The Amarillo Pioneer

Amarillo's only free online newspaper. Established in 2016, we work to bring you local news that is unbiased and honest.

 

From Feeding to Clapping, Billups Claims Pioneer of the Year Honor

Kip Billups has been chosen as the 2018 Amarillo Pioneer of the Year.

Billups, an Amarillo homeless advocate and community activist, was chosen by the readers of the Amarillo Pioneer as the recipient of this year’s top prize. Out of the largest field of nominees ever for this award, readers gave Billups the nod out of a field of thirty-six nominees.

The founder of Amarillo Brown Bag Runs, Billups has also served as vice president of the Christ Church Camp of New Beginnings. Billups made a number of headlines earlier this year when he was arrested several times when protesting the City of Amarillo’s treatment of homeless individuals. Billups was arrested during a meeting of the Amarillo City Council earlier this year, after he refused to comply with Mayor Ginger Nelson’s orders to stand during a City Council meeting. The arrest sparked global news coverage and a local debate over the mayor’s authority in meetings, which led to an Arlington State Representative writing a letter to the mayor on the arrest.

Since the arrest, Billups has become active in animal rescue promotion and has been a lead committee member for the petition drive led by Responsible Amarillo. Billups has also been floated as a potential candidate for the Amarillo City Council in the 2019 elections.

As this year’s recipient, Billups has been named the person with the biggest impact on Amarillo over the past year, as decided by the Amarillo Pioneer’s readers. Billups joins the 2016 winner, Councilman Randy Burkett, and the 2017 winner, Renea Dauntes, in being named a recipient of this major award.

Along with Amarillo Independent School District trustee John Betancourt, Billups was a runner-up for the award last year. Billups is the first runner-up for Pioneer of the Year to ever win the award outright during the following year’s vote.


Amarillo Pioneer of the Year: Kip Billups

Runner-Ups: Constable Georgia Estrada and the Loft Church

Other nominees:

  • James Allen, Former AISD Trustee

  • Susan Allen, Randall County Clerk-elect

  • Dacia Anderson, Animal activist

  • Richard Beals, Randall County Constable

  • John Betancourt, Amarillo ISD Trustee

  • John Ben Blanchard, Amarillo ISD Trustee

  • Ryan Brown, Attorney

  • Amanda Brown Hunter, Community activist

  • Noah Dawson, Amarillo Pioneer columnist

  • Alex Fairly, President of the Fairly Group

  • Michael Green, Attorney

  • Matt Hand, Potter County Court at Law #2 Judge-elect

  • Terry Harman, Randall County Republican chairman

  • Floyd Hartman, Amarillo Assistant City Manager

  • Richard Herman, Potter County Justice of the Peace

  • King Hill, Playwright and artist

  • William Kearns, Animal rescuer

  • Steve Land, Potter County Democratic chairman

  • Victor Leal, Restaurant owner

  • Robin Malone, Amarillo ISD Trustee

  • Mercy Murguia, Potter County Commissioner

  • Jack Mustard, Community activist

  • Ginger Nelson, Amarillo mayor

  • Hayden Pedigo, Internet star and City Council candidate

  • Freda Powell, Amarillo City Councilwoman

  • Four Price, State Representative and Texas Speaker candidate

  • Mike Purcell, State Representative candidate

  • Amarillo Satire Facebook Page

  • James Schenck, Community activist

  • Claudette Smith, Community activist

  • Robert Taylor, Police officer and Justice of the Peace candidate

  • Alphonso Vaughn, Potter County Commissioner

  • Aaron Watson, Country music star

Billups/Provided

Billups/Provided

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