Every time you pick up a WACOAN Magazine, you read stories of people in the community and the impact they make. But living in a city just shy of 150,000 people, that’s a lot of magazines to publish to highlight all those making Waco a unique and tightknit community.
Once a year, we open the pages to showcase a handful of the hard workers, go-getters, entrepreneurs who all have one thing in common: They make Waco a city to love. From college professors to students to artists to a team helping to ensure that Waco is a greener space, these are the 30 people of Waco that we are honored to feature this year.
Anthony Betters Sr.
Senior City of Waco Environmental Compliance, Dr Pepper Museum Board Ambassador
Lifelong Wacoan
Anthony Betters Sr. is a community leader, youth mentor and environmental professional. Betters graduated from Texas State Technical College and joined the City of Waco in 2006. In 2018, he joined the board of the Dr Pepper Museum and, in 2022, became its first Black board chair. After two years serving as president, he continues to serve on the board and is an active member of the Exhibit Task Force, where he influences exhibit development and growth.
Underrated Spot: Cameron Park — “[It’s] definitely a hidden jewel in our city.
If you travel from Pecan Bottom all the way up to the very top, you can see all these different pockets. What that celebrates, to me, is the Native Americans that originally built this community. We’re actually honoring them because if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be embracing some of the huge pecan trees and magnolia trees and fruit trees throughout the whole area of Cameron Park.”
How has the Waco community impacted you?
It has a variety of different demographics. From public school — my wife and I [attended] WISD, and my children [attended] Midway. My wife attended Paul Quinn College, a historical Black college that was once here in the city of Waco. My oldest son is attending Baylor. My youngest son also attended MCC. The lineage of my family attended all these different schools in this area here.
What impact do you hope to have on the Waco community?
I want to celebrate those unsung heroes and community champions. These are not, let’s say, city council members, city managers, directors. These are common folk that live in the community. The impact that I want to leave is a footprint of giving thanks and gratitude and say, ‘Hey, thank you for contributing in my life.’ That’s what it all centers around: showing love. If I can leave a legacy, then I have to leave a legacy of giving thanks.
What’s a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment?
Becoming the first Black board president of the Dr Pepper Museum. From 2018 up until now, all my exhibits have a new look [that] are more reflective of the community. We were able to put up one of the signs from the community market, Cruz Grocery Store, [which] was demolished, but now the sign is in the Dr Pepper Museum. We honored that family, too. And not only does that sign represent Cruz Grocery Store, it represents every convenience store, community, family-owned store, that sustained community in the United States. That’s what that honors.
These exhibits now, you walk in, you see things in Spanish. You see us talking about Ellis Booker, who was the first Black man that worked there for 50-plus years. You see Juana Gonzalez. You see women.
And now our board of directors, at one time, it was all men. It’s now all diverse.
Ellen Mote
Multidisciplinary Artist, Jewelry Maker
14 years in Waco
Ellen Mote is a multidisciplinary artist who explores motherhood, identity and visibility through painting, collage, cyanotype and light sculptures. Her work challenges perfection while finding beauty in the everyday. She writes a weekly newsletter, Kunsthalle, about creativity, art, business, motherhood and building a creative life. See her work at ellenmote.com.
Underrated Spot: Wine Shoppe on Austin Avenue — “I feel so lucky that we get to have such an incredible wine shop in Waco. It’s so underrated. The Waco Wine Shoppe is premium.”
What kept you in Waco?
When we first moved here, my husband was getting his master’s, and we made such amazing friends and community in that time that part of the reason that we came back was because of the community and opportunities in Waco.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I think Waco has so much to offer in terms of community and relationships, and the way that people rally around others’ ideas is beautiful. Sometimes when I’m talking with friends who live in bigger cities, they have all of the entertainment and dining options and amazing public transit, but no one to share it with. Whereas Waco may not have all those same offerings, but there’s people to share life with. I think at the end of the day, at the end of my life, I’ll say that that matters more than all the shiny stuff.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I could write an essay. I feel it all the time as a person and also as a professional here. I think there’s something so beautiful about Waco and being able to go to literally any store, any business and know someone by their first name. And honestly, that used to kind of irritate me because I wanted a little bit more anonymity and I wanted to be able to live my life and not run into people. But now, it is the thing that brings me the absolute greatest joy. I think it’s remarkable.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I would love to be able to give back the same kindness and generosity to Waco that I feel that Waco has given me. I would like to impact younger women who are seeking a creative career. I think it can be hard to find role models in that sphere, especially in Waco. So, I hope to be able to inspire, impact, teach and encourage younger women.
I work as a full-time artist, and this summer I realized I should start calling myself a multidisciplinary artist. I paint, and in the summer, I started to make some light sculptures, which are basically what they sound like. It’s like a 3D form on the wall with a light in it, so it kind of acts like a lamp and a sculpture at the same time. And a lot of my work has been around the theme of motherhood, but really it’s about life and seasons and how we’re transformed by the lives that we live.
Art can be an intimidating space sometimes for people, and there can feel pressured to say the right thing when you’re talking about art or to like the right thing. I hope through my work and how I talk about it and share about it and invite people into it, that it creates a more safe and welcoming space that is a touchpoint for people to enjoy art on a deeper level or maybe for the first time.
Berenice Segovia
Human Resources Manager for Envases Commerce
15 years in Waco
Berenice Segovia is an HR and workforce development leader with 15-plus years of experience in government and manufacturing. She has called Waco home for more than 15 years; here she serves the community, builds meaningful workplaces and raises her three daughters with her husband. She is passionate about developing people and creating opportunities.
Underrated Spot: Downtown Waco — “We do talk about downtown now that Magnolia came in, but it was very underrated for the longest time. We’re shaping it, making it more beautiful, but it’s popping, it’s appealing; there’s all kinds of shops, there’s all kinds of restaurants.”
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
Working for the state for over 14 years, I got to work with all different backgrounds of individuals. I have run into them and had them say, ‘Thanks to you, I’m where I am and my family has food on their table and I can provide and I was able to better me and better my career.’ That’s what I want to leave behind and that’s how I want to touch the Waco community. I want to be able to impact their life for the better. I mentor kids at Midway ISD through the LEAD program and that also helps me to start shaping them just so we have a better community, a more prepared and equipped workforce and we help the next generation.
What makes Waco unique or special?
We are a small community yet have a big impact. It makes it so unique because as small as we are, we’ve grown tremendously over the years and that’s also helped us into being where we’re at now. We can bring in Amazon, we can bring the big corporations that have helped our community into being better and bigger. But at the same time, we still have the heart. We still have the strong community roots that make us very unique.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
When I got to Waco, I came in with a bachelor’s degree from Mexico. Yet when I got to the company that had offered me a transfer, they were like, ‘OK, Berenice, we don’t have anything for you.’ Figure it out, right? So that’s exactly what I did. I went into a staffing agency and started working for Coca-Cola. I went to the line and I was flipping bottles all day and I was like, this is not for me. So, I started learning on my breaks — learning every piece of equipment to where I became a lead. When they offered me to come full time, I had already found another opportunity and I moved on to the Workforce [Solutions for the Heart of Texas]. I started as a receptionist [then] I became a project director, so I ran the whole six counties for the Workforce. That tells you a little bit about us as a community. Yeah, you might get tested, you might get put through hoops or trials, but we are a strong community where our talent does grow. We do give opportunities and we utilize your skills and individuals to the best of their ability. Now I’m the director of HR for a huge corporation. We are all over the globe, and I get to work with amazing people in the community. I did Leadership Waco, so I got to interact with other leaders from the community. It was quite a bit of an experience, but that does describe Waco as a whole.
Stephen Uhey
Program Director for Creative Waco’s ArtPrenticeship
2.5 years in Waco
Stephen Uhey is a Waco-based artist and arts programmer with more than a decade of experience in public murals and arts education. He serves as Program Director for Creative Waco’s ArtPrenticeship, a paid summer apprenticeship program allowing high school artists to work alongside professionals.
