At the Kitchen Table with Soraida & Friends

Ep. 24 - Complex Sports

Soraida Cross — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0800

Soraida is joined by Ty and Billy as they discuss all the influence of sports in their lives and others.

Ty Benny: Complex Manager at NPJ Sports Complex
Billy Powers: Recreation Coordinator for Salem

Ep. 23 - Experience and Keizer

Soraida Cross — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0800

Soraida is joined by Lore and Marlene as they use their vast experience in civil service to discuss Keizer and policies affecting Keizer.

Lore Christopher: Former Mayor of Keizer
Marlene Parsons: Keizer City Councilor

Ep. 22 - Salem Sports

Soraida Cross — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Jason and Colin as they discus their experiences with running sports programs in the city of Salem.

Jason Conrad: Owner of the Salem Capitals
Collin Box: Executive Director at Capital Futbol Club

Capital Futbol Club is hosting a benefit auction soon on Nov 15th 2025! Find more info at cfcsalem.com/auction

Ep. 21 - Providing and Seeking Help

Soraida Cross — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Matthew and James as they discuss the various ways people can support the veterans and families of veterans in this country and their communities.

Matthew Decker: Board Member of Courtney Place Veterans Housing
James I Manning Jr.: Senate President Pro Tempore

Ep. 20 - Courage and Community

Soraida Cross — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Aniah and Becka as they talk about everything from courage to careers to community outreach.

Becka Brisbin: Founder of Radness Ensues and Owner of Becka Makes Buttons
Aniah Harrison: Business Student at Lane Community College

Ep. 19 - Many Hands Make Light Work

Soraida Cross — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Angela and Jane as they talk about everything from school policies to public health.

Angela Plowhead: Clinical Psychologist and Oregon Senate District 10 Candidate

Jane Herb: Sales Manager at CollectionHQ

Ep. 18 - Identity and Purpose

Soraida Cross — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Today, Soraida is Joined by Josh and Fernando as they talk about everything from guiding their kids to starting new ideas.

Josh Navarrete: Owner of NK Forge and Navarrete Knives. Executive Director of IACT

Fernando Lopez: Owner of Arrows Home Air

Ep. 17 - Volunteerism and Integration

Soraida Cross — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is Joined by James and Mike as they talk about everything from volunteerism to AI integration in business.

James Hutches: Aviation Educator and Member of the Fly Salem Foundation

Mike Adams: Owner of Adam's Rib Smokehouse

Ep. 16 - Veterans and Greyhounds

Soraida Cross — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Rosy and Shaney as they discuss supporting veterans, public transit, and more!

Rosy Macias: US Marine Veteran and Stand Down Coordinator at Serving Our Veterans at Home
Shaney Starr: Keizer City Councilor

Ep. 15 - Work and Work Ethic

Soraida Cross — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Nick and Larry as they talk about their business experience, work ethic development, and working in your community.

Nick Cousin: General Manager at Local Plumbing

Larry Dalke: President of Dalke Construction

Ep. 14 - Fixes for Community

Soraida Cross — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is Joined By James and Paul as they discuss their journey into politics, veterans, and how to support a community through legislation.

Paul Evans: Representative of Oregon's District 20 in the House of Representatives.
James I Manning Jr.: Senate President Pro Tempore

Ep. 13 - Be the Light in Your Community

Soraida Cross — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Claire Juran and Elaine Wilson as they discuss privacy, changes in Salem and Keizer, and generational differences and hurdles.

Claire Juran: Vice President of Remodeling by Classic Homes

Elaine Wilson: Staff Accountant for Edward Charles Foundation and serves on Keizer's Community Diversity Engagement Committee

Ep. 12 - Emerging Leaders

Soraida Cross — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Alex Ferry, Gabby Northrop, and Matti Kelley who are all members of Salem Emerging Leaders! They talk about taking action in their community and the importance of working with those you disagree with.

Alex Ferry: State Farm Insurance Agent in Salem
Gabby Northrop: Financial Advisor with Three Pines Wealth
Matti Kelley: Owner of Satin & Stone Jewelry

Ep. 11 - Accountability and Participation

Soraida Cross — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Rich Duncan and Bill Riecke as they discuss plenty from differentiating viewpoints in news sources and ways to approach them and even working on unintended consequences of well-meaning legislation.

