Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home

Episode 138 Jay Johnson - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

This week we talk with one of our community's largest and most important employers about how to keep more of our young people in town. You can find my full discussion with Jay Johnson of General Dynamics Information Technology here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:38 1. Jay, you are the Staff Vice President, Technology Shared Services, for General Dynamics Information Technology (or GDIT as many know it). GDIT is one of the largest and most important employers and companies that we have in our community.
 
Tell me about GDIT and some of the work that they do locally.
 
2:23 2. Tell me some about your position at GDIT and some of what it entails.
 
5:10 3. What can local parents do to ensure that their kids are properly prepared to have a career in STEM and/or cybersecurity?
 
15:45 4. Lastly, what do you see that we can do as a community to bolster your efforts at GDIT to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest?

Episode 137 Archer Frierson - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

This week we talk all about what it means to be a good steward of the land, and as an extension, of your community. You can find my fascinating discussion with Archer Frierson here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:42 1. Let’s start here today.
 
Your family came to Louisiana from South Carolina. Can you tell me about this?
 
7:19 2. Your family and you, for lack of a better phrase, had a front row seat for the Haynesville Shale. Talk to me some about this experience if you could.
 
14:48 3. You were an integral part of Centenary deciding to bring football back to the university. Take me behind the scenes of some of this process and decision.
 
21:44 4. The Independence Bowl has a special place for you and your family. Talk to me some about that.
 
24:45 5. First Presbyterian Church and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary also have special places for you and your family. Would you mind talking some about that?

Episode 136 Sylvia Goodman - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

Ever wonder how huge additions to our community, like the Sci-Port Discovery Center and the Robinson Film Center, happen?  You can find my full discussion with Sylvia Goodman here.
 
1:34 1. Sci-Port Discovery Center
 
37:28 2. Robinson Film Center

Episode 135 Janet Miller - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

This week's episode is all about communication and collaboration. We look at one of our community's best examples of how to tackle some of our most complex issues - the way that CADA and numerous others are working together to reform the local crisis response system. You can find my full discussion with Janet Miller here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:36 1. In March of 2024, you were named the new executive director of the Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse (or CADA as most people know it).
 
Prior to CADA you worked for 25 years at the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling, 10 of those as the director.
 
CADA has been serving our community since 1958. In a little while, I want to talk about the CADA Mobile Response Team and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that you signed in November with the Shreveport Police Department as you work to reform the local crisis response system.
 
But let’s start just with some foundational knowledge. I know from preparing for today’s discussion and taking in all the information on your website that CADA offers a number of different programs. Talk to me about 2-3 of your key substance abuse services and programs.
 
3:38 2. Louisiana is one of the top ten states in the nation for opioid-related deaths. One in ten high school students admits to regularly using prescription opioids for non-medical purposes. More than 225,000 Louisiana residents admit to regular heavy drinking and around 6% of the Louisiana population abuses alcohol.
 
One of the major new initiatives CADA has implemented since your arrival has been its new Mobile Response Team. Tell me what this is and why it is such an important new addition to the services that CADA provides.
 
12:10 3. According to LSU Health Shreveport, in 2023 there were 299,939 emergency 911 calls in Caddo Parish. Each of these calls required a law enforcement or emergency medical services response. Many of these calls, however, did not involve criminal behavior or medical needs, placing a disproportionate burden on first responders.
 
Talk to me about this MOU that you signed with the Shreveport Police Department and how it will significantly improve our ability as a community to provide crisis response.
 
20:00 4. People in our community generally understand that we have a shortage of police officers and that jails are overcrowded. What a lot of people don’t know is that our emergency rooms are overcrowded too. As far as you know, is that accurate and talk to me about how the reforms CADA is part of making to our crisis response system will help relieve some of the burden our emergency rooms are facing?
 
29:33 5. What are CADA’s greatest challenges today and for those in our community listening, how can they best help you achieve your mission?

Episode 134 Maria Sermons - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

I love talking about the Hispanic community which has grown and contributed so much over the last few decades to our city. You can find my full discussion with Maria Sermons, Vice President of Total Yard Care and President of the Hispanic Heritage Association, here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:32 1. Your father started Total Yard Care with only his children as employees and now it’s a successful company with more than 30 employees. Tell me about how the business got started and some of the services you offer today.
 
10:06 2. You have been an integral and active part of our local Hispanic community. Your family are a bit of Mexican pioneers in this area. Talk to me about how you have seen the local Hispanic community evolve and change over the years?
 
15:32 3. What are some steps you feel could be taken to further integrate the Hispanic community into the greater Shreveport-Bossier community?
 
22:00 4. As you look out at our community in general, what are some of the things that concern you the most?
 
26:03 5. What gives you hope that our community as a whole is headed in a positive direction?

Episode 133 Ronald Collins Jr. - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

This week I get to share a small piece of the great legacy of The Shreveport Sun, which turns 105 later this year. You can find my full discussion with Ronald Collins Jr., the Editor, here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:48 1. On November 6, 1920, The Shreveport Sun was founded by Melvin Lee Collins, Senior. It is the oldest weekly newspaper for African Americans in Louisiana.
 
Fast forward to 2025. You are the fourth generation, I believe, running the paper, and the great-grandson of Melvin Collins, the founder. How long have you been with The Sun and can you share some of your earliest memories of being around this incredible family business?
 