Underrated Spot: Eastside Market — “It happens at Brotherwell Brewing, and there’s artists and secondhand sellers there. I think they’ve done a lot of incredible things over the years. It’s a cool community space and a good jumping off point for your weekend.”
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I think the Waco community gives me a lot of confidence. I grew up in California and then got into murals, public art and arts education programs in New York City, and I worked often throughout the years for the same organization out there. It gets easy to feel like maybe these people are just being nice to me, so when we moved to a new community where they don’t know anything about me, I got the opportunity to demonstrate what I bring to the table and how I am as a person. I feel like we have been welcomed with open arms here, so that gave me more confidence.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I’ve seen what happens when places change either too quickly or without consideration to the people, so I came to Waco with an open mind and a lot of questions. I was reaching out to artists and different organizations and getting coffee with people and asking them about what was going on here. I want to play my role, whatever that looks like for me, within Waco. As an artist, a dad and a husband, I always want to know how I can show up for my community and add value. Being asked to take over the ArtPrenticeship program was super meaningful to me. I love getting to do that work each year.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
I think I’ve had this moment in a few different iterations but it’s kind of always the same vibe, which [is running] into people and they’re like, ‘Aren’t you the ArtPrenticeship person?’ I feel like that’s kind of a wake-up moment, like you know these people from all these different settings that maybe aren’t their main thing but there’s always little interconnected moments like that which I enjoy.
Kirsten Schubel
Artisan Cheese Maker, Owner of L’Atelier Fromager
10 years in Waco
After moving from France to Texas in 2015, Kirsten Schubel discovered cheesemaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, rekindling her connection to France. A former physician, she found unexpected joy in creating cheese and bringing people together around it. Today, she crafts French-inspired cheeses in Waco, sharing tradition, curiosity and a little bit of France.
Underrated Spot: Neighborhood businesses — “In France, you have a shop at the first floor, and then above, you have living spaces, so it’s all mixed in one zone. Here you have a zone of living spaces, and a zone of shopping spaces. But they are close to each other at some point, and I discover small businesses everywhere here. They change a lot, so I would encourage people to go look around them and find the small businesses, and see who the team is and make connections there. I see people looking for whatever big franchise you want to name here, but do we need another of this restaurant where everybody knows the menu already? Or do we need a small chef, like Blaine? He’s my neighbor. He does awesome work at cooking, and bringing wine and pairing them. And the team, they have wild stories, and I love that.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I like that it’s a proper town, but it has a small city vibe. When you spend a bit of time here, you get to know people, and you get to see them around. The Farmers Market is my spot where I like to meet people. We can have a coffee, chat five minutes; that’s what I like here. I come from either tiny, tiny village, or a huge town like Paris. You don’t get to meet random friends like that, so that’s what I like here.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
Waco is very religious, and for the French, religion is a very private matter, so that was hard. Then I started working at the Farmers Market, and I discovered a whole group of people, of whom most of them are probably Christian, but it’s not the main point of interest. They helped me reconnect with the land here and are my way to feel OK, even though Texas heat is despicable. I get to learn what grows here, and I learned to listen and discover the world that I didn’t know and question everything because in France, I learned so much growing up, that it was just the way it was. Here, it’s a different way to see the world.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
With the cheese shop, I wanted to be the middle link between farmers and people from the city. That was my compromise with my husband: He didn’t want to move onto a farm, so I brought the farm to me in town with the cheese making. It appears that there are lots of people with an attachment to Europe. Saturday, I met this lady. She tried my cheese, and all of a sudden, she froze, and she closed her eyes, and then it took, like, 10 very long seconds, and she opened them, and she says, ‘I went back to Germany when I was 12 years old.’ Just with one bite of cheese. I want more of that. I want to bring that to people. I also want to bring people together, and in France, we do that a lot around the food. People take your time to eat. Don’t rush it while you’re walking somewhere or driving through. Just take your time, sit down and have a chat.
Jazbeen Ahmad
Physician Leader at Baylor Scott & White, Hillcrest
12 years in Waco
Jazbeen Ahmad, MD, MBA, is a physician leader at Baylor Scott & White, Hillcrest, passionate about advancing women in medicine, physician wellbeing and leadership development. A proud Waco resident for 12 years, she serves on the boards of the Greater Waco YMCA and Asian Leaders Network. Outside of work, she enjoys life with her husband and three children.
Underrated Spot: Waco Wetlands — “We’ve even seen otters out there.”
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I’m a physician, so as a healthcare worker, I’m service minded. I would like to be known as someone who encourages kindness and remembers to care for one another. The community is only as healthy as the weakest person, you really do need to care for everybody to bring the whole community up.
What makes Waco unique or special?
It’s kind of an odd place. I mean, where else do you have a surfing mecca in a landlocked place? It’s a lot of creativity in one place that you wouldn’t really expect; right in between Austin and Dallas, there’s this little creative gem. Look at all these interesting restaurants! It’s a wonderful place and raising a family here is easy because you have so many fun things to do and you don’t have to drive an hour to get anywhere.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
When I moved to Waco, I didn’t know anyone. I had a baby and started a new job as a physician at Baylor Scott & White, Hillcrest. Over time, the people I met helped Waco become home.
When my daughter was 2-and-a-half, I started taking her to Expressions Dance Studio. It was there that I met another mom who told me about the school her children attended. We decided to give it a try, and that school has now been part of our lives for six years and has become an important part of all three of our children’s lives. Expressions has also remained a special part of our lives all these years later.
A colleague at Baylor Scott & White shared her passion for the YMCA with me, which led me to serve on the YMCA board for the past five years. Through my work in community outreach with the YMCA, I met Jaja Chen, and I now serve alongside her on the Asian Leaders Network Board.
Looking back, I realize I didn’t just move to Waco — I found a community. To me, being from Waco is about the people who welcome you, the friendships you build and the ways you give back. Waco became home because people opened their doors and their hearts to me.
Roberto Zapata
Director of Library and Cultural Enrichment for the City of Waco
2 years in Waco
Roberto Zapata serves as Director of Library and Cultural Enrichment for the City of Waco, overseeing the Waco-McLennan County Library, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum and Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center. A library advocate, he is passionate about expanding access, strengthening community connections and creating meaningful opportunities for lifelong learning.
Underrated Spot: Waco Libraries — “People don’t realize everything that we have. We’re more of a community space.
We offer all of the traditional stuff like story times and the summer reading challenge, but we also have a lot of programs for adults — we had a class on how to create a charcuterie board.”
There are many things that bring people to Waco. What do you think makes them stay?
It’s a mix of things, but I think that the most important thing is the people here. They’re very invested in the community and they want to work towards making it better, and I think that that creates a certain energy for Waco where people want to come back and help make the community stronger and better together.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
Waco is a city that’s on the rise. People don’t expect Waco to have so many things but once they come down here and visit, they’re surprised by the different types of activities you can do here. There’s a park, a zoo, some amazing museums, there’s great restaurants. The downtown area is also great if you’re looking to go to a good restaurant, to go shop or just looking for an experience. I think people are very pleasantly surprised when they visit.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I grew up in a smallish town of about 30,000, so way smaller than Waco, but I think it reminds me of where I came from. I was raised Baptist, so this city feels very familiar to me in terms of the way people are and how nice they are, how welcoming they have been since I moved here. I think that’s one of the great things about Waco is that no matter where you’re from or where you came from, the people here will talk to you and welcome you.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
For me, it’s all about connecting people to resources that they may not be aware of. I also want to expand and bring in some additional things in terms of what the library has to offer. Also making sure that people know about the Ranger Museum and the STEAM Center. The city has made a great investment opening the STEAM Center because a lot of the opportunities there are not available in other places. We have some amazing staff and programs. We have state-of-the-art technology: a recording studio, a test kitchen and an immersion space. We’re always looking at what we are going to do next to continue to provide that access.
