Editor’s Note: Due to the massive amount of information each candidate provided and my determination to ensure every word spoken is made available to our readers, this topic will be broken up into two editions-the candidate introductions for this edition and the Q&A segment into this Saturday’s edition.
Pampa ISD Board of Trustees Place 4
Collin Rains: “My decision to run comes from a deeply personal place. As the daughter of two life-long educators, and now a parent of two school-aged children, I understand the importance of strong-supported education from both inside the classroom and at the kitchen table. Our education system is not just about policies to me-it’s a part of my heritage, my own life, and my hopes for the future of Pampa. For the past two years, I spent a great deal of time attending school board meetings not just to observe, but to truly understand the responsibilities of the role. I wanted to be sure that if I chose to step forward, I would do so with the knowledge, education and perspective necessary to be an effective advocate for our students, teachers, and Pampans. I believe in the power of public education. Our schools don’t just teach math and reading, they help shape the future leaders of our community. The quality of our schools matter, not just for my kids, but for every child in our community. That’s why I am committed to advocating for policies that support teachers, empower families, and ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed. Pampa ISD, like all districts across the state face its challenges-inadequate per-student funding, state policies that limit our teachers ability to maintain structure and discipline in the classroom, and the ever-dwindling pool of certified teachers to fill teaching positions. These are not small problems, but I believe we can rise above them. We can work together to build a school system that reflects the very best of who we are-one that supports our educators, empowers our students, and earns the trust of our community. Pampa is on the move and with your support, I want to be a part of the continuing momentum. Currently PISD is building a first-class career and technology center that will give students real-world, hands-on experience, preparing them to be an immediate asset in today’s workforce. Soon PISD will be in the construction of our new elementary super campus. This campus will foster collaboration among teachers and students alike, reinforcing a strong sense of unity we desire for our student community. Together, we are building a brighter future and one filled with opportunities for our students. Thank you for the opportunity to share my vision with you today. As a parent, community member and candidate, I am committed to creating a school environment that prioritizes our children’s success. I believe our schools can be a place where every student has the support they need to reach their full potential.”
Kaleb Snelgrooes: “I am a Class of 2000 graduate of Pampa High School and am thrilled to be here, thrilled to call Pampa my home, thrilled to call you my friends, thrilled to call you my neighbors, thrilled to call you my past teachers, my fellow First Baptist members-I’m just super excited to be here. I grew up in Pampa my entire life. I was born in Borger 1981 when Pampa was rockin’ and rollin’ in oil and gas. This may offend some folks, but the oil and gas industry isn’t what it was in the 80s. We are on the cutting edge of something very special and that’s going to help our community, and more importantly, it’s going to help our schools and our kids. Our kids will be the next ones in this forum in 10, 20, 30 years. I grew up here, love it here, married my high school sweetheart who is an awesome educator. I spent 15 years in the education system. I have two young boys in the system right now, a 7th grader and a sophomore who is playing JV Baseball right now. We’re here and we support each other and I’m super excited to be a part of this. Growing up in this community, I tell people I bleed green and gold. I am for every Harvester whether it be a pre-k student or a 12th grader and beyond. I got to have lunch last week with a kid I had in school. For the first time, this kid reached out to me at 6 AM, working at Hunting-Titan and said, ‘hey coach, can we have lunch?’ Absolutely. I got to have lunch and catch up with this young man and it was then I realized the impact this community and our education system has made on this young man’s life and now he’s in our community doing that very same thing that you have all done. We all support each other-community, family and education.”
