Remembering

Clay Stribling

In every chapter of the Amarillo Area Foundation’s story, there are leaders who leave an indelible mark

In every chapter of the Amarillo Area Foundation’s story, there are leaders who leave an indelible mark—not only through their professional achievements, but through the way they lead with heart. Clay Stribling, who served as President and CEO from 2011 to 2024, was one such leader. His vision, integrity, and deep love for the Texas Panhandle guided the Foundation through years of growth, innovation, and lasting impact.

Many of Clay’s professional accomplishments were rightfully celebrated when he was named Man of the Year by the Amarillo Globe-News and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of West Texas A&M University. But beyond the accolades, Clay will be remembered most for the relationships he built, the communities he championed, and the trust he inspired.

As we reflect on his legacy, we invited current and former board members and staff to share their memories and stories—each one a testament to the steady, compassionate leadership that helped shape the Foundation’s mission and future.

Stories and memories of Clay

The Foundation hired a recent WTAMU accounting graduate to assist Stevie and learn the AAF accounting system, with aspirations of becoming a CPA. Since AAF had no CPAs on staff to oversee his required experience, Clay resourcefully sought my help to mentor him. After months of weekly meetings, the candidate gained valuable experience—but after working with both me, a CPA, and Clay, a lawyer, he ultimately decided to pursue law school instead!

– Sam Lovelady, Former Board Chair

We dealt with Clay on several different issues and found he always had a quick grasp of the issue and an appreciation of effects and side effects of solutions. But, most of all, Clay was considerate and kind.

But what I will miss most of all is a friend who loved trying out dives for lunch and who enjoyed discussing subjects unrelated to our jobs.

– Jay O’Brien, Former Board Chair

At a conference, Clay and I were at a round table. I was very young and shy and barely spoke a word. I remember when it came time for me and Clay to talk, he looked at me giving me the floor. I spoke one sentence! After the round table discussion was done, he pulled me to the side and said, “you really saved us on that one.”

I started giggling and it finally dawned on me what he was doing. He was encouraging me and emphasizing the value of my contributions, assuring me that I had the potential to break through. He saw something in me that I hadn’t fully recognized in myself. I am very grateful for his mentorship and the way he recognized and nurtured my potential.

– Dr. Liz Rascon-Alaniz, Nonprofit Leader

Clay and I became good friends during my term on AAF and the Harrington Foundation. We shared a background in law and an interest in philanthropy. Clay was undergoing medical treatment in Houston during my year as Chair of AAF. Always the professional, he stayed in constant contact with me and the staff, always thinking of ongoing projects and plans. He was determined to get back to the work he loved.

Clay came to visit me in Pampa when my husband died, offering support and comfort to me and to my family. It turned out to be the last time I saw Clay, as he died just a few weeks later. He faced his own mortality with great dignity and courage. He will be greatly missed by all of us who loved and admired him.

– Vanessa Buzzard, Former Board Chair

My first time to meet Clay was at a Medical Center League House Board Meeting back around 2008. Clay, at that time, was on the AAF Board but was not yet President & CEO as I remember it! As a representative for AAF and HRMC, he also sat on the MCLH Board along with me, Lori Henke, Stacy Harwell, Paula Bliss and other sustaining Junior League members. I’ll never forget that day, because that day, Clay announced that HRMC would be donating the land for the much-needed MCLH project! We were all ecstatic! Clay, of course made the announcement in his usual fashion; with a professional eloquence that only Clay could articulate. From that day on, I would forever see Clay as a person of incredibly profound words and a heart devoted to philanthropy!

– Nicki Crump, Board Member

Clay’s love for the Texas Panhandle fueled his efforts to make life better for its residents.

– Katharyn Wiegand, Former AAF Employee

I was fortunate to know Clay both as a professional colleague and as a friend. His actions consistently revealed his deep care for the people of the Texas Panhandle. Clay recognized the potential in reaching out to community members across our region and understood the power of truly listening to their concerns. He believed in building a collective vision for a better quality of life for all of us.

He valued the richness that came from conversations where multiple voices and opinions were welcomed. Clay reminded me that while asking the right questions is important, the real legacy lies in intentionally and actively listening to the answers. That’s a lesson—and a gift—he left for all of us.

– Judy Day, Board Member

Clay was a leader who let us take risks, try new ideas, and implement change. He listened to everything presented to him – and always gave a fair and respectful response. He made many important and critical projects happen behind the scenes throughout the Texas Panhandle, and in many instances, his influence was not publicly known. This aspect of his character was what I admired the most about him.

– Melanie Smoot, Vice President of Development

Clay was an amazing man who cared deeply for those who he worked with and for the many people in the wider Amarillo area. He was a very intelligent and capable executive who managed the Amarillo Area Foundation impeccably well. He will be deeply missed but his legacy lives on in the lives of so many he touched.

– Cheri DeJong, Board Member

It’s been my pleasure to know and work alongside Clay Stribling for over a decade through the Amarillo Area Foundation, where his leadership and heart for service have shaped countless initiatives across the Texas Panhandle. Clay’s deep understanding of our region—rooted in his own small-town upbringing in Hereford—has driven AAF’s growth in everything from rural outreach to education programs like THRIVE. He leads with integrity, vision, and a genuine desire to make life better for others.

