Profiling the 2024 Amarillo Pioneer of the Year Nominees

Today, our team at The Pioneer is excited to announce the 14 nominees for the 2024 Amarillo Pioneer of the Year Award. This award honors the person who has made the biggest impact on Amarillo over the past year.

As our Pioneer of the Year voting continues through next month, we wanted to take a moment in today’s edition to highlight the 14 nominees who have been selected as finalists for this year’s award.

You can cast your ballot for Pioneer of the Year using the form near the bottom of this page.

John Coffee, Potter County Commissioner

Potter County Commissioner John Coffee earned notoriety this year after listening to his constituents and opposing the creation of a homeless village in his district, north of Amarillo. Coffee stood against a majority of the County Commissioners on the issue, but ultimately was able to score a victory for his constituents, with the project’s pause.

Don Collins, 2023 Amarillo mayoral candidate

The oldest candidate for mayor in the 2023 Amarillo municipal elections, Don Collins earned notoriety for being the first candidate to shine a spotlight on issues affecting Amarillo’s senior citizen community. While other candidates eventually adopted the same types of policies being pushed by Collins, it’s safe to say that the conversation about the role senior citizens would play in this city’s future might not have happened without Collins.

Josh Craft, Amarillo City Councilman

While he’s not the youngest city council member in Amarillo history, Josh Craft was elected in 2023 as one of the youngest people to ever hold the position. A firefighter by trade, Craft is the only first responder currently serving on the City Council and won a crowded race to claim his seat.

Max Dunlap, City of Amarillo Director of Emergency Management

The City of Amarillo’s Director of Emergency Management Max Dunlap found himself in the spotlight as the region experienced a historic flooding disaster earlier this year. Having been promoted to the position in late 2022, the disaster was a major test of his leadership.

Georgia Estrada, Potter County Constable

Few local political stories have managed to make national headlines quite like Constable Georgia Estrada’s party switch earlier this year. Estrada, who was re-elected in 2020 as one of Amarilo’s last Democrat elected officials, announced her campaign for re-election this year as a Republican. Estrada’s party switch netted headlines across the country and earned praise from leading Hispanic Republicans, like former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores. Estrada has also continued her community activism, including running a scholarship program in her district and serving as a statewide voice for constables.

Kelly Giles, Randall County Republican Chairman

Healing internal divides is never easy, but that was just what Randall County Republican Chairman Kelly Giles was tasked with doing after he was elected to his position this summer. Giles immediately got to work with the goal of healing divisions within the local party and moving the organization forward. Based on the praise he is receiving from precinct chairs who were formerly divided about the party’s direction, it’s safe to say that Giles is succeeding at his difficult job.

The City of Amarillo’s Digital Human

The first non-human to ever be nominated for the Pioneer of the Year Award, the City of Amarillo’s Digital Human has already been making national headlines. A project of the City’s chief information officer, Rich Gagnon, the Digital Human project is being done in conjunction with Dell Technologies and aims to make the City of Amarillo’s website more user-friendly for those speaking a variety of languages. According to reports, the City of Amarillo is the first city in the nation to attempt such an ambitious project.

“Doppler” Dave Oliver, KFDA Meteorologist

As one of Amarillo’s most high-profile weathermen, “Doppler” Dave Oliver had an eventful year.  Not only has he continued with his “Good News With Doppler Dave” project, but he has taken it on the road with a trip to Switzerland and Austria. Here at home, his weather coverage was more important than ever as our region experienced a major flooding disaster.

Tom Scherlen, Amarillo City Councilman

Amarillo City Councilman Tom Scherlen was elected to his first term on Amarillo City Council earlier this year in one of the most contested elections on the ballot. Since being elected, Scherlen has made a habit of meeting with members of the public ahead of council meetings.

Howard Smith, former Amarillo City Councilman

Though he did not seek re-election during this year’s city elections, former City Councilman Howard Smith retained his seat on the council for longer than expected as the race to replace him went to a runoff. Even after leaving office, Howard Smith has regularly spoken during public comment.

Don Tipps, Amarillo City Councilman

Having earned more votes than any other candidate in any other city race this year, City Councilman Don Tipps is perhaps one of the most popular politicians in Amarillo at the moment.

Walter Wendler, President of West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler has been a mainstay in the Texas Panhandle since taking over the college in 2016. Wendler has been in the news several times over the past year – for controversies and successes, alike – but his most recent news appearance was a major win for WTAMU: the creation of the Hill Institute, funded by a $20 million gift from Amarillo’s Fairly family.

Chuck Williams, media personality

Chuck Williams, or "Chuckalicious" as he calls himself on NewsChannel10’s “The Chat,” has continued his excellent news coverage on KGNC. In particular, during 2023, Williams has been a go-to source for information about local elections and the city’s budget process.