Lawrence Loh
Music Director for the Waco Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the Syracuse Orchestra
2 years in Waco
Lawrence Loh is music director of the Waco Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Syracuse Orchestra. An acclaimed conductor and engaging host, he has led major orchestras across the country and is especially known for film music performances. Loh has assisted legendary composer John Williams on multiple occasions.
Underrated Spot: The Waco Symphony Orchestra — “This orchestra is a gem. They play at a high level. They’re inspiring and we do everything from ‘Beethoven’s 9th’ to ‘Top Gun Maverick.’”
What drew you to Waco?
I began my career with the Dallas Symphony as associate conductor and I’ve had a lot of friends who went to Baylor, so I knew about Waco for a long time. Many musicians in particular that I work with regularly did a lot of their musical training at Baylor, so I’ve known that Waco is this amazing place that draws people from all over the world. And I also know that Waco itself has a particular love for the arts. It’s something that we see every day from the thriving church musicians and from the orchestra itself.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I would say that people know about Waco from Baylor University and from the ‘Fixer Upper’ television shows, but there’s so much more. It all comes down to the people. As a music lecturer, I come in and I meet so many people, and there is this welcoming feeling that I always have that I always look forward to. That’s the kind of intimacy that you have from a smaller town; people know each other. I’ve spent over two years in Waco and that feeling is not going away at all.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I think there’s a willingness to explore and evolve, and I think that’s something that I have always felt. Some communities are reluctant to change and reluctant to evolve and I don’t feel that way at all about Waco. It’s affected me because it’s made me feel free to explore as an artist and as a human being. I love that there is this excitement to expand the horizons and not be complacent.
What makes Waco unique or special?
It’s a unique community on the precipice of this great expansion. There’s so many ideas from every corner of Waco about how to continue to move the community forward, and there are many communities where I’ve been that don’t touch upon that. I think that that’s one of the things that’s really exciting about Waco: The comparison of the size of the community to what the community offers.
Justin Derington
Head Coach of Vanguard College Preparatory School’s Girls’ Flag Football Team, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Hill County
5 years in Waco
Justin Derington is a father, educator, coach and community leader whose journey has been defined by service. A former national touring rapper, he stepped away from music to raise his daughter. He later became CEO of a Boys & Girls Club and advocated for economically disadvantaged youth at the Texas State Capitol. Today, he serves students at Vanguard College Preparatory School while giving back through free community concerts featuring artists such as Paul Wall, Mike Ryan and more.
Underrated Spot: Jasper’s Bar-B-Que — “We would all meet at Jasper’s Bar-B-Que and head off on tour from there. One of my favorite places, and the memory of it being the last meal before we left on tour was always special.”
What drew you to Waco?
The opportunity to be the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Hill County and the opportunity to work at Vanguard.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
In so many ways. The reason why I’m a mentor now is because I know the effect that can have, because other people did the same for me.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I would say it would go back to community. The reason why I do what I do now is because I was in a community where people loved and supported me when they didn’t have to, and I hope to be that same person to someone else.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
I was raised by a single mom and our big thing was to spend Saturday or Sunday afternoon in Waco and maybe eat at Underwood’s [Cafeteria] (which closed in 2001) or Kitok. One of those places was the Richland Mall CD Warehouse. That’s what I think when I think of Waco, really good feelings. It all comes from those things like my mom letting us get CDs. That was like the big city for us. And my first performance was freestyling here in Waco. I recorded my album with Steve Rose here too, so Waco has always been there. My first magazine article was in the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Kimberlee Smith
High School Student, 2026 Interscholastic Equestrian Association Future Novice Rance Riding National Champion
9 years in Waco
Kimberlee Smith, 15, loves all things horses. She is active in her church, serving in the kids’ ministry and singing with the Praise and Worship Team on Sunday mornings, as well as in youth group. She also enjoys playing guitar and crocheting. Kimberlee is homeschooled and a freshman this year.
Underrated Spot: Clay Pot — “It’s the best for a good Vietnamese restaurant. That’s one of my favorite restaurants.”
What brought you to Waco?
We had moved from Pennsylvania, and I had told my parents that I did not want to move so that if we were going to move to do this Texas thing, then I was going to be a cowgirl. They thought, ‘Oh, how cute,’ and signed me up for horse lessons. I’ve been riding horses for about eight years now and I started competing when I was 8 or 9 years old. I had been competing at Highlander Ranch and doing all these competitions, and then one of our new barn managers came in and she had had previous IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) experience, and she started a team there. I’ve been competing in IEA for 2 years, but I had broken my leg last season in a horse-riding accident, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to compete most of last year’s season. But this year I was back in, fully healthy, and I was able to go from Regionals to Nationals with one of my friends, Clara Eaton. We both got to show together, and it was a cool experience that my team got to go and see Nationals, and then we ended up coming home with a win.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I think I try to welcome people when they move here and give recommendations on where to go and all the fun things to do, but also to help them feel welcome and settled here. I also am using my IEA experience and my team to put that out there that people should come visit Waco.
What makes Waco unique or special?
It’s so different from Pennsylvania. It’s not that people weren’t friendly in Pennsylvania. I feel like it wasn’t as easy to connect with people. Here, I feel like it’s a community where you can make unique, everyday conversations with people and build connections that way, especially through church or community groups and things like that, which I’m heavily involved in. Being able to sprout those connections from small interactions is unique.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
Honestly, it would be my Nationals win, even though that didn’t take place in Waco, but had I not been here, then I wouldn’t have had the community support, or been able to find my IEA team, or my trainers, Riley and Zach, that have helped me. The horse that I won on at Nationals, his name was Carl, from Texas Tech — I couldn’t have won without him. He was an awesome horse and he was so comfortable in the arena and his handlers were amazing. What a cool way to be able to connect with the horse, too.
Becky Aydelotte
Destination Engagement Supervisor at Destination Waco
37 years in Waco
Becky Aydelotte is the Destination Engagement Supervisor for the City of Waco’s tourism team, Destination Waco. In this role she takes the helm at the Waco Welcome Center, coordinating merchandise selections, welcoming visitors and leading a team that leaves a positive impression on patrons. Originally from Houston, she has lived in Waco since 1989; here she advanced her journalism career with the Waco Tribune-Herald, where she met her husband with whom she happily raised her two now-adult children.
Underrated Spot: The Waco Welcome Center — “We have a little bit of history, we have beautiful art on display. We have beautiful things from local creatives; I’m working hard to make sure that our merchandise has more of a local slant to it. We’re a hidden jewel here.”
What drew you to Waco?
I took a job at the Waco [Tribune-Herald]; I was a reporter. That was a big step up from where I had been working previously, which was a small daily paper in Pasadena. I met my husband working at the paper, and the rest is history.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I hope that when people leave here, they feel like they’ve been to a welcoming place, to a friendly place. [That] they’ve left with a little bit of knowledge about the history of the city. It’s surprising how many [visitors] really care. They want to know what is the significance of the Suspension Bridge and the statue in front of it and the ALICO building, so I hope I leave them with a good impression and a little bit of history on top of that.
What makes Waco unique or special?
I will say I feel like downtown, especially compared to when I got here in 1989, there’s an energy that’s palpable and more of a creative spirit here than I’ve seen in a lot of the other places I’ve visited in Texas. That’s one of the fun things about this job is we get to experience a lot of places in Texas, whether it’s a big city or a small community and there really is a lot of creative spirit here and it’s embraced. Waco people are not scared to try new things and they fully embrace new endeavors. They’ll be the first ones to glom onto a new business or a new coffee shop. There’s a lot of civic pride for sure.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
It was my third day of work at the Waco Trib and we had a 100-year-flood. I had a 10 a.m. deadline to get my copy in — everything written and edited for my Wednesday deadline for the little tabloid that I wrote for back then. This was back in the day of scanners. My coworker, Rod, came into work, flipped the lights on, turned the police scanner on and said, ‘Have you guys looked outside? It’s flooding.’
My coworker at the time and I were there hunched over trying to knock out these stories by 10 a.m. By then, my little Chevy Cavalier was in the parking lot of the Trib spinning in circles as other vehicles were floating down Franklin. And so Rod, who is now my husband, said, ‘Throw me your keys.’