City Commissioner Ward 1
Wendi Miller Horst: “I am a 38-year-old woman that was proudly raised here in Pampa, Texas right over here on Sumner Street. My dad, Clint Miller, and my grandparents, Joe and Dorothy, were huge parts of my life and made me the person I am today. I was taught from an early age that the value of hard work, respect and most importantly, relationships, was the way life should be. My grandfather taught me that the word of mouth was the best way to build a reputation. If you build a relationship with people that fully trust you, they recommend you. And to me, that is what a campaign is really about-building genuine, meaningful relationships with all the people in Pampa. I’m not a politician, and if I’m thinking something, chances are you’re going to see it on my face before my mouth will ever get to filter it out. I’m open-minded and if I believe in something, you better come with facts, proof and solid research to change my mind. I stand firm in my beliefs and am not running to make promises I can’t keep for any kind of different things. I’m running to bring new perspective and bridge the gap between the generations. I threw my hat in the ring for city commissioner because I believe in service and I believe in us. This isn’t a job about policies and budgets-it’s about listening, connecting and making sure your voices are truly heard. I want to bridge the gap between generations, bringing our young people and elders together because when you combine wisdom with fresh perspective, our community will become unstoppable. Pampa has already made great strides moving forward and I want to help keep that momentum going. I want to take a close and honest look at where our tax dollars are going. Are we investing in the future in smartest ways? Are we spending our hard-earned money effectively and responsibly? These are questions that I have already started asking and I want the opportunity to dig deeper. I bring new ideas, fresh energy and a deep commitment to the people of Pampa, and most importantly, I bring accountability. When I give my word, it means something. I believe my experience in public relations will be an asset in bringing new businesses to Pampa. We need people in these positions that can connect.”
Phyllis Jeffers: “I have quite an extensive background in public service. I retired from the City of Pampa after 23 years as city secretary, director of human resources, and community services. After retirement, I worked for a company called Texas First with retired management professionals that would go to work at cities to fill positions of city secretary and city manager. While these cities were going through the selection process to fill those positions, we were able to go in and fill the gap so they would not be rushed and nothing would come to a halt. I learned so very much in working different cities. Pampa is unique and we love it, but we need some change, we need a face lift. We need our streets repaired, we need to get rid of dilapidated buildings, but the elected officials can’t do that themselves. It’s going to take the community-the community that is going to be at each and every city commission meeting, participating in the meeting, speaking up and letting their elected officials know where they stand on the issues. It’s a thankless job. In the City of Pampa, I’ve worked for six city managers and six mayors. Everybody has come in with their heart set on doing something, but so many times they find out that with all the laws that govern city government, there are things they just can’t do. It can be frustrating, but there are so many things that can be done. The focus needs to be on those things that can be accomplished. We need to get Pampa ready for the future.”
Mayor
Mike Borger: “I was born in Amarillo and it was ten years ago when I moved to the beautiful city of Pampa. I got a degree in finance and went into the equipment leasing business and had my own business that was really successful. After that, I got involved with some other companies and I served on company boards two different times. I’m on the board of a large real estate investment trust right now, so I have a lot of experience in business and large transactions and that’s what I bring to the table. I’m also a team builder and a peacemaker. I don’t like fussin’ and fighting, I like things to come together. We’re at a place in this town where that’s really happening and it’s such a blessing. When we came to live in Pampa, my wife and I came to give-to invest in people. We have so many sweet friends here and we’ve seen them progress in their walk with the Lord and raise their kids and are doing well. That’s what we want to see continue. I have three things I want to do in Pampa: I want to see our salaries raise and have higher paying jobs for people who are working hard here, and we have a chance to do that and I want to help see that through; I want to see new houses constructed and help promote that and I have some specific ideas on how to do that; I also want to create a program where when we see something that needs to be fixed and instead of saying, ‘that’s a mess’, we do something. So if you see something, do something. I want to call it Neighbor to Neighbor if given the opportunity. I just want to create a culture in Pampa where we work together to make things better and when we see deterioration, we go in to try to undo that and resolve it. I want to see Pampa’s growth and positive things overwhelm the deterioration. We all see it, but we can overcome it and make Pampa a better place. We are the fork in the road and generational change is coming. We have to stay unified. We have to focus on the future. And if we do that, it’s not only possible, it’s very likely, and isn’t that great? This after all, friends, is Pampa, America. It’s time to harvest Pampa’s potential, let’s go. What do you say?”
