By Phillip Ericksen
In May, the McLennan Community College Board of Trustees, a seven-member board of elected officials that represents different parts of the county and provides oversight of the College, approved a new set of values meant to guide all decisions related to student success.
Here are the new values:
People matter – We will be honest, humble, respectful, and gracious to our students and to each other. We best serve our students, colleagues, and community when we work as a team.
Inclusiveness matters – We will seek to appreciate and understand our students and each other, actively seeking different viewpoints. We will work to create a civil, welcoming environment where our diverse community of students and employees learn, teach, and work together.
Integrity matters – We will work with the highest level of integrity, taking responsibility for all of our actions. We will tell the truth and seek to be fair in our decision-making and actions.
Communication matters – We will be open, collegial, and courageous in our communications with students and with our colleagues. We will listen before we speak. We will communicate decisions and the reasons for them.
Excellence matters – We will strive for excellence in all that we do. We will actively plan for the future, seeking new and innovative ways to accomplish our mission.
A new mission statement was also approved:
Our mission is to educate our students – improving their lives and enriching our community.
So why are these words important? They set the stage for the future of MCC – a college that serves almost 9,000 students and places them on a road to success while offering services meant to combat food insecurity, mental health setbacks, and more.
MCC President Dr. Johnette McKown said a series of listening sessions with students, employees, and community stakeholders helped shape the values. The College’s leadership team read two books that provided important background during the process: “Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization,” and “Seven Strategy Questions: A Simple Approach for Better Execution.”
“We anticipate these values of People, Inclusiveness, Communication, Excellence, and Integrity will guide our future and our culture,” McKown said. “We must all be working together to make a difference for our community. These values frame our vision for today and for the future.”
The values reflect MCC’s strategy for the next 10 years: help all students succeed, take care of people, impact the community, and develop resources to fund success.
For example, College administrators plan to redouble their efforts in addressing students’ pressing personal issues, like transportation, food insecurity, and financial insecurity. Partnering with local entities to solve these problems and exploring ways to cut costs should take pressure off students looking to advance in their careers and improve their lives.
Improving communication and collaboration across campus will also help all employees serve students and the community. McKown, for example, hosts monthly hour-long events for faculty and staff known as “Coffee and Conversations,” where she can hear their feedback.
Living out these values on campus and in the community will further position MCC as an institution that is welcoming, affordable, and relevant within higher education.
Phillip Ericksen is the marketing and communications specialist at McLennan Community College. For about four years, he was a journalist at the Waco Tribune-Herald covering higher education and local government. He enjoys following the news, reading books and drinking coffee. As a San Antonio native, he is an avid fan of Mexican food and the Spurs basketball team. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University. He can be reached at pericksen@mclennan.edu.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Anna Futral
(This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT)
I would imagine that many of you reading this grew up in a pretty good home. I grew up on 30 acres outside Fredericksburg TX with four (mostly) fabulous siblings and two parents who worked hard to care for us, keep us safe and raise us into mature adults. I had an amazing childhood.
But there are many children in our community right here who barely get a childhood at all, much less a safe and happy one. Children like 9 year old Amanda who, after trying to hide her bruises for months, through no fault of her own, finds herself in the backseat of a stranger’s car, the few belongings she was allowed to grab crammed in a trash bag beside her, being driven to the home of more strangers, foster parents, where everything is new and different. At her young age, life as she knew it has been turned upside down and she has no idea what the future holds.
This is the point when CASA can enter the scene, a point of fear, loss, confusion and unknown. When a child is removed from their home by CPS due to abuse or neglect, and sent to live with relatives or foster parents, a Court Appointed Special Advocate can become a strong presence in the child’s life. The CASA works alongside other professionals to make sure that child’s needs are met while they are in foster care, to learn their specific case situation and make recommendations to the judge across the case regarding the safety, permanency and best interest of that child.
There are almost 700 children in foster care in McLennan County, but only about 150 of them have a CASA volunteer. We are in need of many more advocates to step up and be a voice for children in our community.
A Court Appointed Special Advocate can come from all walks of life and does not need to have prior experience with the child welfare system or child development. Our advocate team includes grad students, working professionals, stay at home parents and retired individuals. While some come from a background of personal or professional experience with child welfare, most are regular community individuals who just want to directly affect the life of a child for the better.
