Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home

It's always a treat to sit down with one of our great nonprofit leaders to talk about one of our great nonprofits. You can find my full discussion with Emily Jo Manchester-Sanden, Executive Director of the Renesting Project, Inc, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:45 1. You’re the Executive Director of one of our community’s great nonprofits – Renesting Project, Inc. Renesting Project is...

All around our community, people are recognizing places where we have gaps and bringing new businesses, programs and services to meet those needs. A great example of this is Louisiana Key Academy in Shreveport. You can find my full discussion with Pam Barker, Principal of Louisiana Key Academy in Shreveport, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:34 1. Pam, you are the Principal of Louisiana...

So many places we can focus as we work to grow our community for the next generation, a city our kids are proud to call home and want to return to after college. This week we get a key perspective from one of our young professionals. You can find my full discussion with Kade McDonald, Commercial Relationship Banker 1, VP at Origin Bank and Chairman of the Board at Sci-Port Discovery Center, here....

Caddo Schools continues to evolve to meet the needs of our students. You can find my full discussion with Steven Grant, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance for Caddo Schools, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:34 1. You can make an amazing claim that very few others can make, that you played football for the great Football Coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling. Tell me 2-3 things you l...

This week we have the special opportunity to sit down with Alan Clarke, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission for the City of Shreveport, as he looks back on 46 years with the City.  You can find our full discussion here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:28 1. Alan, you are the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (or the MPC as many people know it)....

What do we want our city to look like in the future and how do we get there? My two guests this week are doing the work to help answer these questions. You can find my full discussion with Rachel Fischer co-hosted by Verni Howard here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:44 1. You are a critical part of one of the largest and most ambitious citywide cleanup efforts in Shreveport’s history – The...

Join us this week as we learn more about one of our great business success stories. You can find my full discussion with Loreli Lopez, Vice President and Owner of PPT Inc., here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:27 1. Let’s start with just some family history. Tell me a little about your parents’ background. And when and how did you end up in Shreveport-Bossier?   8:53 2. You are the Vice Pre...

This week we gain wonderful insight into Bossier Schools and all the extraordinary work they are doing to strengthen our community's future. You can find my full discussion with Superintendent Jason Rowland and Communications and Media Officer Sonja Bailes here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:31 1. We have an incredible team here. Jason, you come from a family deeply rooted in public educat...

Many cities similar-sized to us have large universities and/or sports teams that bring the community together. We probably will never have either of those things BUT one thing we should all feel great about and come together around is the fact that LSUS just completed the greatest season in baseball history. You can find my full discussion with Head Coach Brad Neffendorf here (or wherever you get...

For more than three years now and 149 episodes, I have been sitting down with community leaders talking about how do we get our city to the next level. I think there are as many answers to that question in this discussion as in any I have had. You can my full conversation with Winston Hall here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:32 1. Winston, you’re a professional entertainer and tour guide,...

Vernae and Lance Thompson are helping our young people find purpose. You can find my full discussion with the founders of the Dream Big Interactive Initiative here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:31 1. We’re going to talk all about the Dream Big Interactive Initiative today. But let’s start here.   Pretend you’re in a school and there’s a child listening and you have a chance to encourage t...

What an important role the Bossier Council on Aging is serving. You can find my full discussion with Tamara Crane here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:47 1. For the last 15 years, you have served as the Executive Director of the Bossier Council on Aging, one of the critical nonprofits in our community. Talk to me about 2-3 of your key services and programs.   4:58 2. Your philosophy at the...

It's invaluable to have people who are able to step back and see our community as a whole and how it compares with other towns across the country. This week we sit down with one of the best that I know. You can find my full discussion with Danielle Richard here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:29 1. I put you in with previous guests like Mack McCarter and LeVette Fuller, as one of the great...

This week we sit down with one of our community's most fierce defenders. You can find my full discussion with Bob Thames here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:39 1. You have a really interesting journey, with a number of fascinating chapters and hopefully we’ll get to a number of them.   Let’s start here.   You are one of Shreveport-Bossier’s greatest advocates. An absolute fierce defender o...

Increasing the quality of life for Shreveport-Bossier residents is the focus this week when we sit down with Patrick Wesley. You can find our full discussion here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:43 1. In 2019, you were named the Director of Parks and Recreation for the Parish of Caddo and wonderful things have been happening ever since. Hopefully we’ll cover much of it today.   You once sai...

We can boast about having some incredible annual events in our community and this week we focus on one of them, Mudbug Madness. You can find my full discussion with Terri Matthews here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:25 1. Mudbug Madness is coming up. It will be held from May 23rd-May 25th this year. What will be the same about it this year as previous years and what will be different?   3:...

This week is a reminder of yet another thing we are so lucky to have in our community - high quality theater. You can find my full discussion with Logan Sledge, Chair of the Theater Department at Centenary College, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:32 1. You and I go way back. I believe I first met you in the summer of 1997. We’ve never talked about it I don’t think. But let’s start here...

It's a very special time for football in Shreveport-Bossier. You can find my full discussion with the Shreveport Rouxgaroux here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:28 1. Let’s just start with some of the basics.   Heather, you are the Fan Club Director for the Shreveport Rouxgaroux Roux Krewe and Chase you are the Center for the Shreveport Rouxgaroux. Heather, start by telling me a little abou...

This week we highlight one of the many reasons we are so lucky to live here. You can find my full discussion with Morgan Walker, Executive Director of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:35 1. In the spring of last year you came to us from Paducah, Kentucky to take the reins as the Executive Director of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Since 1948 Shreve...

This week we are talking with one of our community's great couples who are filling gaps and doing hard things. You can find my full discussion with Lindsi and Dany Martin here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:34 1. Neither of you is from here yet both of you have contributed greatly to making our community better. Lindsi, for close to ten years you brought us the much beloved Well + Fed Loui...

This week we talk with one of our community's largest and most important employers about how to keep more of our young people in town. You can find my full discussion with Jay Johnson of General Dynamics Information Technology here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:38 1. Jay, you are the Staff Vice President, Technology Shared Services, for General Dynamics Information Technology (or GDIT as...

This week we talk all about what it means to be a good steward of the land, and as an extension, of your community. You can find my fascinating discussion with Archer Frierson here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:42 1. Let’s start here today.   Your family came to Louisiana from South Carolina. Can you tell me about this?   7:19 2. Your family and you, for lack of a better phrase, had a fro...

Ever wonder how huge additions to our community, like the Sci-Port Discovery Center and the Robinson Film Center, happen?  You can find my full discussion with Sylvia Goodman here.   1:34 1. Sci-Port Discovery Center   37:28 2. Robinson Film Center

This week's episode is all about communication and collaboration. We look at one of our community's best examples of how to tackle some of our most complex issues - the way that CADA and numerous others are working together to reform the local crisis response system. You can find my full discussion with Janet Miller here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:36 1. In March of 2024, you were named...

I love talking about the Hispanic community which has grown and contributed so much over the last few decades to our city. You can find my full discussion with Maria Sermons, Vice President of Total Yard Care and President of the Hispanic Heritage Association, here.   Here are the questions I asked:   0:32 1. Your father started Total Yard Care with only his children as employees and now it’s a su...