I threw him my keys. He ran down, cranked the engine, drove to higher ground and saved my car. So that’s a very uniquely Wacoan story. Especially because then that night we all went out for pizza at Poppa Rollo’s [Pizza] after we all pulled a 14-hour day. That was my first introduction to Poppa Rollo’s and to a lot of my coworkers who became friends, and many of them still are.
Geoffrey Griggs
Director of Multicultural Affairs at Baylor University
13 years in Waco
Dr. Geoffrey Griggs serves as Director of Multicultural Affairs at Baylor University, where he fosters “A Place for Everyone” through programs that celebrate culture, belonging and student success. Beyond Baylor, he serves as a trustee at Greater New Light Missionary Baptist Church, helping shape opportunities for youth, families and the Waco community.
Underrated Spot: Cameron Park Zoo — “I love the fact that it’s built smartly in Cameron Park. It’s very shaded, so you’re guided by trees the majority of the time. We like taking pictures in front of that sign just to see how our kids have grown.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone from out of town about Waco?
Give it a chance. Find your community. A lot of people have their preconceived notions about Waco from stuff that they hear historically, and there’s more to Waco than I think people get the opportunity to know. With students, I get to be a part of the orientation experience. They, of course, know that Waco isn’t Austin, it’s not Dallas. Waco has its own little culture that, once you learn everything and you’re able to navigate it, you like it a whole lot more.
When we got here in 2013, I was like, ‘give it two, three years,’ and I planned on going somewhere else. When that opportunity came, I wasn’t ready to go. Somehow, thinking I was going to leave after two years has become 13 years, and I still haven’t left.
What impact do you hope to have on the Waco community?
I’m just a little kid from Louisville, Kentucky, and I think about how wonderful my home community has impacted me. My hope is that I’m able to have that same impact on individuals here, whether they’re coming to Baylor, or I’m interacting with them throughout the community at different restaurants that I love, or they’re stopping at my church. I would love to help make Waco feel the same for them that it has for me.
What do you think makes Waco unique?
The thing that I think makes Waco unique, I tell everybody, is that Waco has large town possibilities with a small-town feel. I love the fact that every single area in Waco has almost its own little culture. You go to the different areas — East Waco, Hewitt, Bellmead — and it’s like you get to see how each area views themselves, and you get something different in each of those areas.
The beautiful thing that I love about it is that Waco still has the potential to grow and do many different things, and then there’s a lot of treasures that I think people don’t truly take advantage of. You realize that there’s so many different things that you can do right here in Waco. I tell people, of course, if you want a bigger field, Dallas and all those other cities aren’t that far away. But this is where I come back home to. I come back to this field that’s right here.
Rev. Aaron Zimmerman
Rector at Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church
13 years in Waco
Aaron Zimmerman is the rector of Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church in Waco and co-hosts a weekly podcast, “Same Old Song.” He loves music, trail running and travel. Originally from North Carolina, he has lived in Texas for 15 years. He has also lived in Kazakhstan, Sweden and Mexico.
Underrated Spot: Ranchito Taqueria Santa Fe — “[It’s] a food truck on 25th Street that has a tortillera cubana that’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life. When my son went to college, for one of his final meals in Waco, that’s what he wanted more than anything.”
How has the Waco community impacted you?
It has impressed me, and I think made me more of an optimist. I’ve seen people tackle causes or things they’re passionate about and get involved to make things happen. I’ve seen that in how people have revitalized downtown and other neighborhoods. I’ve seen that in how people have addressed some of the challenges in our city and things that they’ve taken on to address some of those areas of need for those that are really vulnerable.
I think about an organization like The Cove, which helps teens experiencing homelessness. That organization did not exist when I got here, and [I] got to see people start that and continue that legacy. I think there’s a lot of ways I’ve seen people see problems or challenges and not just say, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can do,’ but instead actually say ‘No, we can do a lot,’ and get community leaders together to make it happen.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I think, nationally, we’re at a time where people like to divide themselves into different camps. They say how polarized things are in our nation right now. The church I lead is a community where we have folks on all sides of every issue, and it has been gratifying to serve a place that people aren’t all one thing or another, but they’re united around a common goal and a common mission, and it’s created a place that I think is unique. It’s a place where people who have different views can get together and learn from one another. I hope that that’s had an impact in the Waco community. It’s also a place that has centered on art, community, connection and service in the community all around this idea of grace. I know from what people have told me that they’ve found it to be an oasis and a place of refuge in a chaotic world.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
Being able to see Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Yo-Yo Ma and Lyle Lovett. Those are all artists that I was able to see in Waco, and I feel like it represents sort of the diverse kinds of opportunities here, and how accessible those opportunities were.
I was surprised to learn a few years ago that Coach Dave Aranda listened to the sermon podcasts from our church and was a regular listener. That led to me being invited to preach at a couple of the chapel services for the football team and then travel with the team last year for one of their away games, as well as to pray the opening prayer at McLane Stadium. Those are experiences that I [never] thought I would have in ministry. I feel like that’s something that would only happen here, because it’s a community regardless of your perspective.
Kristen Padilla
Clinical Associate Professor at Baylor University, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing
Lifelong Wacoan
Dr. Kristen Padilla is a clinical associate professor at Baylor University and Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing. She also serves as board chair for Waco Family Medicine and chair for the Waco Committee for People with Disabilities. She graduated from University High School and received her bachelor’s at the University of Texas at Austin and her Education Specialist degree and doctorate from Baylor University.
Underrated Spot: Bitty and Beau’s Coffee Shop — “[They employ] people with disabilities. It’s a hidden gem to me. The community there, the energy there, it’s a blessing to be able to befriend these individuals and to be able to pop into karaoke in the middle of the work day.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
That it’s a real city. A lot of people think it’s a small town, but it’s a real city. You can enjoy a lot of things like the big city without the big city difficulties. It doesn’t take long to get anywhere, it’s a great place to raise a family. There’s lots of things to do, and it’s a growing city, when it comes to community events, like appreciating different cultures and diversity. You can get easily connected into something that you really enjoy.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I’m seeing my generation be leaders in this city. It brings that hometown nostalgic feel. My friend Mito [Diaz-Espinoza] is President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, [and] my high school classmate, Rachel Pate, is interim president of the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce. I’m starting to see the people I went to school with who stayed here that are pouring back into the city that raised them and making Waco better. That’s what I loved about Waco: There’s a lot of people here who really care about making it a great place to live.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I do have a heart of service, so I want to help people, especially in the area of special education. So if [someone has] a child who is in school receiving services, but they’re not understanding their paperwork or wondering, ‘what are my rights as a parent of a child with a disability,’ I can help walk them through that process.
I’ve enjoyed serving on the board for Waco Family Medicine. I grew up in South Waco in a single parent home and benefited from the services of Waco Family Medicine. It continues to serve so many people in my family, but also in our local community. To be able to give my time to speak into the work that they’re doing, provide feedback on programming and strategic planning through the lens of supporting people’s disabilities has been great.
I also serve as the chair for the Waco Committee for People with Disabilities. So bringing together service providers and community leaders in the area, we can discern and support one another. We want to support people with disabilities and their families here in the community. I hope I’m able to continue serving in a way that gives back to the city with a focus more on vulnerable populations.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
For my family, and people in the South Waco community, it was the opportunities we had to be a part of things in this city. The thing that I remember all the time growing up here is the fireworks downtown. Most of my growing up memories were in our South Waco community. My cousins, my friends — we all lived in the same neighborhood. We went to the same schools, the same church and the same parties on the weekend. There were quinceaneras and weddings or gatherings where our community would connect.
What I always tell people, even colleagues who come to Baylor, is that this is going to be your home for at least the next couple years or for the foreseeable future. So, look for how you can get connected outside of Baylor and into the city to make this your home.