We are looking for caring, committed adults who meet the following criteria:
- At least 21 years of age
- Pass screening, background check and training requirements
- Able to make a one-year minimum time commitment to a case (about 10-15 hours per month)
- Able to keep information confidential and work within established program guidelines
Our agency provides flexible, quality training to prepare our volunteers for their advocacy work and then matches each new advocate with a full time CASA staff member, a CASA Supervisor, to guide and coach them in their volunteer work. This volunteer to Supervisor relationship is where the rubber meets the road for our quality advocacy, as the Supervisor provides knowledge and support while empowering the volunteer to be a strong voice for their appointed CASA child. Our volunteers are highly valued members of our CASA team and we do all we can as a staff to set them up for a meaningful volunteer experience.
To learn more about CASA of McLennan County and the need for more advocates, visit our website at www.casaforeverychild.org or find us on social media @casamclennan.
If you have questions or are ready to begin advocating for children in foster care, email our CASA Recruiter, Kate Gilbert, at recruiter@casaforeverychild.org.
Stay tuned for further weekly installments of our CASA story, with upcoming posts from a CASA Supervisor and two advocates!
Anna Futral is Executive Director, CASA of McLennan County. Though born and raised in Fredericksburg, Anna has called Waco home for fifteen years. She is a graduate of Baylor University, where she received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Taxation. She and her husband, Trent adopted their three children in 2016 after over two years of caring for them and loving them as a foster care placement. When she’s not busy leading CASA forward or chasing her kids Anna enjoys reading, spending time with good people and working with her husband on their 119-year-old house in the heart of Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
Press release – Please join Lake Brazos Rotary Club for a weekend of fine wine and dining in downtown Waco as we raise money for Talitha Koum Institute. Everyone is welcome to attend one or both nights. Barnett’s Public House has carefully selected all of the wines for this charity event.
The World of Wine fund-raiser begins on Friday, June 7th, with a VIP dinner featuring the gourmet creations of Leah Stewart, owner of The Olive Branch. This event is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with dinner starting at 7 p.m. Click here to preview the menu for Friday night.
The fund-raiser continues Saturday evening, June 8th, with a wine tasting that will include a silent auction, buffet, wine pull, and discounted cases of featured wines. The wine tasting is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with VIPs having the option of arriving as early as 4 p.m.
Each ticket for Friday’s VIP dinner costs $175 and includes free entry to Saturday’s wine tasting. Individual wine-tasting tickets are $35.
Press release –
H-E-B and Caritas of Waco are partnering together to help feed the hungry in our community.
In the Waco community, approximately 30% of the population live below the poverty line. Many of these individuals do not know where they will get their next meal, and summer can be an especially challenging time with children not having access to school meal programs.
H-E-B’s Help End Hunger campaign supports food banks and food pantries throughout Texas, assisting people who struggle to avoid hunger. Locally, Caritas of Waco will benefit from funds raised by this effort. In turn, Caritas will provide needed food assistance to individuals and families in the Waco community.
At H-E-B stores in the Waco area, customers can help their neighbors by adding a $1, $3 or $5 donation to their final grocery bill. All proceeds from the donation campaign will benefit Caritas.
The campaign is running from May 8 through June 25 in all area H-E-B Stores, and the community is encouraged to support this important effort.
For more information, contact Buddy Edwards, Executive Director of Caritas, at 753-4593, ext. 205, or bedwards@caritas-waco.org.
by Teresa Porter
The marketing department is working overtime to paint Waco as a wonderful place to visit and spend money, but “word-of-hand” carries more weight than a slick advertising campaign. Every day, the Deaf citizens of Waco are openly excluded from equal access to the fun activities. If Waco is truly the “heart” of Texas, where is the love?
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires government entities (local, state, and federal), businesses, and non-profit organizations to provide reasonable accommodations for equally effective communication to persons with communication disabilities.
Communication disabilities are defined as visual, hearing, or speech; covering the broad spectrum from people who wear glasses to people who can’t speak, hear, or see. Each person has different abilities and will require different accommodations. The person will tell you what they need, and it is the legal responsibility of the business to furnish the necessary aides or services.
“Reasonable accommodations” seems to be the biggest problem. I recently visited the websites of several of the popular attractions of Waco and searched for information about requesting interpreters or auxiliary aides. Nothing. I contacted a few, and days later the replies slowly trickled in.