Rich Duncan: President of Rich Duncan Construction
Bill Riecke: Owner of Bark Boys

Ep. 10 - Dumb-Dumb Decisions

Soraida Cross — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by TJ Sullivan and Tim Davis as they discuss the inner workings of Salem and also considering their past lives and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

TJ Sullivan: President of Salem Main Street Association
Tim Davis: Co-Founder of Valor Mentoring

Ep. 9 - Grace and Grit

Soraida Cross — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Jenn Benavidez and Luz Reyna as they talk about many topics including issues they see with downtown Salem and the future of AI and its implications.

Jenn Benavidez: Business Development Manager at SERVPRO and Chamber Director of Keizer Chamber of Commerce
Luz Reyna: Founder of Reyna Consulting Group and Co-Founder of Oregon Conferences for Women

Ep. 8 - Not Always as It Seems

Soraida Cross — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Treva Gambs and Kim Grewe-Powell. They talk about misconceptions about the restaurant business and running the State Fair among other things.

Treva Gambs: Owner of Gamberetti's Italian Restaurant

Kim Grewe-Powell: CEO of Oregon State Fair and Exposition Center

Ep. 7 - Marines, Business, and Education

Soraida Cross — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida speaks with Don McBride and Matt Ellison about their previous experiences in the Marine Corps and their thoughts on the world as it is today when it comes to business and education.

Don McBride: Director of Business Development at SMI
Matt Ellison: General Manager and Partner at LOCAL Plumbing Co.

Ep. 6 - Play Ball!

Soraida Cross — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Pat Zajac and Kyle Juran and they talk about the new Marion Berries Baseball team and all sorts of activities for families in Salem-Keizer. They also discus their responsibility to their communities and employees and how to do right by them.

Pat Zajac: General Manager of The Marion Berries
Kyle Juran: Owner of Remodeling by Classic Homes and Keizer City Councilor

Ep. 5 - Finding Middle Ground

Soraida Cross — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined by Jose and James as they speak about finding middle ground as they find solutions and how their childhoods impact the way they see the world.

Jose Gonzalez: Former Salem City Councilor, Co-Founder of La Familia Cider, and Owner of Tu Casa Real Estate

James I Manning Jr.: Senate President Pro Tempore

Ep. 4 - Resilience and Accountability

Soraida Cross — Thu, 29 May 2025 09:06:10 -0700

Soraida sits down with two of her friends, Elizabeth and Celeste, to have more moving conversations around the kitchen table. They talk about using resilience and accountability to instill change in a community.

Elizabeth Infante: Commercial Real Estate Broker
Celeste Guptill: Programs Director for Victory Academy and Board Member of Keizer Homegrown Theatre

Ep. 3 - Local Leaders, Local Changes

Soraida Cross — Thu, 22 May 2025 10:00:00 -0700

Soraida is joined today by Andrew Holbert and Shaney Starr and they discuss everything from their surprising parts of their past lives to changes coming in Salem-Keizer's future. If you are interesting in finding ways to impact your community in the ways mentioned on this podcast, reach out to Soraida at Soraida@hotelsalemoregon.com

Andrew Holbert: Marine Corps Veteran and Executive Director of Courtney Place Veterans Housing
Shaney Starr: Keizer City Councilor

Ep. 2 - A Chat with Our First Responders

Soraida Cross — Thu, 15 May 2025 12:00:00 -0700

Today Soraida sparks a conversation with 3 leaders in a few Salem-Keizer Area Departments. They talk about unique aspects about their jobs working with those the worst times of their lives, but also talking about some lighter topics as we get to know who is guiding the brave men and women who strive to protect and serve this area.

Nick Hunter: Marion County Sheriff
David Gerboth: Salem Fire Chief
Andrew Copeland: Keizer Chief of Police

Ep. 1 - Good Conversations Happen At The Kitchen Table

Soraida Cross — Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:00 -0700

Welcome to At the Kitchen Table with Soraida and Friends! Today we launch At the Kitchen Table with a conversation about local changes and issues in the Salem-Keizer area with 3 local business leaders as guests.

Angela Williams: Development Director at Huggins Insurance Salem.
Tyler Jackson: Manager of the three-generation-family-owned Jackson Jewlers.
Cassidy Troutt: Owner of Elite OnSite Fleet Services.