Lives Radio Show With Stuart Chittenden

Brandy Wallar, President and CEO of New Visions Homeless Services, grew up in poverty and was raised lovingly by a mother trying to escape domestic violence with four kids and nowhere to go. Now Wallar leads one of the region’s most impactful homelessness organizations, turning lived experience into bold, compassionate leadership. In the show, Wallar shares powerful personal stories, exposes the myths around homelessness, and shows what real change can look like.Brandy Wallar is a lifelong advocate for individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger in the greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area. Wallar brings over two decades of nonprofit leadership rooted in empathy, resilience, and community impact and holds advanced degrees in human services, has received multiple awards for her leadership, and serves on numerous boards and councils, including the Iowa Governor’s Council on Homelessness. Wallar is deeply involved in civic life across Iowa and Nebraska, championing systemic change and human dignit

Political activist and community organizer Joyce Vondrasek shares a deeply personal journey—from coming out in a conservative religious family to becoming a vibrant voice for democratic socialism in Nebraska. Influenced by the moral clarity of the Scout Law and Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Vondrasek reflects on civil disobedience, political activism, and hope through action.Vondrasek is a political activist, community organizer, and bicycle mechanic with deep roots in Omaha and a lifelong commitment to progressive change. A former Nebraska State Senate candidate and co-founder of the Omaha chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Vondrasek has organized across cities—from Boston’s transit unions to Nebraska’s legislative districts. By day, he works for Heartland Bike Share; by night, he is dedicated to political education and grassroots activism. Vondrasek gets around Omaha on a bright orange electric cargo bike, often with his dog Kaiju happily riding along.

Filmmaker, colorist and digital image technician Cody Jones, who takes us behind the scenes of a memorable shoot with the late Pope Francis. Jones shares not just the craft and technicalities of color and image in movies, but the deeper human connections that power his creative work across the globe, and how meaning and purpose for him are rooted in gratitude, collaboration, and making people feel seen.Cody Jones’s passion for filmmaking began in childhood with home videos and evolved through photography and cinematography into his current role as a Digital Imaging Technician and Colorist, blending technical skill and creative insight to film production. Whether as cinematographer, assistant camera, colorist or Digital Imaging Technician, Jones has worked on projects for major brands like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify, and - as a member of Local 600 DIT - the International Cinematographers Guild - continues to focus on feature films, including Daft State, The Snack Shack, Going For Two, and The Headliner.

Sisters Heather and Jessica Hottman, performing as The Hottman Sisters, share their evolving story of music, identity, and reconnection. After years apart pursuing individual paths—one to acting in New York, the other navigating life in the West—they reunite with their sister Tiffany to create the vibrant new EP titled "Human Form." Our conversation is a moving look at how creativity, distance, and time can deepen both artistry and family bonds.The Hottman Sisters have been immersed in music since childhood, launching their career from Omaha with a 2015 debut EP titled “This Two” and nationwide tours alongside acts like Belle and Sebastian. After years on the road and a 2018 follow up EP titled “Louder", a musical pause gave way to a powerful reunion in 2023, as the trio returned to ARC Studios to record “Human Form.” The sisters are back on tour—recharged and ready for the next chapter.Jessica and Heather had planned to perform a few of their songs for us live in the studio, but Jessica was recovering from v

Award-winning author Anna Monardo shares how her Italian-American heritage, family history, and exploration of memory, place, love, and belonging shape her writing. We talk about identity, gender, and the power of reimagining one’s life through story. From Italy to Pittsburgh to Omaha, fiction and memoir, Monardo traces the emotional geography of the immigrant heart.Anna Monardo was born in Pittsburgh, spent many years in New York City, and now lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where she teaches in the Writer’s Workshop of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is the award-winning author of the novels—The Courtyard of Dreams and Falling In Love with Natassia—and the creative nonfiction memoir – After Italy – exploring her family’s immigration from southern Italy. Monardo is the recipient of residency fellowships from the Djerassi Foundation, Yaddo, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts among others and her stories, essays, and poems have been published and anthologized in The Sun, Poets and

Dr. Andrea Grover, Associate Professor in Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, discusses their journey from a childhood love of learning to an academic career focused on the intersection of technology, nature, and public participation in science. They explored how citizen science enables everyday people to contribute to meaningful research and our understanding of the world. Grover also reflects on how their passions for nature, birding, community engagement, and much more inform their work and sense of purpose.Grover's work includes exploring how technology enables diverse public participation in large-scale scientific research, particularly in citizen science. Grover has served as an advisor and collaborator to public science initiatives around the globe in disciplines ranging from astrophysics to social sciences. Their recent work focuses on how using generative AI to write speculative fiction can help students develop and demonstrate ethical reasoning ski

AB Gorham, artist, poet, and Assistant Professor of Book Arts and Papermaking at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In the show Gorham talks about the tactile and transformative nature of book arts, where a choreography of sculpture, language, and paper come together in experiential forms. She shares how her creative process is driven by intuition, the discipline of daily practice, and even her dreams.AB Gorham's poems have been published in Puerto Del Sol, The Call Center, American Letters and Commentary, DIAGRAM, and Gulf Coast, among others. Her artist books can be found in special collections at UCLA, the Institute of Art Chicago, the Rhode Island School of Design, Miami University, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and many others.