Some places said “no” and did not respond to further communication, others did not reply at all. One reply was “six weeks advance notice.” According the ADA, “no” is the wrong answer; and “Covered entities may require reasonable advance notice from people requesting aids or services, based on the length of time needed to acquire the aid or service, but may not impose excessive advance notice requirements.” “Walk-in” requests for aids and services must also be honored to the extent possible.” Six weeks seems incredibly excessive, like obvious discrimination, especially if the event wasn’t heavily advertised more than six weeks in advance. (There is an interpreter shortage in Waco, but normally 24-48 hours in advance is plenty of time.) Reasonable accommodations are negotiable, and many factors should be considered including the complexity of the material to be presented and the linguistic abilities of the participant. Depending on the circumstances, written notes, captioning devices or qualified interpreters may be necessary to provide equally effective communication.
What is equally effective communication? It is the clear, effective, meaningful, and inclusive conveyance of words and ideas. It means Deaf and hearing people receive the same information and opportunities to participate in the conversation. It means captioning devices that work or video relay that isn’t laggy or blurry, and staff that is trained to set up or troubleshoot the devices when they don’t work. Sometimes, it means enlisting the services of a qualified interpreter familiar with specialized vocabulary.
Effective communication begins with staff training and ends with happy customers. Happy customers post positive reviews on social media, and more importantly, they tell their out-of-town friends.
Teresa Porter is a native Texan, automotive enthusiast, and novice gardener. In her spare time, she is a freelance writer, researcher, and community activist.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Anna Dunbar
Happy end of the school year, everyone! And you know what the end of school means to me – it’s time for Household Hazardous Waste Day! That is a special day when residents can bring things that should not be put in regular household garbage or poured down drains to be properly disposed of or recycled. It is a free service and occurs about once per year.
First, the specifics:
Who: This event is for all residents of Waco, Hewitt, Lacy Lakeview, and Woodway that live within the city limits. Residents must bring a city utility bill or other proof of city residency and driver’s license. Waste will not be accepted from residents from other cities or those who live outside of a city limits.
When: Saturday, June 1, 2019, from 7 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Where: Waco Solid Waste Operations Center, 501 Schroeder Drive; SCHROEDER DRIVE IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE “OUT HOUSE” & BOB MILLS FURNITURE STORE – LOOK FOR THE SIGNS
What to bring: Paints, CFL and fluorescent bulbs, batteries of all kinds, electronics of all kinds, including TVs and computers, automotive fluids, insecticides, weed killers, pool chemicals, cleaners, poisons, corrosives, paints and paint products, flammables and most other hazardous chemicals from households. Also, tires (5 per household); No tires with rims/wheels, Residential tires only, No business tires, No Skid Steer, Earth Movers, large farm or agricultural tires; Maximum size is 20 inches.
Please NO: Agricultural Chemicals, Dioxins, Containers Larger than 5 Gallons, Explosives/Fireworks/Ammunitions, Industrial or Commercial/Business Waste, Propane Cylinders of Any Kind and Compressed Gasses, Radioactive Materials, Business Waste, Large Appliances, refrigerators, syringes, trash or garbage.
A steady stream of cars containing items to be disposed of will probably be at the collection area on Saturday. Please BE PREPARED TO WAIT IN LINE!
What to do before the event
Take inventory! Remember that paint that is totally dried can go in your regular trash. Other tips-
- Keep items in their original container.
- Organize items together in a box(es). This will allow workers to remove your items quickly. It is best to keep paint products separate from other waste.
- Place items in boxes, pad with newspaper. This will help prevent possible spillage in your car/truck and will enable workers to remove materials quicker.
- After you pack your car, drive directly to 501 Schroeder Drive.
- Mid-morning is usually the least busy time. The busiest time is usually when the event first opens at 7 AM.
MOST IMPORTANT – Never Mix Chemicals and Never Smoke while handling your hazardous materials.
Finally, I want to thank all of the hundreds of households that have participated in the household hazardous waste day over the years. You took the time to carefully collect your stuff and bring it to us for safe disposal or recycling. Then, you patiently waited in line to give your items to us. That’s impressive and I thank you!
Still have questions? Feel free to contact me at annad@wacotx.gov or (254) 299-2496. You can also contact Waco Solid Waste at (254) 299-2612. Thank you for doing the right thing to keep Waco clean and green!
