is soft spoken an...

The goal of Amazing Arizonans is to let the audience see and hear amazing stories from legendary Arizonans. Pat McMahon certainly qualifies. Of course, we talk about the glory days of the Wallace and Ladmo show and his radio, television and music career. But we also learn about his early life. Born in Kansas. Going to college in Iowa. His time in the U.S. Army. How he ended up in Phoenix Arizona a...

The word legend is often overused. But when it comes to my guest on Amazing Arizonans it is definitely appropriate. I had the privilege of talking with former Suns broadcaster Al McCoy. Discussing his humble roots growing up on a farm in Iowa and his dream of being in radio. He describes being told that he was never going to be a good broadcaster and how he never gave up on his dream. His memories...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I sit down with Paula Pedene. If you’re a veteran, you are probably familiar with Mrs. Pedene. She is a Navy veteran and worked for the Phoenix VA for decades. She was a central part of two separate whistleblower cases at the VA. The best   known case was the falsification of patient care documents. The VA was reporting that patients were getting car...

In this episode of Amazing Arizonans I have a conversation with Kirk Nurmi. Kirk is best known for being the attorney for convicted murderer Jodi Arias. But his life after defending Ms. Arias is truly remarkable. I met Kirk because I (like many people) assumed that he came up with the defense strategy for Ms. Arias. After watching a documentary about the case, I realized that I was wrong and had K...

In this episode of Amazing Arizonans I have the privilege of talking with the Adjutant of the Arizona National Guard General Kerry Muehlenbeck. The General commands both the Army National Guard and the Air Guard. General Muehlenbeck was a great athlete. From high school, to college and eventually playing for the Army on the national softball team. She is a professor at heart and loves teaching. He...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I have a great conversation with CEO of the Arizona Cardinals Michael Bidwill. Most people know him for his time with the Cardinals. What most people don’t know is that Michael was a federal prosecutor before taking over the team from his father. Hearing the story of what led him to a life in public service is fascinating. Of course, we talk Cardinals foo...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I sit down with the President and CEO of St. Vincent De Paul Shannon Clancy. I’ve had the privilege to know Shannon for over a decade. I not only love what they do at SVDP but I love the way they do it. Their mission is to feed, cloth, house and heal people in the community. It is a huge mission that requires focus and dedication of employees, donors and...

     When I came up with the concept for the Amazing Arizonans podcast it was to share stories like Ron Wolfley’s. Ron is truly one of my favorite people. Most people are aware of him being a former NFL star for the Arizona Cardinals and a former Pro Bowler. He is also the voice of the Arizona Cardinals & cohost of the Wolf and Luke Show on Arizona Sports. He has one...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I talk with Arizona icon Jan D’Atri. Jan has been a superstar on valley radio and television for decades. She is a very successful restauranteur and chef. Using her media notoriety and her expertise both in front of and behind the camera. She has carved out an amazing career. She is respected for her exceptional talent in media, in business and in the kit...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans, I talk with former Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone. His law enforcement career spanned over 30 years. He was a police officer in Phoenix for 21 years. For seven of those years, he headed up the “Silent Witness” program, which encouraged witness to submit tips anonymously and help solve crimes. In 2012, Penzone ran, but lost, to then Joe Arpaio...

On this installment of Amazing Arizonans, I talk with Rick Romley. He’s a Marine Corps veteran and lifelong public servant, and longtime Republican political figure in Arizona. I met Romley in 2003 while he was Maricopa County Attorney. Today, he continues to serve his fellow veterans as a judge in Veterans Court. You’ll hear Romley’s amazing story. He joined the Marine Corps and...

On this edition of Amazing Arizonans I sit down with long time Valley radio host John Holmberg. He’s the morning drive host of “Holmberg’s Morning Sickness” on 97.9 KUPD.  John is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He was raised here in the Valley. His local perspective and knowledge of current events is a big part of his success. His humor is raw...

My guest on Amazing Arizonans is Christine Jones. Christine has an incredible story. Taking a job as legal counsel for a small company called GoDaddy, never imagining that she’d be on the cutting edge of the future of the internet. Working on legislation that deals with privacy and protection. After her time at GoDaddy she ran for Governor of Arizona and she ran for a House seat as well. She...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans, I talk with one of the most prolific names in Arizona, Jerry Colangelo. Talking about the history of the Phoenix Suns was incredible. His stories of how the Suns started were amazing. We talked about the biggest names in Suns history including the iconic voice of the Suns Al McCoy. The story of the Arizona Diamondbacks and winning the World Series in 2001 was...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I talk with Captain Coyote Shane Doan. In my humble opinion he is one of the greatest captains in professional sports. His loyalty and tenacity is unmatched. He is an amazing combination of humble and extremely confident. It was a pleasure to get his perspective on his amazing career as an NHL player and now as an executive. We talk about the highlights. We tal...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I talk with 1992 World Champion Bull Rider Cody Custer. It was my dream to be a bull rider and to learn the rodeo business. I had no idea that our friendship would impact so much of my life. Cody’s family is not only a big part of rodeo history, it is also a big part of Arizona history. We talk about his rodeo career, his part in the creation of the Profe...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I talk with David McIntyre the President and CEO of Triwest Healthcare Alliance. Years ago Triwest was the insurance provider of the military in the western United States called “Tricare”.      When it was discovered that the Veterans Administration was taking too long to provide care in a timely manner Senator McCain worked with...

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans it is the second part of my conversation with Steve and Linda Hooper. They have over 50 years of experience with the FBI between them.   Linda describes excelling in a male dominated profession. How she was received by her colleagues and more of the cases she worked on.   Steve tells us about working on the Jared Loughner case in Tucson. Loughner plea...

This edition of Amazing Arizonans is a look back at 9/11. These are significant stories from people in Arizona who were connected directly to 9/11 and the days that followed. I hope that we never forget that day and how it changed our world. I hope these stories help keep that memory alive.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

     In honor of 9/11 I talk with 2 men who were directly connected to Ground Zero in Manhattan. Mike Angelone was an FDNY firefighter. He retired in 1993 and moved to Arizona where he became a successful contractor. He tells us about the lifelong friends he lost that day and what happened when he traveled to Ground Zero to help with the search and rescue. Mike McAvoy is also from New York. His br...

On this edition of Amazing Arizonans I talk with CEO of the 100CLUB Angela Harrolle. We discuss the organization and what they do to support first responders and their families. She tells us about losing her husband in a line of duty accident and having to tell her young children. The fight that followed to make sure survivors stay insured. Angela is one the best people I know. Her life story is t...