Matthew Henkes is the Vice President of Grants and Initiatives at the Iowa West Foundation. He talks about a life spent exploring the tensions between human connection and achievement. Raised in California, Henkes studied and worked across the world on various philanthropic and community aid projects. He then made the choice to move to Council Bluffs to work on supporting others in making a positive impact on the community and, as it transpires, on himself too.Matthew Henkes's goal at the Iowa West Foundation is to ensure that every outgoing dollar not only furthers the foundation’s goals of well-being, belonging, opportunity, and financial stability but also makes a lasting impact on the community. His journey in philanthropy began at Chemonics International, a global professional services firm, working on a variety of projects, such as an economic development program in Asia and the Middle East, and an environmental grant program covering a three-country area in Southern Africa. Henkes earned a MPA in

Mike Battershell, President and CEO of Bergman Incentives, talks about growing up a punk kid in a cowboy town; his efforts to make Omaha better as a community trouble-making do-gooder, and the evolution of that spirit to better the world now through the lens of building his business as a self-described capitalist and socialist.Bergman Incentives a provider of promotional products and branding solutions based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices from the Western Rockies to the Great Plains. Beyond his role at Bergman Incentives, Battershell honed his skillset through extensive service in Omaha’s nonprofit and civic sectors, holding numerous board and leadership positions. Battershell has consistently embraced disruption as a means of challenging the status quo and fostering progress. As a father of four, Battershell and his wife are vested in improving the experiences and resources available to the next generation and endeavor to make a lasting impact on the region’s business and civic landscape.

Mental health counselor and community activist, Elaine Wells, talks about her work as a counselor - helping couples find relationship harmony - and what drew her to that field. Wells also shares her evolution from being raised in a conservative Southern Baptist faith to Unitarian Universalism and how that religion of love and humanism aligns with her values and a calling to community activism.Elaine Wells, as a mental health counselor, especially enjoys helping couples to create and maintain happy, healthy relationships. Wells has long been a community activist - advocating for world peace, inclusive justice, and a sustainable environment, working with groups including Nebraskans for Peace, RESULTS, and Omaha Together One Community (often referenced as OTOC). Wells created a Dialogue process to bring people together for constructive conversations on controversial topics, facilitating Pro-Life/Pro-Choice, Black-White, Conservative-Liberal; and Racism in Omaha dialogues. Having grown up in East Texas as a South

The Reverend Kevin Jagoe, minister to BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, shares his journey from small-town Minnesota to Unitarian Universalist ministry, weaving together life as a gay man, humanism, and a call to serve. He reflects on religion, purpose, and - in a changing spiritual landscape - what it means to lead with love.The Reverend Kevin W. Jagoe was born and raised in small-town Minnesota. He lived in Brooklyn, NY before being called as minister by BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in 2018 and now lives outside of Philadelphia. He completed his Master of Divinity at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago and is currently working on his Doctorate of Divinity at United Lutheran Seminary. Prior to seminary, he completed a BA in anthropology, criminal justice, and forensic sciences with minors in psychology and biology as well as a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management. Beyond congregational life, Jagoe is Adjunct Faculty with the Humanist Studies Program of the Americ

Poet Steve Langan talks about his poetic craft and his new poetry book, Bedtime Stories, with themes of death and desire, faith and healing. Langan also reads some of his poems for us and shares how art and poetry in his life have yielded new emotional knowledge.Steve Langan has a background in creative writing and public health. His most recent poetry collection “Bedtime Stories” follows on his previous poetry collections: Freezing, Notes on Exile and Other Poems, Meet Me at the Happy Bar, and What It Looks Like, How It Flies. Langan served as Director and Community Liaison for Medical Humanities at the University of Nebraska Omaha and founded the Seven Doctors Project, in which Omaha area writers guide healthcare workers in writing workshops. Langan developed the course, Writing About Sickness and Health, and currently teaches at Baylor University's Medical Humanities Program.

Environmental consultant and biologist Barbi Hayes talks about a passion for the natural world that encouraged her as a nontraditional student to study biology and later to start her own environmental and research consultancy. Revealing a zest for life, Hayes shares her advocacy for changing our attitudes to nature and how we live with and within it.Barbi Hayes earned her degree in biology from the College of Saint Mary, after which she went on to found Hayes Environmental LLC, an environmental regulatory and research company, which she ran from 1994 to 2020. Hayes is a managing partner in two farming operations - one called Roy Johnson Family Partnership and the other Soybean Babes LLC. Hayes was the first woman appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission in 1995 and was elected the first woman chairman in 2003. Hayes’s love for nature inspired her donation of her family’s 1900s-era historic barn to Glacier Creek Preserve for the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s environmental research and education