Alejandro Najar
Executive Chef of The Butcher’s Cellar and Hilltop Tavern, Season 21 Finalist of “Hell’s Kitchen”
3 years in Waco
Chef Alejandro Najar is the executive chef of Butchers Cellar and Hilltop Tavern, where he oversees two distinctly different culinary programs for Fatheree Restaurant Group, bringing with him nearly two decades of restaurant experience. He gained national recognition as a finalist on Season 21 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” finishing third in the competition. Beyond the kitchen, Najar is focused on developing young cooks, strengthening restaurant culture and helping establish Waco as a serious culinary destination.
Underrated Spot: Kottage — “They do Korean corn dogs and Korean fried chicken, and it’s probably my favorite restaurant in Waco. And to me, it’s the most underrated.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
The first thing I tell them is that it’s a small little city between Austin and Dallas that has had a really weird past, but the future for it is awesome. So many restaurants are opening up. Chip and Joanna Gaines did a great job of putting Waco on the map, and I moved here to do the same thing, but in the culinary aspect of it. When I tell people about Waco, I tell them it’s a beautiful community. So many young people, too, are moving here and starting their new lives.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
The community here has impacted me on a huge level. I thrive with community, especially when it comes to the culinary scene. It’s awesome to go down on a Saturday and see how busy it is and people walking around and that shows how great the community is. There’s actual communities, people that are joining weekly chess nights or karaoke nights, run clubs and all of that speaks volumes to what a city’s doing and Waco’s doing great.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
You know, I didn’t know what to expect when I got to Waco. I had a great job in New York and didn’t really need to leave, but this was an opportunity to hop into a smaller pond compared to what New York City is. A lot of people don’t realize I come from a small town and I thrive there. I like to know the regulars’ names. I like to talk to them and hang out with them and see people at HEB; when you’re trying to go in there for five minutes, you’re stuck in there for an hour. I feel like I have impacted Waco in a great way with culinary, and there’s a lot of great restaurants that opened up around the same time with us, and I commend those guys because they stepped up to the plate and pushed what they needed to. I can do some of the craziest foods and produce some of the greatest hospitality possible, but if the community around us is not doing that as well, it kind of defeats the purpose. I like to think that I was one of the forefront to push the culinary scene a little bit — not the sole reason, but to have a small contribution to that.
Jana Van Gytenbeek
Former Baylor Women’s Basketball Guard, Manager at Campus Realtors
4 years in Waco
Jana Van Gytenbeek is a former Baylor Women’s Basketball player with undergraduate and master’s degrees from Baylor University. Originally from Colorado, she enjoys skiing, hiking, scuba diving and spending time with family and friends. Now a manager at Campus Realtors and a coach for Waco Warriors, a nonprofit youth sports foundation, she brings her dedication, resilience, joy and community-focused spirit into her career and her community.
Underrated Spot: Cameron Park — “It’s really a beautiful place.”
What kept you in Waco after graduating from Baylor and playing on the Women’s basketball team?
The people here. The community. I would say I found so many different organizations and people who have been so fulfilling and amazing. And Jesus! I was at Stanford for two years and then I transferred to Baylor. Now I am staying here [in Waco].
How has the Waco community impacted you?
They’ve given me opportunities. I work for Waco Warriors, which is a basketball program on the rise, and being able to coach young girls and train them has been fulfilling, because it’s all people that I met through being here. Waco kind of swallows you in and in the best way possible. For me personally, I found my relationship with the Lord here, and that was evident through Him and all the people around me. When I was going to graduate and leave, there were so many people who were saying, ‘We would love to keep you in Waco,’ but I never even wanted to leave in the first place.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
After Baylor Women’s Basketball games, we would thank all the fans. There would be like a thousand people waiting to hug me or take a picture with me or scream at me, but all with love and acceptance and happiness. That was when I realized this is really my home. It’s not just because of me being on the basketball team. It was more than that because they knew who I was as a human.
I tore my ACL the first game of the season from my senior year, and that’s when I would say the community held me in their arms. I got more than a thousand messages from fans and people in Waco, all praying for me and wanting the best for me. They were a shoulder to cry on — so loving and supportive. I think honestly that was probably when I thought, ‘I’m never leaving.’ I also coached the band’s intramural basketball team that played at the SLC. I got to coach them for a couple weeks the year that I tore my ACL. I was trying to get back into the community a little bit. We’re so grateful for the band and what they do. That was really wholesome and sweet. So it’s not even when I was on the team, playing or giving. They asked for me when I was not scoring any points.
Ryan Holt
City of Waco City Manager
30 years in Waco
Ryan Holt began his service as Waco’s city manager in January 2026, overseeing the city’s general administration. Holt began his career with the City of Waco in 1996 as a police recruit. He was promoted to Assistant Police Chief in 2008, to Chief of Police in 2016 and then to Assistant City Manager in 2019. Holt has served as an advisor for the Heart of Texas 100 Club, the advisory board for the Salvation Army and the Waco Center for Youth, and is a member of the Waco Rotary Club.
Underrated Spot: Brazos River — “Waco, seen from the river as it winds through downtown, is an oft-overlooked view. Whether you’re in a kayak or on a pontoon boat with friends, time on the river has a way of resetting your soul. We’re privileged to have a world-class gem that’s accessible 365 days a year, and the city continues to invest in river access and amenities so more residents can experience it for themselves.”
What kept you in Waco?
Over 30 years it hasn’t been one thing or one moment. It was watching the community work together to change in real time and wanting to be a part of the future of Waco. We are creating a moment in history most cities only get once, and being able to help steer that growth thoughtfully is the kind of work that is hard to walk away from.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
In public service, you learn early on that you are working in a perpetual organization that will continue on long after you are gone. My hope is to leave the city better than I found it by being a good steward — managing resources so Wacoans can have the public spaces they can enjoy for generations, access to fresh, clean water for the next 100 years, infrastructure that supports their needs and growth that meets residents’ needs while protecting the feel that makes Waco so special.
What makes Waco unique or special?
The people of Waco pour themselves into the community. Waco is a city that’s proven it can change without losing its identity, which can be rare. Most cities either stay frozen or grow into something unrecognizable. Waco’s managed to avoid both pitfalls.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
For me, it’s really a collection of moments. It’s the ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings in city parks or facilities where residents have shared with me the places that are core memories for them — places that have literally been the fabric of our community. It’s when a resident’s problem gets solved by our tremendous staff, or in emergencies when our first responders help make order out of chaos. It’s staff taking money out of their own pockets to buy an air conditioner for an elderly resident in the summer or buying groceries for a family to get them through a rough patch or collecting bicycles to give kids at Christmas. It’s all the local nonprofits that give back to their community, neighbors building houses for neighbors, helping kids go to college or learn a trade, and showing up for each other at weddings and funerals alike.
When you get to a certain age, those moments weave together to form the texture of our lives. I’ve been honored to see 30 years of them while working for the city, and I hope to see many more.
Ryan Ragsdale
Lorena Middle School Student
12 years in Waco
Ryan Ragsdale is a sixth-grade student at Lorena Middle School who loves theater, skating and giving back to his community. A longtime Kids Heart Challenge fundraiser, Ryan has raised thousands for the American Heart Association. He enjoys performing with Waco Civic Theatre and brings enthusiasm, creativity and kindness to everything he does, both on and off stage.
Underrated Spot: Hey Sugar — “There’s a bunch of candies, and they have a small kind of car inside the building; you can get inside of it and it’s really fun to move the steering wheel. And all the sorted candies were great.”
What do you like about Waco?
Everybody’s nice and it’s not too crowded, like bigger cities.
My school is nice. Everybody, the teachers are nice. The rules are pretty fair. Everything is coordinated and there’s no loose gaps if you try to figure out something.
I do plays in the Waco Civic Theatre. The directors of every show are really kind and I feel like in other big places, they’d not be like that. So that’s probably the major thing I like about Waco. And going to the zoo. I’ve gone to the zoo multiple times because the animals at the zoo are cool.
What was it like raising $20,000 for the American Heart Association by selling toys?
