My guest for this episode is Thom Nees, the executive director of Serve Wenatchee Valley who is also leading the effort to develop the Common Ground Community Housing Trust A community housing trust is a proven way to develop permanently afford

#73 The Icicle Fund's major impact on the well-being of NCW

Mar 28th, 2021 46m 5s

My guest for this podcast is Christine Morgan, the executive director of the Icicle Fund in Leavenworth. Philanthropist Harriet Bullitt started the fund 20 years ago as a way of supporting arts and music, conservation, and natural history effor

#72 Depolarizing our politics with Yvonne Boyd of Braver Angels

Feb 26th, 2021 33m 37s

This episode features Yvonne Boyd, a member of the Braver Angels effort that seeks to depolarize political discussions and create a framework for honest discussions on difficult topics. Braver Angels brings conservatives and liberals togethe

#71 Jill Fineis of Pinnacles Prep charter public school

Jan 22nd, 2021 50m 51s

My guest for this podcast is Jill Fineis, the principal of the fledgling Pinnacles Prep charter public school in Wenatchee, which will open its doors to sixth and seventh graders this fall in the Wenatchee Community Center on South Mission Stre

#70 Jill Nielsen-Farrell and trauma-informed acupuncture

Oct 23rd, 2020 57m 24s

My guest for this episode is Jill Nielsen-Farrell, the daughter of longtime Wenatchee dentist Gerry Nielsen. She has started Wenatchee Community Acupuncture and treats a wide variety of conditions, including doing trauma-informed acupuncture f

#69 David Notter and the healing power of music

Aug 5th, 2020 31m 22s

This is a follow-up conversation with Dr. David Notter, the retired cancer doctor in North Central Washington and we focus on how playing music has helped him through some tough times and helped his patients and their families. In our conversa

#68 Dr. David Notter: Lessons from a healer

Jul 27th, 2020 46m 30s

My guest for this podcast is Dr. David Notter, a retired Wenatchee oncologist. Notter talks about the power of empathy – of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes – and the strong relationships he developed with patients, their families and o

#67: David Smith and civil conversations in an angry age

Sep 25th, 2019 1h 9m

For this podcast, I am posting a talk titled “Civil Conversations in an Angry Age,” given by University of Washington Professor David Smith recently at the Wenatchee Library. The talk was hosted by the Wenatchee YWCA was sponsored by Humanities

Episode #66: D'Andre Vasquez: Overcoming Tragedy

Sep 18th, 2019 38m 51s

My guest for this episode is a remarkable young man from Leavenworth who experienced a horrendous personal tragedy – a tragedy that fueled his desire to make a difference in this world. D’Andre Vasquez lost both parents and his grandmother in a

#65 Suzanne MacPherson on the power of relationships, empathy

Sep 3rd, 2019 45m 2s

My guest for this episode is Suzanne MacPherson, a former educator, council member, and mayor of Cashmere. Suzanne has leveraged a strong sense of empathy, a willingness to listen deeply, and a commitment to helping people find a sense of belo

#64 Jim Wills and the values of an Eagle Scout

Aug 28th, 2019 33m 1s

My guest for this episode is Jim Wills, a relative newcomer to the Wenatchee Valley and someone who will be sharing wisdom at an event called Elder Speak on Sunday, Sept 8, 2 p.m. at the Snowy Owl Theater. Wills will be joined on stage at the e

#63 Mae Hamilton: At 90, still learning, listening and contributing

Jul 31st, 2019 48m 17s

My guest for this episode is Mae Hamilton, who at 90 years young is a dynamic seasoned real estate professional and community leader who still has lots to give to our valley. From growing up in a home on a rural Douglas County farm to getting a

#62 Erica Moshe and the Brave Warrior Project

Jul 25th, 2019 20m 19s

My guest for this episode is Erica Moshe, the founder and director of the Brave Warrior Project, a nonprofit dedicated to serving the needs of kids with chronic conditions like cancer and developmental disabilities. They have a resource center,

#61 Everett Burts and the power of mentors

Jun 20th, 2019 39m 4s

My guest for this episode is 87-year-old Everett Burts, a retired Wenatchee entomologist who grew up on a remote farm near Wenatchee and who discovered his passion for science thanks to mentors at Wenatchee College. Burts retired from the Tree

#60 Jon Magnus and the art of connecting with students

Apr 11th, 2019 38m 13s

My guest this week is Jon Magnus, the 2018 Regional Teacher of the Year for North Central Washington. Kenroy Elementary teacher Veronique Paquette and I interviewed the Wenatchee High School French teacher to learn insights into the art of effe

#59 Bill Layman: Connecting with our Native American past

Feb 15th, 2019 49m 16s

My guest for this episode is Bill Layman, a retired mental health counselor who has spent countless hours learning about our region’s Native American past and finding ways to share the culture and history with our community. Layman, together wi

#58 Camille Jones: Discovering hidden talents in students

Feb 6th, 2019 35m 42s

My guest for this episode is Camille Jones, the 2017 regional and state teacher of the year from Pioneer Elementary in Quincy and my cohost for the podcast is Veronique Paquette of Kenroy Elementary. Camille Jones teaches STEAM courses (that’s

#57 Team Naturaleza

Dec 28th, 2018 19m 41s

I have three guests from Team Naturaleza: Coordinator Katie Tackman and outreach specialists Elisa Lopez and Blanca Lopez. Team Naturaleza is a nonprofit doing amazing work encouraging people from all walks of life and from all ethnic backg

#56 Manson teacher Matt Brown's connection with students

Dec 9th, 2018 53m 22s

For this week’s art of community podcast, I’m doing something a little bit different. Second grade teacher Veronique Paquette from Kenroy Elementary joins me to interview Matt Brown of Manson School District, who is the north central regional t

#55 The transformative power of Alatheia Riding Center

Nov 26th, 2018 37m 36s

My guests this week are Glenn and Nancy Grette, the founders of Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center. In eight years, they have nurtured a nonprofit that helps people with physical and mental disabilities experience the healing power of horses. I

#54 IRIS and the NCW Success Summit

Nov 2nd, 2018 36m 53s

My guest this week is Nancy Warner, the executive director of the Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship. IRIS, as it is called, has been one of the most effective community building organizations in North Central Washington. They focu

#53: New Song Community Church's impact in India

Oct 24th, 2018 32m 36s

I have three guests this week. Tim Wilbur and Don Myers are the senior pastors at New Song Community Church in East Wenatchee. They are joined by Victor Samuel, who is the head of the Christian El Shaddai Ministry in India. New Song and El Shad

#52 Lorna Rose-Hahn and Write On The River

Oct 16th, 2018 20m 27s

My guest this week is Lorna Rose-Hahn, the president of the board for Write On The River, an organization dedicated to supporting authors and poets in North Central Washington. We talk about her background, how her experience as an AmeriCorps v

#51 Cary Simmons and the redevelopment of Methow Park

Oct 1st, 2018 37m 13s

My guest this week is Cary Simmons, the director of the Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People program. The organization has been engaging neighbors in South Wenatchee and throughout the community in the redevelopment of Kiwanis Methow Park.

#50 How the Wenatchee Naturalist program creates civic engagement

Sep 10th, 2018 32m 47s

This week’s podcast focuses on the remarkable Wenatchee Naturalist program. My guests are Susan Ballinger, who founded the program, a mother and daughter team – Jan and Chelsea Evans — who participated in the program, and Michelle Gedrose of We