Author Teresa Carmody's work is creatively formed as autofiction, playfully structured by procedure and constraint. Wielding language to create space for change, Carmody explores her life experiences, including spirituality, gossip, queer relations, friendship, and much more, re-emerging into a fresh understanding of herself. Carmody also reads excerpts from her work.Carmody is the award-winning author of numerous works of fiction, creative nonfiction, autofiction, and hybrid forms, exploring issues of spirituality, gossip, intersubjectivity and perception, queer relations, friendship, embodiment and the archive, intersectional feminism, and autofiction/autotheory. Their books include Maison Femme: a fiction (published in 2015), The Reconception of Marie (published in 2020), and A Healthy Interest in the Lives of Others (published 2025). They hold a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Evergreen State College, an M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University, and a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writin

Venture capital investor and retired executive, Doug Wilwerding, talks about the example set by his entrepreneurial father, finding his own way into effective leadership, and the lessons he learned in business and life. Wilwerding also shares the evolution of his personal values and perspective on the American Dream.Doug Wilwerding’s business career spanned from the 1980’s through 2020. Following his leveraged buyout of Omnium Worldwide in 1998, Wilwerding served as Chairman and CEO until selling the company to West Corporation in 2007. In 2008, after completing post transaction integration and leadership transition, Wilwerding left West Corporation to form The Optimas Group, a venture investment firm. Wilwerding is a frequent guest speaker and has taught as an adjunct professor at Creighton University. He holds BSBA and MBA degrees from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife have three grown daughters and four grandchildren and live in Omaha, Nebraska

Raúl Arcos Hawkins, a community leader in Grand Island, Nebraska, explores the American Dream from his perspective. Hawkins talks about his journey as a child from Mexico to Nebraska, his professional and personal contributions to his community, and the uncertainty faced by him and other DACA recipients across the country.Hawkins is the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Multicultural Coalition. His journey from Mexico to America as a child and his life as a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, otherwise known as DACA, is the subject of the documentary short film, “To the State of the Good Life”, showing next week as part of the Omaha Film Festival.

Research scientist and conservation geneticist Cynthia Frasier talks about her early natural world experiences in New Jersey, her pursuit of a career in science, and her work and life in Madagascar and now in the Midwest. Dr. Cynthia Frasier has a long-standing interest in wild places and habitat conservation and is particularly motivated to foster a balance between wildlife and people. Frasier received her PhD in Plant Sciences from Rutgers University then moved to Madagascar and contributed to efforts to catalogue its plant diversity. Frasier now works in the Conservation Genetics Department of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, where she continued working in Madagascar, collaborating closely with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, a Malagasy NGO. Frasier is now looking forward to becoming more invested in local and regional conservation in the Midwest and is eager to dive into the rich diversity of prairies and rangelands.

Chef Cedric Fichepain talks about the origins of his passion for cuisine and combining the role of chef with the role of restaurateur, founding Le Voltaire French restaurant more than twenty years ago. Fichepain also shares his perspectives on being an immigrant and his position as Honorary Consul for France for the State of Nebraska.Cedric Fichepain is a chef and founder of Le Voltaire French restaurant and the owner of Le Petit Paris bakery. Fichepain has numerous accolades as a chef and restaurateur, including being inducted into the Omaha Restaurant Hall of Fame and becoming a permanent member of the Honorable Golden Toque. Fichepain is a native of France and, after a few years living in Italy, immigrated to Omaha in 1997. Fichepain is the Honorary Consul for France for the State of Nebraska and lives in Omaha with his wife and three sons.

Artist Lee Emma Running talks about her childhood independence and an insatiable curiosity underpinning a lifetime dedicated to making art. Together with iron, glass, paper or bone, Running illuminates our human intersection with the world’s edge spaces and its cabinets of curiosities.Running engages audiences in conversations about the impact of human-built systems on the natural world through the creation of arresting objects and installations using material such as cast iron, enamel, glass, bone, and handmade paper. She has been awarded numerous arts grants and residencies, such as being a Foundry Resident in the Arts/Industry program at Kohler Co. and Artist in Residence with Opera Omaha, as well as being one of the artists partnering in creating art for Omaha Library’s new central branch. Running’s work is held by numerous museums and other organizations. She was a Professor of Art at Grinnell College from 2005-2021 and now lives and works in Omaha.

Luke Jensen is a veteran, neuroscience researcher, and plant medicine practitioner. Returning disenchanted and lost after a deployment to Afghanistan, Jensen shares how his search for healing led to him living in Peru’s beautiful Sacred Valley and now offering retreats rooted in indigenous spiritual wisdom, the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines, and the modern science of brain mapping and neurofeedback.Luke Jensen lives and works at the intersection of neuroscience, anthropology, and the mystical realm of plant medicines. A veteran of the Marine Corps and National Guard, Jensen experienced PTSD and other negative consequences from his deployment to Afghanistan. In 2014, Jensen began to find healing in the Amazon basin learning about shamanic spiritual practices, indigenous wisdom, and the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines. In collaboration with his mentor, Dr. Richard Soutar, Jensen began field research in Peru of the effects of ritual practice and plant medicin