– Jackie Pearson, former board chair

Clay served as president of our Center City board of directors. When you serve as a board member for Center City, we have all hands on deck. Clay faithfully showed up for every task – shedding his business suit for shorts and a T-shirt to set up Block Party or help with the clean-up chores the next day. Many people only saw Clay in a business suit. My favorite memories of Clay were the times he donned a costume for a part in an Amarillo Opera production. Clay’s love of music and performance really shined in the spotlight. We’ve lost a treasure and a treasured friend!

– Beth Duke, Executive Director of Center City

Clay always remembered my name & sincerely greeted me at AAF or at outside events. Even though Clay had some tough times in life, he always kept his chin up and moved forward positively. I admired his work ethic. Clay was generous with his time, would schedule appointments to hear our smalltown issues in Dalhart, and shared his expertise. Clay visited us in Dalhart not only to hear about future projects and needs, but to see the environment and the residents who deserve quality rural healthcare.

– Joyce Bezner, Community Volunteer

I have such fond memories of Clay. I chaired the search committee that hired him, and we became fast friends from that time forward. The thing that I discovered about Clay early on was his love for music. I was traveling back to Amarillo on a Sunday morning through the old Love Field. When I got to the Amarillo gate, I ran into Clay who was returning from the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

When Clay saw me, he was horrified because instead of his hand made suits and dress shirts with the custom cuff closures, he was wearing very casual work out style clothes. He was totally shocked to run into a Foundation board member out of costume, as he thought he would be unnoticed on a Sunday morning flight. We both began laughing and immediately started talking about the music he had seen at the festival. Clay was always full of surprises, and in many ways, he was truly a Renaissance Man.

– Mark Bivins, Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation Board Member

When I think of Clay Stribling, I’m immediately taken back to evenings in his basement—dim light, good bourbon in hand, and the world’s problems laid out before us like a chessboard. Clay had this way of listening that made you feel like your thoughts mattered, even the half-baked ones. We’d sit, talking through tough issues, chasing solutions that sometimes felt just out of reach, but always worth the pursuit.

He wasn’t just a sounding board—he was a steady presence. Insightful, thoughtful, and never afraid to challenge you when you needed it. We would go from normal conversational mode and then all, a nerve was struck, and all the sudden he would get really fired up and passionate and be hopping around the room. I remember the laughter, the silences, and the sense that we were trying, in our own small way, to make things better.

– Jason Herrick, Former Board Chair

Obviously, Clay was the impetus behind Panhandle Gives as well, a wonderful matching program to help area non-profits. Clay also reformed our scholarship programs to ensure long term sustainability. Although Clay was deliberate in making decisions, his compassion for others was also very obvious.

– Cliff Bickerstaff, former Board Chair

In his last communication with me (days before he passed) he ended it with, “I will stay in touch as much as I am able, and if you need me, please continue to reach out.” To the end, he wanted to be there for me.

– Keralee Clay, Interim President & CEO

There were days when Clay would stop into my office in the morning to shoot the breeze, and ask me I had seen the latest meme, and I knew it was going to be a good one when he stopped and said, “Hang on, I need to shut the door.”

His last day in the office, I will never forget sitting across from him and I was able to thank him for believing in me well before I believed in me, he paused, then said, “Broc, you will go as far as you want to just keep that wonder in your mind.”

– Broc Carter, Sr. Director of Operations & Communications

I will always remember Clay’s quick wit, sharp memory (especially for quoting movie lines), and his steady hand when navigating tough decisions. His sense of humor, love for South Park, appreciation for good coffee, insistence on quality food at meetings, and his remarkable attention to detail will be deeply missed.

Clay had an incredible ability to look at a situation and spot what others couldn’t—a true gift of that lawyer’s mind. He could deliver a thoughtful, articulate, and well-informed response without a moment of preparation. I’ve always admired how effortlessly he could connect with people, and I hope one day I can speak with the same ease and clarity that came so naturally to him.

– Lara Escobar, Vice President of Community investment

I don’t think I have ever met someone who could with such clarity from memory provide information and detail about so many ongoing projects. I was amazed at Clay’s grasp of the specifics in the history of everything we discussed in our board meetings.

He probably had a proclivity to do such as that since he was an attorney, but I’ve met a lot of them and his grasp of it was the best I’ve ever seen.

– Lewis Britt, Board Member

When I needed counsel on a personal matter that needed a “lawyer’s perspective”, he was more than happy to sit down with me and discuss my topic, giving me options to consider. His knowledge and counsel were an invaluable resource and encouragement.

When Clay shared openly with the staff about the severity of his cancer diagnosis and pending entrance into hospice, I was so touched by his openness in allowing us to pray for him in that very moment. Sometimes when heavy news is shared, there are no words to speak, but only prayers.

– Sarah Griffin, Director of Grants & Community Investment

This scripture embodies Clay Stribling in every way:

“Be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit”

– 1 Peter 3:8

He made us all better people. What an honor to serve under Clay Stribling’s leadership:

C – CARING – true heart for our community
L – LOYAL – fought for what is right and true
A– AUTHENTIC – a man of values and integrity
Y – YOUNG AT HEART – loved theatre, acting and the stage

Clay made us all better people. We all miss him greatly.