2022 Headliner: Denise Blanchard supports youth through various partnerships, community

The Amarillo Globe-News is proud to announce Denise Blanchard as the 2022 Headliner, in recognition of her lifetime work in the community and support of Amarillo youth as well as the needy, and she did it all with a smile.

After teaching home economics for Amarillo Independent School District middle and high school classrooms for 15 years, Blanchard found her life calling in Public Relations in 2000. From there, Blanchard was able to serve AISD as program director of community partnerships for 22 years before retiring in December 2022. As a program director, Blanchard stood on the forefront of initiatives such as America’s Promise, Partners in Education, Parent Teacher Association, Ready for the Real World, Kidsfest, iLead, Future Ready, The Texas School Public Relations Association where she was inducted by AISD as the President in 2014 and many more.

"I have known Denise for many years; her faith, talent, organizational skills, and unselfishness amaze me. This lady does a kind act for someone everyday, and touches a life in ways that they or she may never be aware of," Danna Krause, owner of Krause Landscape Contractors, said.

"Denise honestly doesn't know what she brings to an event; she makes things look really easy. Things that are time consuming, Denise never shows that something is a chore or tiring, because to her, it isn't. She would work full time with a full day of events and then turn around and spend her afternoons volunteering and she did it with a smile on her face," Krause added.

In addition to her contributions with AISD, Blanchard advocated throughout Amarillo and was involved with organizations such as the Texas Texas Alumni Association, Don Harrington Discovery Center, Kids Inc., High Plains Food Bank, Rotary Club of Amarillo, Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts & Humanities at West Texas A&M University, Power of The Purse, and Day of Woman hosted by the Texas Tech Laura Bush Foundation. Blanchard is also currently involved in the upcoming event titled 'Wine, Woman, and Shoes' benefitting the Ronald McDonald House March 23.

"Denise Blanchard ... When talking about someone who cares about kids she is right there at the top of the list, she is one of those people that will be really hard to replace at Amarillo ISD for the relationships that she created and held throughout the district. She is one of the special ones. I could go on and on, she has been very supportive of Kids Inc., of me, she's a good friend and council. She is such a classy lady, my respect for her is immense, I am so proud to know her," Jimmy Lackey, President and CEO of Kids Inc. said.

In the past, Blanchard has volunteered for numerous Amarillo nonprofits, including Meals on Wheels, Kiwanis Amarillo, Jan Warner Day Care, Amarillo Museum of Art, and the Amarillo Chamber Women's Council.

"Denise Blanchard is the most classy, dedicated, caring, thoughtful, determined, passionate individual I have ever met. When I first met her, I remember thinking, 'This is somebody that I am going to learn so much from both professionally and personally.' ... what you see with Denise is what you get. In AISD, she always wants the very best for our students, and she will do whatever she needs to do to help," said Stephanie Fretwell, Community Partnerships Program Director for AISD.

"Everything that she has worked for and has done shows just how much her actions and her involvement matters, and how important it is for the community. ... I just know how much she works and how much she cares for the community and the students and our partners, volunteers, everyone. All these relationships meant the world to her," Fretwell added.

Blanchard is a member of Polk Street United Methodist Church, and has served on various committees over the years. Her awards include the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Champion PTA's Business Woman of the Year, the Junior League of Amarillo's Outstanding Sustainer, and America's Hall of Fame Future Homemakers. In 2022, Blanchard was awarded the Bob Ashworth Award for Outstanding Service, which is Amarillo ISD’s highest employee honor. Blanchard was presented the award last May at the District’s annual Service Recognition Banquet.

According to AISD, Blanchard was responsible for special events, volunteers, parent and community involvement in schools throughout the district. Throughout her time, Blanchard began and maintained more than 300 business / organization relations and established partnerships with more than 2,500 community members, parents and student volunteers throughout the district.

"When I think of Denise, I think of her laugh and her willingness to open up her home to others," former PPHM director Carol Lovelady said. "She is a generous spirit. Her hometown is very important to her. She lives in the home where she grew up and goes to church where she grew up, worked for many years in the district that she went to school at. I think that was very grounding for her. Her faith and ambition to get things done are, I think, her legacy here in Amarillo."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Globe-News announces Denise Blanchard as the 2022 Headliner