Jimmy Chaney: “I’ve spent my entire life in Pampa and the surrounding area. I know this town inside and out-not just the streets and businesses, but the people, the stories and the heart of this community. I was around in the 80s when this place was booming-when our mall was full, our local businesses were thriving, and there was a real energy in the air. I remember what that felt like and I believe we can get there again. That experience gives me perspective not just where we are today, but where we’ve been and where we can go if we work together. Running for mayor is something I’ve been thinking about doing for many years because I care deeply about where we’re headed and how we get there-I wasn’t recruited to do this. I’m going to be honest with you-my past isn’t perfect, I’ve been arrested more times than I can count. Back then I was lost in addiction, but I made the decision to change. I went through a faith-based rehab program and now I’ve been clean for 21 years. I’m not a felon, so yes, I qualify for mayor, but more importantly, I believe my story proves something: people can change, and if people can change, so can the communities. After rehab, I got started with Chaney Construction and since then I’ve owned several other businesses. Today I own Hall’s Heating & Air, and you’ve probably seen some of our banners and yard signs around town. We employ local people and I’m proud of that. I built my life here, raised my family here, and invested my time, heart and money right here in Pampa. I’m passionate about Pampa’s growth, not just for today, but for the future. I want our kids to have a reason to come back home and I want our kids to grow up in a town full of pride, opportunity and purpose. To make that happen, we have to clean things up, literally and figuratively. We need to work together to make Pampa more beautiful, more welcoming and more business-friendly. That means taking pride in our community and doing the small things that make a big difference. Transparency is another big priority for me. As I’ve prepared for this campaign, I’ve discovered there’s some great things happening in our city, and unless you’re digging like I have, you might not ever know and that’s not right. You deserve to know what’s happening in the city and I’ll make sure you do. One of the things I’m most excited about is marketing and branding our city, not just for the people that live here, but for the people that might live here. I want to tell Pampa’s story in a way that makes folks want to visit, move here and invest in our community. I believe we have to look like the city we want to become. What sets me apart is simple: I’m all in. I started my life over here, I live and work here, I raised my family here, I’ve built businesses here, I serve here. I don’t just talk about investing in Pampa, I do it every single day. I love this town, I believe in it, and that’s why I’m running for mayor.”
Amy Petroski: “I have lived in Pampa, Texas for eight years. I moved here from Indiana, but I do have Texas roots. I have family that is in Dallas and around Houston and this is my second stint in Texas. I had been in Abilene for six years with my husband and we have two grown children and my son happens to live here in town. I work for the Salvation Army part-time, and many of you may know me as the Red Kettle coordinator, and I work at the Pampa radio station in advertisements. I also serve on the board for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School, so quite a few people know me in the community. The rest of my time I spend volunteering with the Salvation Army where I fill in as the service coordinator which help people pay their utilities, help get their prescriptions filled, and we also helped over 300 children obtain Christmas through Angel Tree. I’m the vice chair of the advisory council and the vice chair of the emergency disaster, so I am responsible for signing up volunteers and was very busy last year working with the wildfires. I feel if you run for mayor, you need to have experience, which I don’t have being mayor, but I have served on various committees throughout my life. I have a finance degree in my college education and I’ve worked in finacing and credit, as well as having a servant heart. I feel I can benefit Pampa and I would be the first female mayor if I was elected. There are 35 ladies in the state of Texas that are mayors, so I would love to do that. The biggest thing I want to do is serve the residents of Pampa.”
Paul Searl: “My wife Linda and I are life-long residents of Pampa and we have raised two daughters here and have four grandkids that go to to school here, one of them is playing softball right now. I’m also one of your current city commissioners over ward 1 and have been with the city commission for four years. I’ve seen a lot and learned a lot through my process there. I threw my hat in the ring because I have a heart for Pampa and my family has a heart for Pampa. We’ve invested in this community and we would like to see change. We would like to see the growth that is starting here and see more growth and prosperity for the community. We’re right on the threshold of something big right now that could bring in a lot more opportunity for us and I want to be a part of that and see it through. We’re here and we’re here to stay. I’m a small business owner, Geep’s Barber Shop. Come by and see me. I like to visit and hear people’s concerns. One thing I would like to start is a citizens task force here in Pampa if I’m elected Mayor. I would have people from all over Pampa get together regularly and discuss ideas and concerns. I thank you for your support.”