It was really fun because I knew all the money was going to a good cause, and the reason I did it was because, I feel like the fundraiser was more for children, so toys could be a better thing to sell than anything else. I wanted the other kids to be able to enjoy them because I feel like it was going to other kids who needed the toys, like the kids who had holes in [their] hearts would get the toys so they can play with them.
When people would donate for the kids’ heart challenge, when they would buy a toy or they would just donate genuinely, I would tell them a joke, because laughter is good for the heart, and the whole point was to make a heart a healthier heart.
What makes Waco unique or special?
Around the city, there’s a bunch of artwork on the walls and little sculptures around certain buildings, and all the art is amazing. It’s beautiful. There’s the ‘Starry Night’ on one of the walls, and that’s a really good piece of art. There’s a giant nutcracker that used to be a furnace and you could put papers and other items inside of there, and the smoke would come out of the top. I always saw that and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ I collect nutcrackers, so I saw the giant nutcracker when I was like 4 or 5, and I was astonished that they could make something like that. I have around 20 of my own now.
Desiree Hardeman
Director of Educational Programs at Art Center Waco
30 years in Waco
Desiree Hardeman, M.Ed., is the Director of Educational Programs at Art Center Waco and a retired Waco ISD educator. With a heart for civic leadership, mentoring and community service, she champions creativity, equity and opportunity — bringing people together through education, the arts and service to create ripples of change across Waco.
Underrated Spot: Casa De Castillo — “It’s a neighborhood restaurant, family owned. I’ve been going there for the entire time I’ve been here in Waco.”
What has kept you in Waco?
It’s funny because I never thought that I would stay in Waco. When we moved here from Southern California for work, it was cold and drizzly, and there weren’t mountains or trees or people on the street. But through my different jobs and volunteer activities [I’ve] really grown to love Waco and how people work together. Also, it has grown so much from when I arrived.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
You are going to be surprised how Waco is going to grow on you. The places are great, the people are great. You find your little niche and it’s wonderful. I’m in the nonprofit arts world, and I tell you, it’s so refreshing to go places and you see the same people. People are focused on working in the community. I encourage people to come and be a part of this or be a part of that or join this club or go here, so that they can feel like they’re a part of Waco.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
Basically, everything I do is focused on empowering women and children and people of color, and making a better community. I’m in the Junior League and I love it. This is my second year, and this year, I am the chairperson of the women’s empowerment summit. Middle and high school girls come and learn valuable techniques, lessons and strategies on taking that next step. I feel like I’m giving back that way.
Then at the Art Center, I oversee a teacher cohort. I’m not only impacting teachers, but we’re impacting the community. This year we are going face-to-face with 5,400 kids. At the Art Center, we are impacting children, showing them the transformative power of art and education. I’m on other committees and boards, but everything that I do is centered around making an impact. It’s everything I do from every job that I’ve had to everything that I do in my personal life. That’s how I am impacting Waco and the community and hopefully making it stronger person by person.
Kalifa Hill
Site Senior Director of Walmart’s Robinson Milk Plant
1.5 years in Waco
Kalifa Hill is the site senior director of Walmart’s Robinson Milk Plant with more than 21 years of global manufacturing and supply chain experience. Passionate about STEM and developing future talent, she is originally from Maryland and now calls the Waco area home with her husband, Sean, and their children, Sidney, 13, and Skylar, 9.
Underrated Spot: Tru Jamaica — “I have Caribbean roots and they have all types of Jamaican food. My family and I love going there. They have top notch service and the owners are amazing and the food is great. I highly recommend it.”
What drew you to Waco?
I moved into this role as the site senior director for our Walmart Milk Plant in Robinson. I’ve lived in Texas before. After I got married to my husband, we settled in Houston and bought our first home there. We had both of our kids in Houston, and so I always knew that no matter where my career took me, I wanted to eventually settle back down in Texas. When this opportunity came up, it was an opportunity to bring me back to Texas, but more importantly, it would bring me to a place where I saw there was a lot more opportunity for growth in a couple of ways. One, in the industry, in manufacturing specifically, but I also saw the opportunity for a place where my family could grow in a smaller knit community, where we can get to know more of our community and really be a part of it.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I love that you’re no more than one degree of separation from all different people in this community. I feel as though you have the opportunity to really connect with others, get to know them and really go after what you want to achieve here. People are so supportive in helping you do that. You see people who have moved here that have started small businesses and they’re thriving and I love that. The ability to access so many unique places within a short, small distance from where we live is something that’s really attractive. I always share that with people.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
Shortly after I moved here, my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 2, and a few months after being here, it progressed to stage 4. In November of last year, I lost her. I had only just started meeting people. I was still developing this village here, but the people around me, they showed up.
My coworkers started a prayer circle at work, something that we hadn’t done before. They started a prayer circle while my mom was still here, and I didn’t even know. One of my coworkers sent me a video while I was with my mom, in Maryland, and I broke down crying when I realized they had started this. We were a new building, and these are people who never worked with each other before, so they come from different walks of life and probably different faith backgrounds.
To know that my coworkers that I was just getting to know had banded together as a community to pray and to support me during that time — that is a testament to this place. I’m grateful that I’m here around such amazing people who supported me in such a difficult time of my life.
Vince Clark
Head Coach of the McLennan Community College Men’s Golf Team, History Professor
47 years in Waco
Vince Clark joined the McLennan Community College (MCC) faculty in 1994 as a history professor. This year marks 32 years teaching with a total of more than 15,000 students. He became head coach of the men’s golf team in 2007, and the Highlanders have competed in 24 consecutive NJCAA national tournaments, winning four titles. In 2022, he received the inaugural “The Vincer” award, named for him and presented annually to a coach, player or supporter who exemplifies the spirit of the game of golf. His wife Holly is a French professor at Baylor University.
Underrated Spot: Cameron Park Zoo — “My wife and I [are] members of the zoo, and we pretend it’s so that we can take our friends’ kids to the zoo, but the truth of the matter is that we are the ones who want to go to the zoo. It’s a beautiful zoo. It’s so user-friendly and animal friendly.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone from out of town about Waco?
If you like the outdoors and like sports, Waco’s got it all. Baylor University is here for Division I sports and MCC has a lot of great competition going on. Cottonwood Creek public course has a great design. Kenny Duron and his team over there care for people, and that’s an outstanding place to play golf. My team and I are also members out at Bear Ridge, which has one of the best designs I’ve ever encountered in all of my life in golf. Mike Williams and his team out there are so good about taking care of people.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I have the greatest two jobs a person like me could ever imagine. I teach history full time on campus at MCC and it’s something I truly love. I coach golf, which is a beautiful sport. To coach it at the college level is just a dream come true for me. I would not be doing those things for MCC if it weren’t for Waco. I met my wife here and she’s made a great life even greater, and that would not have happened had it not been for Waco. I guess, selfishly, the people here in Waco made me wanna be here.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I teach, so this is my life. I’ve begun my 32nd year teaching history at MCC, and I’ve taught over 15,000 students. I hope that I’ve done a good job, that I have helped them see a better life.
I also coach, and this is the 26th year I’ve been coaching golf. Holly and I don’t have any children, so my players over all these years are like sons to me. I hope I have set such a good example for them and supported them in the way that a good father would do.
What’s a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
It would have to be about parades. When I was in school, I was involved in Baylor’s Homecoming Parade, and at that time it was the largest college homecoming parade in the nation. I’ve attended the Christmas parade and I’ve been with the MCC group marching in the Juneteenth parade. Everybody’s excited. I’m not saying it’s different than anywhere else, but you go to the Waco parades and there’s just joy.
Kennisha Thornton
News producer at KWTX, Founder of Create & Blossom Studios
8 years in Waco
Kennisha Thornton is a storyteller, media professional, entrepreneur, speaker and community connector. She is a news producer at KWTX, founder of Create & Blossom Studios and host of the “Beneath the Surface” podcast. Her creative work also extends to the stage through Waco Civic Theatre, and she also serves on the board of the Waco Symphony Orchestra.
