Starting a DIY project at home or even opening a new business can be daunting, especially when you aren’t sure who to talk to or where to start. Join our rotating hosts as they sit down with their colleagues and collaborative community partners to dispel the myths and mystery in building and zoning processes and to highlight the information and solutions you have available to you in Memphis and Shelby County. Let’s learn what all you can do in our corner of Tennessee.
Shelby County Department of Housing Administrator Scott Walkup returns as a guest host to talk with his longtime department colleague Israel Henry about their department's Down Payment Assistance Program. Israel shares how homebuyers can gain access to up to $6,000 to help cover their down payment and closing costs during their homebuying process.
More information about the Shelby County Department of Housing's Down Payment Assistance Program can be found on their Housing Programs website: www.develop901.com/housing-programs (https://www.develop901.com/housing-programs)
If you have any questions for Israel or Scott, email them to buildingbeat@memphistn.gov.
31 Jul 2026
Ep. 28 Voices of Service: Staff Perspectives
In this special episode, staff members from departments across the Division of Planning and Development share their personal stories of service—why they chose public service, what brought them to Memphis and Shelby County, and what inspires them to support the division's core mission. Hear firsthand the passion and purpose behind the people working every day to prepare Memphis and Shelby County for a stronger, better future.
The staff featured in this episode include Alexis Longstreet, Brett Ragsdale, Dana Sjostrom, Isaac Bacon, John Storms, Kate Horton, Katrina Redmond, Keiaron Randle, Kendra Cobbs, Margot Payne, Mario Moton Nidia Logan-Robinson, Pragati Srivasta, and Rita Anderson.
This episode is the last for Season 1 of The Building Beat. Season 2 will premiere in September 2026.
If you have any questions about this episode, email them to buildingbeat@memphistn.gov.
Host Nicholas Wardroup sits down with Sustainability Planner Robin Richardson to explore the 2025 Heat Watch Campaign and the massive community effort behind its large-scale heat‑mapping event. Robin explains how the project began, the local organizations and institutions that joined forces, how the initiative was funded, and the training volunteers received to collect accurate temperature data. She also breaks down what the heat map revealed about which areas of Memphis and Shelby County experience the most extreme temperatures. This collaborative project now provides valuable insights to guide future cooling strategies, inform potential community projects, and even help identify ideal locations for cooling centers during the hottest months of the year.
The resultng data from this project is available to review on the Office of Sustainability and Resilience's website: https://www.shelbycountyosr.com/heatwatch2025 (https://www.shelbycountyosr.com/heatwatch2025)
Have questions for Nicholas or Robin? Email them to buildingbeat@memphistn.gov, and you'll get an answer on a future episode
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
4.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
55
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
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