Anna Dunbar is the Environmental Program Manager for the City of Waco Public Works. She is responsible for informing Waco residents and businesses about recycling and waste reduction opportunities as well as solid waste services in Waco. Her husband is a Baylor professor and her daughter is a Baylor University alum who works at Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. Anna is an active member of Keep Waco Beautiful and The Central Texas Audubon Society.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Rae Jefferson
May is National Mental Health Month, which means there’s no better time to talk about the way mental health is approached by our community. In 2018, Family Health Center (FHC) provided more than $2.2 million in behavioral health services to patients in McLennan and Bell counties. It’s important to note that majority of the patients at FHC qualify as low-income and receive services through Medicaid, Medicare, or out-of-pocket payments. We strive to provide full-scope, compassionate care in the form of medical, dental, and behavioral health services.
Although participation in our behavioral health services is increasing each year as patients learn about our programs and their own mental and emotional needs, it is still one of the lesser-utilized programs at FHC. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that not every patient needs behavioral health services. But FHC is also aware that, in our quest to offer high-quality behavioral health care to primarily low-income populations in Waco, we’re up against challenges like stigma, financial limitations, and patients who don’t know how to identify their own mental and emotional needs.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports one in five American adults will experience mental illness in a given year. The definition of mental illness is sprawling and ranges from mild cases of depression or anxiety to debilitating battles with post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. Despite the prevalence of mental illness, studies show that individuals from low-income households, communities of color, or religious environments are less likely to seek medical care for mental health concerns. Furthermore, people of color are at higher risk of mental and emotional distress, with African Americans alone being 20 percent more likely to experience major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide. The majority of FHC patients fall into one or more of these categories, often making it a challenge to treat patients who feel they can’t seek help.
FHC takes several approaches to providing accessible behavioral healthcare. We accept patients with and without insurance and can charge on an income-based sliding scale. Of all the barriers to mental health care, we strive to make finances one of the easiest to conquer.
Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) is FHC’s way of practicing healthcare that allows patients attending a regular doctor’s appointment to see a behavioral health specialist, called an Integrated Health Manager (IHM), in the same visit. These Licensed Clinical Social Workers are on-call to provide mental and emotional support to patients while also determining diagnoses and treatment recommendations to the physician. This process eliminates the need for making follow-up diagnostic appointments or delaying treatment for the patient.
FHC provides traditional counseling through our Family Counseling and Children’s Services Program. We also organize support groups for patients who are pregnant, nursing, or fostering a child. Although these groups are not immediately related to traditional behavioral health services, they often provide emotional support in a group setting that facilitates community-building and leads to a healthier emotional life.
Although we’re already working hard to address mental health needs among low-income Wacoans, we’re always looking for ways to improve these efforts by expanding our programs and partnerships. This summer, the behavioral health team is launching a program in which patients can receive counseling services via in-home visits. This will help address patients’ transportations issues and allow them to explore mental health concerns in a familiar environment.
FHC is one of many organizations in town stepping up to the challenge of providing mental health services to low-income individuals in Waco. We hope our work and the efforts of others can push the needle in such a way that stigma and barriers, both real and perceived, can begin to fall away.
Rae Jefferson is a creative, Netflix binger, and marketing professional, in that order. Originally from Houston, she stuck around Waco after graduating from Baylor University with a B.A. in Journalism, PR, & New Media and a minor in Film & Digital Media. Now she’s the Communications Director at Family Health Center, where she gets to spend each day serving Waco. When she’s not working, find her at home snuggled up with her dog-daughter, Charlie, watching “The Office” for the hundredth time.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.orgfor more information.
By Lakia Scott
The Baylor Freedom Schools program is a partnership between Baylor’s School of Education, Waco ISD and Transformation Waco, Prosper Waco, and the City of Waco. Freedom Schools is a seven-week summer literacy enrichment program founded by the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). Social action, character building, and STEAM activities are also built into the program so children engage in an interactive, meaningful curriculum. Throughout the program, children are exposed to culturally relevant books and meet with community guests to learn how to be agents of change in their local areas. The main theme of Freedom Schools is “I Can Make a Difference in Myself, My Family, My Community, My Country, and My World with Hope, Action and Education.”
In our founding year, serving 50 students at Cesar Chavez Middle School, we experienced tremendous success with helping a great majority of middle school scholars (93%) maintain or increase their reading abilities therefore significantly reducing summer learning loss. Last year, we worked with 70 middle school scholars at Indian Spring Middle School and 100% of students maintained or increased their reading abilities.
