Lives Radio Show With Stuart Chittenden

Architect and designer Tom Trenolone talks about design, our built environments, and beauty, including the beauty Trenolone creates and finds in and around Omaha. Trenolone also talks about founding design alliance Omaha aimed at elevating design awareness and appreciation.Tom Trenolone is an architect and design advocate with the international architecture and engineering firm of HDR, where he currently serves as a Design Director and Senior Vice President, currently based in Omaha, NE. Trenolone has led teams working on architectural designs across the world, including the U2 Landmark Tower Competition in Dublin Ireland, the Hinoki-cho Performing Arts Center in Tokyo, Japan, and the USCE Center in Belgrade, Serbia. He is not only the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, but has been a juror on many awards competitions. Trenolone was named the 2019 HDR Fellow for his research proposal entitled “Saving main street U.S.A.” an investigation into the critical access hospital as urban anchor in rural commu

Writer and performer Zedeka Poindexter shares her passion for community and stories, and talks about her poems, essays, and performances that draw on complexities of race, class, struggle, and joy. Poindexter shares how that creative expression now is, in the form of a choreopoem, unearthing the lived experience of healthcare disparities encountered by black women. She also reads a couple of poems for us.Zedeka Poindexter is a North Omaha-born writer and performer and is co-executive director with Gina Tranisi of Nebraska Writers Collective. Poindexter’s body of poems and essays draws on all five physical senses to connect with readers and listeners. By sharing stories of people in her community, she creates a relationship with her audience and guides them through the world as she sees and experiences it. Poindexter has earned numerous awards and accolades including the Best Performance Poet award from Omaha Entertainment & Arts; a Public Impact Grant from Amplify Arts, being awarded The Union for Contemp

Author and coach Mandy Kubicek talks about her book I Killed Mom and Other Lies: A Memoir of Early Loss, which recounts the lifelong effects of trauma, repressed emotions, and shame. Kubicek talks about the deaths of her mother and brother, coming to terms with these losses, and eventually finding peace and joy.Mandy Kubicek helps online entrepreneurs achieve greater success. Before that she coached dozens of high-achieving women through career transitions and led teams of product managers at high-growth tech startups. Kubicek was last on the show in 2019, since when she has authored two books, the latest titled I Killed Mom and Other Lies: A Memoir of Early Loss, which is an autobiographical account of trauma in Kubicek’s life. A lifelong learner and navel-gazer, Kubicek is a Certified Martha Beck Life Coach, has staffed the Byron Katie School for the Work, and has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Sculptor Littleton Alston shares his personal and creative journey from a poor neighborhood in Washington D.C. to the creation of a portrait statue of Willa Cather unveiled in 2023 as one of Nebraska’s two contributions to the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building and the first in that collection made by an African-American.Littleton Alston creates works of art that focus on the essence of the human figure and human spirit. Awarded the commission to create a portrait statue of Willa Cather, in 2023 his statue was unveiled in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building as one of Nebraska’s two statues. Alston is the first African-American to be represented in that august collection. Alston’s work has been exhibited and collected across the country and he has completed dozens of public commissions. He grew up in Washington D.C. moving in 1989 to Omaha for a residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, after which he joined the faculty at Creighton Universi

Attorney, author, and military veteran John Waters shares the influences of his early life before enlisting in the marines. We talk also about the themes in his debut novel, River City One, including the dislocation felt by some combat troops returning to civilian lives and that effort to discern meaning.John Waters graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. For six years he served as a scout sniper platoon commander and ground intelligence officer, completing deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Horn of Africa. After leaving the Marines, Waters began writing on war and military affairs for RealClearPolitics based in Washington, DC. His postwar novel River City One was published in November 2023 by Permuted Press and distributed by Simon and Schuster. Waters currently works as an attorney and lives with his family in Sarpy County, where he was raised.

Matthew Ray, Interim Superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, whose years with the district have encompassed teaching, administrative, and leadership roles, as well as being a student and parent of students. Ray talks about education, leadership lessons, faith, and his hopes for the future.After 27 years with the Omaha Public Schools district, Matthew Ray began serving as the interim superintendent in July 2023. He began his career as a student teacher at Ashland Park-Robbins Elementary. Ray has also worked as a district-wide substitute teacher and in various administrative roles, most recently deputy superintendent. Ray earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska Omaha, one in Criminal Justice and a second in Elementary Education. He earned a Master of Science in Educational Administration from UNO in 2000, and his Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2020. Ray and his wife are the parents of three graduates of Omaha Public Schools.