Underrated Spot: Downtown & East Waco — “I usually spend a lot of time downtown by the marketplace area. I would also love to explore a little bit more of East Waco. That’s a goal of mine: To explore all sides of Waco. What’s so awesome is that I think on any corner of Waco that you go, you’re going to find something different and unique and special.”
There are many things that bring people to Waco. What do you think makes them stay?
It’s a thriving city for business owners and entrepreneurs and leaders in the community, and I have seen that firsthand. The support that’s here and how everyone comes together I think is also very encouraging for anyone in any industry. It’s a thriving, very welcoming city, but it’s also great for families, and I have children so it’s perfect for me.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I have had the ability so far to help be a great connector and help people share their own stories in town. That’s something that’s always been important to me, since I launched my company Create & Blossom. I’ve always wanted to help local authors share their stories. I’ve also been able to help others do that in other forms of media as well; not just books and publishing, but I’m helping them with television appearances.
The many different roles that I do have are all centered around helping people tell impactful stories that are going to encourage and inspire people to do great things. Stories that help people be unafraid of stepping forward, stories of being resilient. My podcast is going to be launching [soon], called ‘Beneath the Surface,’ and it is real stories from real people that make real impact.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
Get ready to fall in love with Waco’s charm. The more I have gotten out and have been exposed to so many different parts of the city, the more I feel at home and welcomed. There is definitely the opportunity to have a wonderful future here. I see that for me and my kids. I see that as a single mother, and I love what I have built for my own family. I love the possibilities.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
The Best of Waco Party. I had the best time and saw so many familiar faces. I have met amazing people and I saw probably almost all of them there. It was the coolest thing to see so many people come out and celebrate other businesses and that to me has been phenomenal. That was a moment I’ll never forget. I love the way [WACOAN] highlights businesses and the support that you all give to community members— it’s incredible. So many different people in one place and we’re all having an amazing time, was like ‘Yes, this is Waco right here.’
Nicki Wilson
Fitness and Business Coach
37 years in Waco
Nicki Wilson was born in New Mexico and moved to Waco in 1989, eventually graduating from Midway High School and Baylor University. She and her husband have impacted the community with their many entrepreneurial endeavors. She has followed her passion as a fitness trainer since 2003 and in 2027, she will open a women’s fitness studio in the heart of Waco. She and her family are deeply involved with Live Oak Classical School, Baylor University and Antioch Community Church.
Underrated Spot: Luna Clean Food Cafe — “It actually has the best latte in town. It’s so good — the food is good too — but the latte is absolutely elite. And they make a house sauce.”
What kept you in Waco after you moved here?
Mainly my husband, because he was born here. And he stated before we were married that he never wanted to leave. So, I married a Waco boy and I’m glad we stayed because it’s amazing.
There are many things that bring people to Waco. What do you think makes them stay?
I think it’s the fact that it kind of feels small, but then there’s a lot to do. Especially now, I feel like business has gotten bigger and we’ve brought more things to Waco. I think it attracts young people to Waco. There’s a lot of young entrepreneurs, a lot of Baylor grads stay and work, and I think that’s an awesome turning point that we’ve had the past few years.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
My community in Waco is so tight and so deep and healthy. I have the deepest friendships, and we’ve had a lot of death and pain in our life, and I’ve always had such deep friends come around me and walk me through, and it’s amazing to see it. I feel like a lot of people in a lot of places don’t have this kind of community, and it’s not just me. I think a lot of people find that kind of community in Waco.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
My husband works in home care and has been able to help thousands of Waco citizens with Visiting Angels, which he started right out of college. I’ve been training, at this point, probably several hundreds of Waco women as a personal trainer. I love seeing women take control of their lives with health. I think it’s so impactful and I’ve gotten to be a part of that for many years, and it’s been exciting.
I’m starting a private women’s health studio, hopefully in January of 2027. It’ll be women only. I want to have strength training and I want to train young girls to learn how to do strength and conditioning at a young age and to have a healthy body image and a healthy relationship with food. It’s a big passion of mine: For girls to have those foundations early on.
Daniella Mercado
Waco High School Alumna, Harvard University Freshman
18 years in Waco
Daniella Mercado is a Waco native and Harvard University freshman passionate about public service and immigration law. A Waco High School salutatorian and senior class president, she founded a nonprofit organization on campus, volunteered throughout her community and hopes to continue advocating for underrepresented communities and expanding opportunities for others.
Underrated Spot: Sugar and Spice — “I love their pho. I’ve been to all the pho spots in Waco and I would always go to that one.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I would tell them that it’s a small-town feel, but there’s so many wonderful people there. There’s a big pool of people, and I also have a very big Latino community there. I really miss it and I enjoyed my time there growing up.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I wouldn’t be here without the people who believed in me. I had my teachers, my counselors, my mentors, friends and family members who always encouraged me to do my best to stay on top of my work. I feel like Waco also taught me the importance of community because not many people there, including me, had a lot of opportunities or resources growing up. So growing up there, and the people around me, taught me the importance of investing in someone. Now, I carry those values with me.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I come from a Title 1 high school — Waco High School — and the majority is minority students and first-generation students like myself. So walking the hallways and seeing other students who tell me that my story inspires them and that it has motivated them to get on top of their work because now they see that someone with that same background as them was able to beat the stereotypes of what’s predicted for students like us, and go out and achieve their dreams; I feel grateful that I was able to be a part of that. I want to make people feel like going to an Ivy or a prestigious school is less impossible.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
I would say a truly Wacoan moment would probably be the Fourth of July on the Brazos. I go there every year and I felt so surrounded by my family and friends and also enjoyed seeing a lot of people. I really felt community. And I feel like in a lot of places that I looked, I saw someone or had some connection to a different part of my life. I feel like that was very Waco. It’s a city where you have a lot of different communities that are overlapped, running into each other and you don’t realize how special that is until you leave. Looking back, I feel like that moment captured a true Waco experience.
Mario Perales Sr.
Solid Waste Maintenance Worker at City of Waco Cobbs Recycling Center
44 years in Waco
Mario Alberto Perales Sr. has been with the City of Waco for two months. Talking with customers is a favorite part of the job, and family is what makes him proudest. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and working on cars. Married for 21 years, he and his spouse have four children and enjoy a busy family life.
Underrated Spot: Cafe Cappuccino — “I like it. Especially, they have their windows [and] you can see outside. It makes you feel like you’re somewhere else.”
There are many things that bring people to Waco. What do you think makes them stay?
Waco sits between all the good cities — right in the middle — Fort Worth, Austin, Houston. It’s also growing. We get more stuff to do and more restaurants. Waco was small at that time, in the 1900s. It’s booming now.
How has the community of Waco impacted you?
I have always lived here; it’s always been home for me. Everybody gets along with each other. Maybe that’s why I like it. That’s why I never left. You go to other cities, it’s the bigger the city, I think the bigger the drama.
What makes Waco unique or special?
I like seeing different faces and asking them where they come from. Most of them tell me quick stories of how they’re born and raised here. Man, it makes you see the world a little different, even though you live here all your life. I had this older gentleman tell me he’s lived here all his life, and his parents here all their lives, and they go way back to, like, the late 1800s. They own the land. And it’s generations and generations. They tell me stories, how they have seen Waco change.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
I did not realize that a lot of people recycle. I’m here all the time, I love this place. I have made new friends after only being here a month-and-a-half, give or take a day. On a Saturday, about 180 come, so it’s about 3,000 of them or more that we see. But there’s not people just from Waco. You’re looking at people from everywhere. They come so far just to recycle. I didn’t really think people recycled, and they do. Bottles, cans, anything. And they take it seriously.
Ethel White
Solid Waste Maintenance Worker at City of Waco Cobbs Recycling Center
60 years in Waco
Ethel White has been with the City of Waco for 23 years. Connecting with customers is a favorite part of the job, but family is at the heart of what matters most. A proud parent to son Harold, she enjoys yard work and watching TV in her free time. Even though he’s grown, her son remains an important source of comfort and joy in their life.
