

Brady Lemen AYP Member Spotlight - Aug.
Name: Brady Lemen Where do you work? Gage & Company, CPAs, LLP Whatās your job title/what do you do? Staff Accountant Where are you from? Iām a native to Abilene. 2018 is my 26th year here. What is your favorite thing about living in the Big Country? Itās difficult to pick one aspect I love about the Big Country. Having grown up in Abilene, Iāve always loved the slower pace of life. Itās not a rushed, go-go-go lifestyle as opposed to some larger cities in Texas. While I enjoy


Melissa Gonzalez AYP Member Spotlight - Aug.
Name: Melissa Gonzalez Where do you work? Expo Center of Taylor County Whatās your job title/what do you do? I am an Event Coordinator and Livestock Secretary. I handle the rentals of the smaller venues at the Expo Center. I manage the livestock shows during the West Texas Fair & Rodeo and the Taylor County Livestock Show. Where are you from? I am from northeast New Mexico. If youāre not from Abilene, how long have you lived in the area and what brought you here? The end of


Five reasons why we should support local nonprofits
Less childcare for low-income families. Less preservation of local history. Less food for people in need. Less affordable entertainment. Less to offer tourists. Less help for people with barriers to employment. Less available housing for our neighbors living with homelessness. Less downtown activity. Less beautification. Less mentorship. Less art. Less literacy. Less feeding. When I visualize an Abilene without a thriving nonprofit sector, the single word that comes to mind