Returning guest, Father Keith Winton, talks about Christmas past and present. Why December 25th? What were the religious origins and evolution of this holiday celebration? What are some fascinating backstories to the creation of some favorite carols? Who saved Christmas and who is its Queen? All that and more in this Christmas Eve show.Before his ordination to the priesthood in 2019 and then becoming Rector at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Omaha, Father Keith was a software developer. He and his wife Lisa, who works in the non-profit sector, have three children, the youngest is a junior at Omaha’s Central High School. In his spare time Father Keith is a musician and a cook.

Carole Boye, the CEO of Community Alliance, which serves those living with mental illness and substance use disorders, talks about changes in how mental illness is treated and how it is talked about publicly, as well as her tenure over more than four decades as a leader called to a purpose worth roaring about.Carole Boye has served as president and CEO of Community Alliance for 42 years. As the first and only CEO of this nonprofit organization that now serves nearly 6,000 people annually across the metropolitan Omaha and surrounding five counties area, she has overseen provision of services for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders. She has been recognized by numerous professional and consumer groups for her leadership and advocacy in this field. Boye graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Masters in Public Administration and received her Bachelors degree in Social Work and Sociology from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.

Designer and business founder, Elizebeth Murphy, whose curiosity and fascination with design motivated her in 1992 to found her own communications agency, Emspace Group, which became Emspace + Lovgren in 2018, shares her design spirit, zest for community life, and lessons learned over her more than three decades as a business leader.

Wendy Goldberg, executive director of Tri-Faith Initiative, talks about her professional experiences and faith journey that brought her to lead Tri-Faith Initiative, which she describes as an audacious experiment in peaceful proximity for three Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faith communities. Goldberg shares the building and modeling of positive communal relations and how they are even more important in these traumatic times of conflict.As a founding board member and now Executive Director of Tri-Faith Initiative, Wendy Goldberg has for years been committed to fostering social change, religious pluralism, and inclusivity. In addition to her role at Tri-Faith, Wendy chairs the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity, and Equity (CODE) Advisory Council. She is also an advisory board member of The Journal of Inter-religious Studies and UNO’s Tell All the Truth project and is an alumna of the LeadDiversity and Racial Equity Institute's Racial Equity Workshop. Wendy holds a Master

Engineer and artist Andrew Johnson talks about his engineering work and his artistic practice, blurring the lines between both, at the intersection of engineering’s crisp mathematics and physical materiality, and art, with its unbounded possibilities, creative expression, and playfulness.Johnson is an artist and engineer born and raised in Nebraska. He received an MAE degree in structural engineering from the University of Nebraska in 2006. He is a self-taught artist and works in a variety of media. Johnson has shown work throughout the metropolitan Omaha area, most notably at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and The Union for Contemporary Art. As a practicing engineer working at TD2, Johnson works on a variety of project types and market sectors throughout the US, focusing primarily on local and regional work. He enjoys close collaboration with architects and designers and has worked on several award-winning designs. Johnson has extensive experience with structural de

Poet Todd Robinson talks about investigating life through poetry, the everyday awkwardness, yearnings, loss, and triumphs explored in his intimate books of poetic praise Note at Heart Rock and Mass for Shut-ins, revealing why one reviewer described him as a “veritable Neruda of Nebraska.” Robinson shares the experiences that have shaped his life and writing, and will read for us some of his poems.Todd Robinson is the author of two poetry collections, most recently Mass for Shut-Ins and Note at Heart Rock. He has led community writing workshops with many organizations, including UNMC, The Kaneko and Bemis art museums, the Nebraska Writers Collective, Omaha and Lincoln Warrior Writers, and the Nebraska Writers Guild. He is an Assistant Professor in the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and caregiver to his partner, a disabled physician.

Creighton music professor, conductor, and chorus master Dr. Barron Breland talks about an epiphany with the Atlanta Boy Choir, the choral ensembles he is engaged with, the art and craft of conducting, the joys and creative challenges of music for him and for us, and a life spent in and with music.Dr. A. Barron Breland has a diverse background in many different fields of music, including the piano and saxophone, and is in demand throughout the Midwest and beyond as a conductor, chorusmaster, clinician, and adjudicator. He is Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Alongside his leadership of the Creighton University Chamber Choir, Breland is the Music Director of Résonance, a semi-professional chorus whose debut album Pilgrimage was released in July 2020 on the MSR Classics label. Breland also is the Artistic Director of the River City Mixed Chorus and in his tenure with the organization the ensemble has grown to over 1

Musician and writer Anne Schulte talks about her life as a writer, exploring language’s power to bring us together and to separate us. Schulte also shares the inspiration behind her beautiful, witty, and wistful music EP Dream Cars and will perform some of her music with us live in the studio.Anna Schulte is a musician and writer from Omaha, Nebraska. She released her debut EP, Dream Car, in 2022, and her poetry has been published in Paper Darts and 433. Schulte has a BA in English Writing and French from Loyola University in New Orleans and currently is pursuing a Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Her work is centered in her search for belonging and meaning in a world where suffering exists side-by-side with such ordinary miracles as lemon trees, poppy seeds, and the color red. She has spent the last decade living in New Orleans, France, and Omaha. 