5:40 2. Tell me about The Sun in 2025. How often do you publish? Do you still publish a print edition? And tell me about some of your social media activity.
 
10:15 3. On February 12th of this year, The Shreveport Times published an article that according to the US Census Bureau, 56.1 percent of Shreveport is Black, 36.5 percent is white, 3.9 percent Hispanic, 1.5 percent is Asian and 0.2 percent is American Indian and Alaska Native.
 
The Sun continues to be and has always been an important resource in our community providing information on black people’s progress, noting times of black social events, and acting as a sounding board for black opinion. How do you see the role of The Sun in 2025 versus perhaps what it was in the time of the first, second, and third generation Collins editors and owners?
 
17:42 4. Newspapers.com is a tremendous online resource providing daily archives of many papers from around the country. Is it possible that The Sun would ever become part of the newspapers.com database?
 
21:06 5. As you look at our community, what are some of the things that concern you the most?
 
26:00 6. What makes you feel that our community is making progress or perhaps headed in a positive direction?

Episode 132 Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

This week I sit down with one of our community's most important leaders, Tabatha Taylor, the Chair of the Shreveport City Council. You can find our full discussion here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:42 1. For more than 25 years, you have been advocating for autism awareness. Your adult son, Dominique, is non-verbal and was diagnosed with autism at age 2.
 
Your advocacy efforts have led to so much great change. Talk to me about where autism resources and awareness were when you first started this work 25 plus years ago and some of where they are today.
 
6:26 2. You grew up in the Cooper Road area and now represent that district, District A, as its city councilwoman. I’ve heard you talk about why your memories of going to pay the water bill with your grandmother was important. Can you share of that story?
 
9:55 3. You are one of the most positive, forward-looking leaders we have in our community. And I have always been struck by how much pride the people I have met from Cooper Road seem to have.
 
Talk a little about the Cooper Road/MLK area. How is it similar to the way it was when you were growing up there and how it is different?
 
14:50 4. As you look out at our community as a whole, what are some of the things that concern you the most?
 
19:41 5. And what are some of the things that you make you feel that we are headed in the right direction?

Episode 131 Deidra Lewis-Robertson - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

I love sitting down with people who have taken their faith and made it their work and action. You can find my full discussion with Deidra Lewis-Robertson, Director of Friendship House for Community Renewal International, here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:37 1. You are an integral part of Community Renewal International as the Director of Friendship House and Director of Operation H.O.P.E., Helping Our Pupils Excel.
 
Let’s start here today.
 
I believe there are currently 10 Friendship Houses in Shreveport-Bossier. What are these friendship houses and what types of programs do they offer?
 
4:02 2. How does Community Renewal determine where to place its friendship houses?
 
5:51 3. You once said, “The call had to go beyond just going to church every Sunday.”
 
Your husband Eric and you made a significant sacrifice by relocating your family to a less safe area of Highland so that you could run the Friendship House in Highland. Talk to me about that relocation process and some of what your husband, children and you went through (or still go through) as a result of making that significant transition?
 
10:37 4. As I mentioned earlier, you are the Director of Operation H.O.P.E. Tell me about this program and some of the important work it does.
 
13:53 5. Sometimes people think it is the sole responsibility of our school system to be our village and to ensure that our kids get all that they need to become responsible, productive adults. How do you see the role of schools, what can they do and what should they do, and what are the gaps that programs like yours need to fill?

Episode 130 Greg Powell - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

Greg Powell is bringing the fun with his company SB Rides and helping to piece together the stories that shape us with his bike and bus tours. You can find our full discussion here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:31 1. How did you come up with the idea of Social Bike Rides or SB Rides as most know it?
 
6:52 2. Tell me about 515 Pierre Avenue.
 
11:42 3. You have led bike tours focused on black history for our local Juneteenth celebrations and recently you were the guide for the MLK 318 Dreamfest guided bus tour. Tell me about these tours, some of the sites you take people to, and a little about who taught you our local black history.
 
28:40 4. As you look out at our community, what are some of the things that concern you the most?

Episode 129 Emily Hays - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

The title of this week's episode is "It's all about perspective" (I title them each week for Channel 12 when they house the episodes on their KSLA 12 App). All that to say, I absolutely loved the opportunity to sit down with Emily Hays as she shared her fresh, useful and really instructive perspective. You can find the entire discussion here.
 
Here are the questions I asked:
 
0:34 1. Born and raised in Shreveport, you ended up in Kazakhstan in your early twenties. How did you end up there?
 
4:30 2. Fast forward a few years and you are now the owner of Osborn Hays Real Estate. Tell me about Osborn Hays, how it started, and some about who you are as a company.
 
7:18 3. Let’s switch gears a little as we get to another important facet of your current life. In addition to owning and running Osborn Hays, along with your husband and father you own North Port Sports.
 
Where did the idea come from to purchase the 25-acre site which had been abandoned for more than 10 years? What is North Port Sports today and what will it be ultimately?
 
15:43 4. Like many of us, you grew up here, went away never expecting to return, returned never expecting to stay, and now you are committed to making your hometown better.
 
Your husband Phil and you are raising a family with four children. As you look around at our community, what are some of the things that concern you the most?
 
21:19 5. Lastly, what are some of the things locally that make you feel like our community is improving or has improved since you first came back to live here?