All communities have their bright sides as well as issues they wish did not exist. Many of the problems in any community have no simple fix, and oftentimes it isn't easy to grasp, and address, the complexity of the challenges facing a city or a region.

The precise beginnings of Panhandle Twenty/20 are difficult to pinpoint. Many concerned citizens were looking at our community and trying to determine how best to address some of the growing problems we were experiencing, yet no one seemed to be addressing them in a comprehensive matter. But when the question, "Who is planning for the future of Texas?" was asked, it became apparent that we had to act locally for our own well-being. A group of concerned citizens, some representing local institutions, some strictly volunteer, kept the momentum going until something concrete could be addressed. Thank you to all who have been involved so far!

2002--The question began to be asked, "Who is trying to understand and plan for our future?" The next question was, "Who's job is it, to plan for our future?" The answer was, "Everyone, and no one." It seemed that the organizations really thinking long term in a more comprehensive manner than most were probably the educational institutions. A steering committee informally came together to explore this question. (The steering committee had representatives from the Amarillo Area Foundation, the Bivins Foundation, West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College, Amarillo ISD, the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, and Amarillo National Bank, among others.)

September 2003--The Steering Committee organized and presented a day-long community event called: Panhandle Twenty/20...Focusing on the Future with presenters Dr. Steven Murdock, State Demographer, Kirk Humphreys, Oklahoma City Mayor, and John Stevens, Texas Business and Education Coalition CEO. Several hundred community members came together, listened and learned, and then participated in break-out groups generating issues for further study. The word "demographics" was heard regularly in the community in the ensuing months.

2004-2005--Several small groups were formed to look at collaboration, livability, and inclusiveness, but though much discussion occurred, there was little traction to move Twenty/20 forward to action. The Steering Committee continued to have many discussions behind the scenes.

Fall 2005--Panhandle Twenty/20 received a much-needed boost when the Amarillo Area Foundation committed to provide some staffing support for the fledgling initiative. Charlotte Rhodes was brought in as the Vice-President for Regional Planning, and part of her charge was to assist Panhandle Twenty/20. With Charlotte's help, a new expanded Board of Directors was put into place in October 2005, complete with by-laws and regular meetings. Anette Carlisle was Chair, and James Hallmark was Vice-Chair. Education, economy, health, livability, and civic engagement/government responsiveness were the categories of community issues they decided to explore.

January 2006--Panhandle Twenty/20 and the Amarillo Area Foundation sponsored Dr. Suzanne Morse, Executive Director of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, for a Smart Communities workshop, attended by several hundred at the Amarillo Civic Center.

January 2006--Panhandle Twenty/20 board member and Amarillo City Commissioner Paul Harpole brought together the leadership of local government and educational entities in order to share plans and information--a first for our area.

May 2006--The Panhandle Twenty/20 Board hosted Ben Warner from the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., to learn about their very successful civic engagement and community problem-solving process. Each year JCCI identifies one or two problems facing their city and undertake an in-depth study to identify solutions. JCCI also developed the Community Indicators process to look at trends over time in their area. The Panhandle Twenty/20 Board liked the JCCI model, and decided to undertake a similar approach to solving our communities problems.

August 2006--Dr. Hallmark takes over as Board Chair so Ms. Carlisle can coordinate Panhandle Twenty/20's first in-depth community study on the economic implications of educational attainment. This will be launched in late October with Recommendations and a Report to the Community in September of 2007. It will take a number of committed community volunteers to participate to make this successful. We look forward to working with all who are interested in making our community a better place!

~compiled by Gary Pitner and Anette Carlisle