Luis Marcos, founding member of the Maya Economic Development Corporation and co-executive director of Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim. In our conversation, Marcos, who was born in modern day Guatemala before he came to the United States when he was a teenager, shares the dislocating culture shock of that time that then motivated his efforts to support the prosperity, representation, and sovereignty of the Maya people and the rebuilding of the Maya Nation, including the founding of the Maya Economic Development Corporation and Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim. Marcos, the Maya governmental ambassador to the Omaha Tribal Nation, also talks about his commitment to preserving Maya heritage and identity and to advancing the Maya indigenous people’s sovereign ability for self-determination.

Ballet dancer and founder of American Midwest Ballet, Erika Overturff, shares her journey as a professional ballet dancer, the demands on the body and mind, and the rewards of creative expression. She also talks about ballet’s importance and the motivations behind founding a professional ballet company.Erika Overturff began her training in Iowa at the Academy of Ballet, studying at various summer programs, then after graduating high school early as valedictorian, She earned in just three years her B.F.A. in ballet performance and teaching from the University of Utah. Overturrf went on to dance with various ballet companies performing principal and soloist roles in a wide range of classical and contemporary repertoire. She has also been a faculty member and guest teacher for schools around the United States. Overturff has collaborated with Omaha Theater Ballet, Opera Omaha, Omaha Symphony, and Joslyn Art Museum in choreographing completely original ballets and fresh interpretations of classic works.

Anne Hindery, the CEO of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, talks about growing up in the seventies and wanting to change the world, an aspiration she has since pursued by driving an effective, vibrant nonprofit sector across the Midwest, to the betterment of all of our communities.Anne Hindery joined the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands in 2008. She has extensive experience in public and nonprofit sector program development and management for which she has received numerous accolades, including being recognized in 2017 as the Nonprofit Administrator of the Year by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA-NE). Active in the community, Hindery currently serves on the Board of the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless and has formerly served on the Omaha branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and on the Board of the National Council of Nonprofits. Hindery is currently co-teaching a class on Cross Sector Leadership at UNO. She received her bachelor’s degree f

Sherry Kennedy Brownrigg, the general manager of Classical 90.7FM KVNO shares that initial moment when radio first called to her and began a lifelong vocation on the airwaves, as a host behind the microphone and as a leader at a public radio station. Brownrigg also talks about the business of radio and its importance to our community, as well as her stints at a christian radio network and her personal faith journey too.An Omaha native, Brownrigg is one of few women who hold the title of General Manager among the nation’s 55 classical radio stations. Classical KVNO began broadcasting in 1972 from what is now the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus, recently celebrating 50 years on air. Brownrigg has worked at radio stations in Omaha and across the country, including the role as president of Relevant Radio network, a Christian national radio network headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Award winning actor and theater company cofounder Haley Haas talks about a life on stage and behind the scenes. She shares her passion for performing and bringing those opportunities to others, especially for marginalized voices. Haas also talks about the Anastasis Theater Company’s belief that the theater helps us to really see ourselves and each other and that art has the power to impact social change..Haley Haas is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Anastasis Theatre Co. Haas recently directed the tour of the Anastasis play More Than a Number, as well as the original production of the play inside the NE State Penitentiary. She has also directed the Anastasis plays Stories: On the Brink and Voices Unbound. Haas has worked as a teaching artist and facilitator with numerous local organizations and for 15 years as an actor and the Training and Education Director for R.E.S.P.E.C.T., a touring educational theatre company. As an award winning actor, favorite roles in s

Jim Begley is the Director of the William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Begley, who was raised in a union family, talks about organized labor’s historic rise in the face of oppressive working conditions, its decline over the last few decades, and the resurgence of unions in recent years to tackle inequity, support human rights in the workplace, and to hold on to labor’s historic victories for adult and child workers. Jim Begley grew up in a union household in Omaha and spent 15 years addressing labor and human resources issues for the City of Omaha. Since 2012, he has been an elected member of the Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD) Board of Directors in Omaha. Begley is a member of the UNO Chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the faculty union at UNO. Begley received his Master’s degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UNO. Begley and his wife, who is a public-school teacher and union me