Perhaps the most popular aspect of Freedom Schools is the unforgettable morning experience known as Harambee! The Swahili term meaning “let’s pull together” allows us to collectively gather in understanding our purpose and goals for the day. During Harambee, we sing motivational songs, give announcements, and do cheers before our students enter their classrooms. We also host Guest Readers who will read a short children’s book to the students, and entertain a few questions. It has proven to be a wonderful way to introduce our students to community leaders and lovers of children and to show the children how much adults value reading.
This video will give you a good sense of the day in and day out Freedom School activities and how it works.
This year, we will be working in the Transformation Zone (an in-district charter system within Waco ISD) at both Indian Spring MS (50 scholars) and JH Hines Elementary School (120 scholars) to provide quality literacy enrichment programming from June 12 through July 26th. This program is completely free and includes field trips, special guests, and meals.
Would you like to learn more about Freedom School and how you can participate with us in this exciting work?
Please join us on Friday, May 24, for the second annual “Reading Between the Vines” fundraiser. Admission donations of $25 will be collected to offset the cost of staff training, classroom supplies, field trips, and children’s texts used throughout the duration of the program. During the event, which will take place at the Cultivate 7Twelve art space at 712 Austin Avenue, attendees will meet Freedom School staff and learn more about the program while also being invited to participate in the Art Auction and wine tasting selections. Looking forward to seeing you there. Let’s pull together! Harambee!
Lakia M. Scott, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Baylor University. She currently teaches elementary reading methods and diversity issues courses to pre-service teachers. Her work focuses on social issues in education like equity, social justice, race, gender and social class. In 2017, Scott launched Freedom Schools in Waco, a summer program focused on building literacy among children by curbing summer learning loss and closing achievement gaps.
By Nathan Embry and Natalie Ward.
A common message I hear often is “Waco is different because this community takes care of each other.” Many of us have seen this play out time after time, and I’m excited to offer another piece of evidence that this is true: Lemonade Day 2019 was a huge success.
This community pulled together to support Waco youth by teaching them basic business ownership skills. The kids learned many things during this process, like how to make a business plan, ask for loans, sell their product, and count their money. We are excited to share with you a few specific successes this program had this year and how this community made a big impact on the lives of young entrepreneurs in all parts of Waco. Here are a few quick facts:
- 195 kids registered online to learn the lessons
- 30 lemonade stands registered online for consumers to find and visit
- 16 stands reported business results
- The highest grossing lemonade stand (that posted results) earned $428 with a profit of $339
- Kids that reported results earned $2,883 in total revenue with $2,302 dollars profit
- Rapoport entire 4th grade STEM class participation with great results. A principal at the school told me it was one of the top 5 programs that school has ever participated in
- We had 3 digital billboards around Waco donated to advertise Lemonade Day and media exposure from KWTX
- Over 2,300 views on a promotional video put together with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce to advertise the event
- Lemonade Day Waco (the organization that pays for books and event expenses, etc) raised over $1,500
- 12 business loans negotiated by groups of kids, 100% paid back to investors with interest
Rapoport Partnership
Lemonade Day Waco had a great partnership with Rapoport Academy Public School. It was an honor working with Natalie Ward and her team, and to see the kids love the lessons so much. Her testimony about the program is best told from her personal experience:
When Nathan Embry approached me about Lemonade Day at the beginning of the year, my team responded with a resounding, “Yes!” Entrepreneurship is woven in the fiber of Rapoport Academy Public School. In the original charter, the founder Nancy Grayson, envisioned an education rooted in entrepreneurship. That is why an Art teacher, a Technology teacher, and a Science teacher decided to take on this project: entrepreneurship is for everyone. My 4th graders may not remember my name later on in life, the art projects we did, or their accomplishments in the STEAM Lab, but I guarantee they will remember participating in Lemonade Day.
To prepare for the big day, students went through the National Lemonade Day curriculum in class. They learned how to create a brand and give their lemonade stand a theme and also how to prepare a budget, purchase supplies online, find an investor, acquire a $30 loan, and pay back their loan with interest. Students were able to calculate the cost of goods sold per cup and determine profit per cup of lemonade sold on the big day.
Perhaps the most important lesson our students learned was how to earn and manage revenue. Every student saved, spent, and donated a portion of their earnings. Each team partnered with a local not-for-profit, allowing charities all across Waco to receive a small donation from our students. I felt a little embarrassed dropping off a $20 donation, but when I think of the long-term effects of this project, I hope that by learning to give when they are young, our students will go on to give generously later in life. Rapoport’s charter states a goal of growing students who will “return to the community as professionals with a sense of responsibility.”