Underrated Spot: Dubl-R Old Fashioned Hamburgers — “Those are the best burgers.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
One place I will mention is here, the [Cobbs] Recycling Center. A lot of people love coming to the recycling center, and more and more are hearing about it. Other cities don’t provide glass, and people will hear [that we do]. They come here from all over and they love the staff here and they really appreciate it and we do too. I always let them know, ‘When you come through the gates, you’re very important to me, you keep my job going.’ They love to keep it out of the landfill.
All the paperwork, all the cans, all the glass, all that is not filling up the landfill.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
I live in the country where I can burn trash, but this community has helped me to care. This one plastic bottle, there are actually people who care about keeping it out of a landfill. You know, our customers care about recycling. You see these two cars out there before 8 o’clock, they’re so happy to do it. Sometimes people will bring small kids to teach them. The kids love to throw stuff. I love to see their faces, because they’re so happy about doing it, you know?
How do you hope to impact the community?
By being nice to them. It makes them want to come back. If you are nicer, then they say, ‘We will be back because we heard about the place’ and they stop and give compliments to the staff, or they might say something nice to me. It makes me feel good, being appreciated. It’s like, I work at a place, don’t even do it myself, but these people love it. It’s a passion. Especially for the elder people. It’s something for them to do. They love it. They are doing their part.
Keith Nolan
Solid Waste Field Supervisor at City of Waco Cobbs Recycling Center
54 years in Waco
Keith Nolan has been with the City of Waco for seven years. Providing helpful service and creating a positive experience for residents are favorite parts of the job. Outside of work, he enjoys working around the house, fishing, hunting and dining out. He is especially proud of his wife, stepchildren and granddaughter and enjoys watching his family grow together.
Underrated Spot: Jake’s Texas Tea House — “Just the atmosphere of back in the old town with Austin Avenue.”
Why have you stayed in Waco?
Family, friends, job. Everything.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
First of all, Waco has given me a good job, and I am able to serve the citizens, wake up and do my best. I like helping people and Waco has given me the opportunity to do that. I like serving the customers and making sure they’re happy. You can’t please everybody, but we can try. I want it to be fun, and it is kind of fun. We all get along, do things together. I feel like a family over here. It’s very sweet, having that at work is very rare to come by.
What makes Waco unique or special?
It’s big enough to have most everything you need, but it’s small enough, too. You know people, but you don’t have them in your business all the time, and you can get everything you need. I like that Waco is peaceful, but there’s still a good sense of community.
What is a story from your life that was truly a “Wacoan” moment for you?
I remember, back when I was a kid, the Great American Raft Race used to be here. We [would] all go every year and get around and participate in that. Me and my grandpa made it, so it was fun. It was something different, you know. I liked to do that with him and go to Baylor football games back then, even though I’m an Aggie.
Dennis Williams
Solid Waste Maintenance Worker at City of Waco Cobbs Recycling Center
10 years in Waco
Dennis Williams has been with the City of Waco for more than four years. Meeting people is a favorite part of the job, while time away from work often includes watching football. Family is especially important to him, and he is most proud of his wife. Married for nine years, his family includes three stepsons and a daughter.
Underrated Spot: the Brazos River — “It’s very peaceful. You walk around it; you get to clear your mind a lot.
What kept you in Waco?
My wife, and then I got this job, and I found it a real laid-back place.
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
How good it is. I mean, it’s a lot of jobs here. And if you want to make it, you can come here and you can make it. There are a lot of opportunities.
How has the Waco community impacted you?
Since I’ve been here, everybody has welcomed me with open arms. They are very understandable and respectful. They give you a chance. I stay to myself a lot, but I have a lot of friends in my neighborhood — I’m from Bellmead. I have got a lot of friends in my neighborhood, and they really welcomed me. All of my coworkers have welcomed me. Even through our ups and downs, we’re still friends, and we still love one another. There’s only four of us. It’s a good community here.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
I don’t smile all the time, but I want to be a person who helps others. I do a lot in my community. I mean, people who cannot get out and cut grass, I cut their grass for free.
I don’t charge them anything. I feel like I can be a good asset to Waco if I just apply myself.
What’s something that makes Waco unique or special?
It’s funny, because I’m going to say the Baylor Bears. I’m from Michigan, but when I came here, it was just something about that team that drove me to them, they just let me see something different.
Mike Charette
World Cup Cafe General Manager
56 years in Waco
Mike Charette is the General Manager of Mission Waco Mission World’s World Cup Cafe, a nonprofit cafe that serves as job training for those entering the food service industry while raising funds to support Mission Waco’s many community endeavors. He joined the World Cup Cafe team in 2023, bringing four decades of experience in hospitality to the kitchen.
Underrated Spot: World Cup Cafe — “People think we’re just a training facility from Mission Waco, and it’s where they come and eat lunch and all that. But we’re a cafe open to the community. We make no profit. So a lot of people look at this cafe and think ‘They got to be making money.’ No, we don’t. It’s going back to Mission Waco, and Mission Waco helps somewhere else.”
How has the Waco community impacted you?
It’s more…family? We’re all equal. I always go back to the small-town feel; just a small country town where everybody loves each other. If you see somebody broke down on the side of the road, you’re going to stop and help, no matter who they are. That’s what keeps me here.
Going back to my childhood, we were so poor that for us to play basketball, we’d get spokes off a 10-speed bike, put it on the light post out on the street and play basketball until the lights came on. We would go down the hills at the old Baylor University Stadium on boxcars or ick pecans over in the park and take them over to Chapman’s off Waco Drive. That’s what sticks out to me. That’s the stories I remember from Waco.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
Just being that: the outstanding person. I am starting to get more involved with more community stuff because I have free time. I’ve been with Mission Waco for three-and-a-half years. This has opened my eyes to be more caring and more kind to people. God gave me the opportunity. I came to eat breakfast at the Cafe and I wasn’t even needing this job. I had a good job.
The manager that was here before, she just leaves the pen and paper for the application on the table. I filled that out and left it. Two days later, they called me. I did that interview, and I asked the manager, ‘Why did you leave that on the table?’ and she said, ‘God said that you were the right person for this job,’ because she was moving on to go back to school.
So, long story, went through the process, got on board and I am now blessed to be able to train and supervise and give people a second chance at life. I’m trying to raise $30,000 to redo the kitchen here at World Cup Cafe. I have some equipment back there that you can’t really cook any good pastries in. We pay a living wage, but if I can get them exposed to pastries and more high-end stuff, they can get a better paying job after this one. They’re able to explore and get out of their environment and test something new. That’s called growth.
Mandi Roberts
Robinson ISD Director of Athletics
13 years in Waco
Mandi Roberts is the Director of Athletics at Robinson ISD, former volleyball coach and former girls’ coordinator. Married to Jonathon, she is a proud parent to Corbin, 10th grade, and Kamryn sixth grade. Her family is constantly immersed in Robinson athletics and club sports. Rockets Never Quit!
Underrated Spot: Downtown Waco — “The revival of the downtown area is very underrated. I think a lot of cool new places have gone in and I don’t think that locals go that much but everything is new and fun.”
What’s the first thing you would tell someone who is from out of town about Waco?
I would tell them that Waco is small enough to run into people that you know but big enough so you won’t always. I like the small town feel even though the city is growing. I think that there is community for every lifestyle. There are pockets for rural areas, living spaces downtown, big schools and small schools for kids.
How do you hope to impact the Waco community?
In my profession, my job is about growing sports programs and helping school districts with student athletes. I want to make sure it is competitive but also ensure that everyone realizes the bigger picture of our student athletes. It’s more than the wins and losses, it’s about the life lessons. Friday night lights always get the community together year after year. That truly is the highlight of the week, because it’s more than football, it’s about coming together to support these athletes.
What makes Waco unique or special?
There’s a lot of history new and old in Waco: Baylor University, home of the Texas Rangers, The Dr Pepper Museum, Magnolia, etc. There are so many different fascinating areas in Waco for people of all different interests. There’s something for everyone here.
