Leadership Team
Beth Whitley Duke is executive director of Center City of Amarillo, a nonprofit organization dedicated to downtown revitalization. She joined Center City in 2005 after retiring from the Amarillo Globe-News where she was city editor.
She is active in community organizations including Amarillo West Rotary Club, Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health Advisory Committee and Junior League of Amarillo. She is a past board member for the Amarillo College Foundation, Amarillo Area Foundation, High Plains Food Bank, Opportunity School and the YMCA. Center City is proud to be the home of the Amarillo Community Market. Center City’s mission is to make downtown a destination neighborhood that bridges the past and the future. The Amarillo Community Market meets Center City’s mission to bring more people downtown of all generations to enjoy our historic surroundings and to encourage local entrepreneurs for the future. |
My name is Melea Baker, and I am the new Market Manager for the Amarillo Community Market. I am very excited to begin this journey, and to be part of what is happening in downtown Amarillo.
I am a Texas Panhandle native. Originally from Pampa, I now live in Amarillo with my husband Chris and three children. As a small business owner with my husband, and having family in the farming and ranching industry, I understand the importance of networking and supporting other small business owners and farmers, and I am looking forward to making a positive impact at the Amarillo Community Market. I graduated from Clarendon College with my Associate's Degree in 2001. During the school year, I am an online teaching assistant for Thalia Academy. I have extensive experience in many fields, including business ownership, education, office management, and retail. I am very passionate about the community and always looking for opportunities to volunteer my time and talents. I am an active member of my children's school PTO and I am on the board of the THS Choir Booster Club. In my free time, I am either chasing my children to their many extra-curricular activities, reading, traveling, or performing on stage at Amarillo Little Theatre. Amarillo Community Market is something wonderful and exciting for our city. You will find all types of creatives and vendors who have made or grown almost anything you could possibly want. I cannot wait to connect with our vendors and community this season! |