The entrepreneurial community connections Lemonade Day brought to the classroom were outstanding. Cory Dickman, owner of Waco Pedal Tours, Waco Escape Rooms and Nexus Gaming shared about the risks and benefits of owning a business. Cathi Davis, from Seedhouse Creative, instructed our students on how to brand their businesses. Nathan Embry, Nathan Sloan of Compass Bank, and Logan Vick of Independent Bank imparted their wisdom about making sales and even gave our students the opportunity to practice their sales pitches.
My personal favorite part of this project was the wrap up and pay day. Watching our kids experience the joy of earning real money and hearing what they personally learned from the project was inspiring.
It’s easy to see how this project helped them realize their potential in future careers such as accounting, sales, and branding when you hear comments like these:
- “I learned I’m good at keeping and recording money.”
- “I learned that I’m really good at attracting customers.”
- “Creating a theme and making a logo was my favorite part.”
Many students also shared about the life lessons they learned:
- “I learned that I need to be more patient with my team.”
- “I learned that I need to speak up so people can hear me.”
- “I learned I need to calm down if I want people to listen to me.”
- “I learned I need to show integrity when giving my customers their change.”
- “I learned I can work with anyone.”
As a teacher, you know lessons like these don’t come from a worksheet. They come from experience, and I am so thankful our students had this opportunity.
Natalie Ward is a S.T.E.A.M. Teacher at Rapoport Academy grades 2nd-4th.
Nathan Embry is the City Director for Lemonade Day and works in commercial real estate.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
Top 10 “Most Opened” Blog Posts of 2019: # 6
By Austin Meek
As someone who thought he knew a lot about this city before starting Leadership Waco, I finished the Greater Waco Chamber’s year-long training course with a more robust and nuanced view of the issues and opportunities facing Waco than I’d ever dreamed possible.
I’ve hosted “Downtown Depot,” my radio show and podcast that airs on 103.3 KWBU-FM, for almost three years. On the program, I interview the small business owners, civic leaders, and engaged citizens leading Waco’s revitalization. I’ve spent literally hundreds of hours thinking about this community, both by myself and with other engaged parties, and did not expect to find much that I didn’t already know through Leadership Waco.
But, of course, as it has time and time again, Waco surprised me.
Before Leadership Waco, I never knew that Mars Wrigley, which operates a confectionery on Texas Central Parkway, is the single largest consumer of granulated sugar in the world, and 85-90 percent of Skittles, Starburst, and Snickers bars in North America are made right here in the heart of Texas.
Before Leadership Waco, I was unaware that historic Oakwood Cemetery, nationally known for its collection of angels adorning headstones, bears the remains of three Texas governors – Sul Ross, Richard Coke, and Pat Neff.
I’d never heard the incredible story of perseverance from Melissa Pardun of Maker’s Edge, a now-popular makerspace on 18th and Austin Avenue. After opening in January 2015, Melissa spent four months wondering why she’d followed this hair-brained dream before finally registering her first paying member in May. Despite the slow start, Maker’s Edge now serves between 100-120 members and employs six people.
Through Leadership Waco, I discovered a community that punches above its weight class in nearly every category. Whether it was the breadth and depth of the city’s non-profit network, or the quality of cultural offerings from the Waco Symphony Orchestra and Cultivate 712, or the millions of dollars poured into researching renewable technologies at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC), it’s clear that Waco is no longer just a sleepy town on the Brazos. It’s a rapidly developing metropolis with the resources, strategy, and ambition to become the next great Texas city.
Through its monthly gatherings focused on specific industries, Leadership Waco helped me to see a complete picture of our community. It also introduced me to contemporaries who have a similar vision for what Waco can become. I hope you’ll consider applying for Leadership Waco and watch as your understanding and admiration for this city grows.
The Waco Chamber is accepting applications for Leadership Waco Class XXXVI is until Friday, May 24. Please click here for more information.
Austin Meek is an entrepreneur based in Waco, Texas. For his media company, Waco Business News, he hosts the bi-monthly radio show and podcast, “Downtown Depot,” which first aired in September 2016 on 103.3 KWBU-FM. On “Downtown Depot,” he dialogues with the small business owners, civic leaders, and engaged citizens spearheading Waco’s revitalization. He also owns and operates Pokey O’s Cookies and Ice Cream in Waco and is developing real estate on Elm Avenue. Vox, Waco Business News
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.