In a year of incredible achievement for many great leaders and community servants in Amarillo, eighteen individuals were nominated by our readers as finalists for this year’s Amarillo Pioneer of the Year award, recognizing the man or woman who our readers felt had the biggest impact on our city over the past year. And this year, our readers spoke clearly with their selection — Amarillo City Councilman Cole Stanley is the 2021 Amarillo Pioneer of the Year.

Councilman Stanley was elected to his first term on the Amarillo City Council in 2021, defeating two other candidates in a close race to replace Amarillo City Councilwoman Elaine Hays. Since being elected, Councilman Stanley has made a reputation for being the strongest voice in favor of the taxpayers in big decisions about money and taxes in Amarillo. Councilman Stanley has opposed numerous tax increases and efforts to issue new debt in Amarillo without voter approval and put forward several conservative outsiders as possible selections for municipal boards and commissions in 2021.

Cole Stanley has fought for the people in 2021. And our readers have recognized him as this year’s Amarillo Pioneer of the Year.

As this year’s recipient, Stanley joins the annually growing list of past honorees selected by our readers — Randy Burkett (2016), Renea Dauntes (2017), Kip Billups (2018), Dacia Anderson (2019), and Hobert “Gunny” Brown (2020).

While Councilman Stanley won the nod from our readers this year, there was close voting up and down the Pioneer of the Year ballot this year, leading our readers to single out three other individuals from the pack of nominees as this year’s runner-ups — businessman Craig Gualtiere, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, and Amarillo Public Health Director Casie Stoughton.

Gualtiere made headlines for leading a successful citizen petition drive to deny the Amarillo City Council’s efforts to bypass citizens and issue $35 million in taxpayer-funded debt without voter approval. Gualtiere’s petition drive, and a related lawsuit, led City officials to pull back on their efforts to issue the debt and gave taxpayers a win at City Hall.

Jackson made headlines as a first term Republican congressman from the Texas Panhandle, clearly cementing himself as one of the loudest voices in Texas’ Republican congressional delegation.

Stoughton has become well-known as one of the most prominent individuals in Amarillo’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stoughton can often be seen in the media and with citizens, helping to guide Amarillo through the public health response to the pandemic.

With the voting being razor thin in this year’s Pioneer of the Year contest, our readers singled out Stanley, Jackson, Gualtiere, and Stoughton as the individuals who have made the biggest impact on Amarillo this year.

2021 Amarillo Pioneer of the Year: Cole Stanley

Runner-Ups: Craig Gualtiere, Ronny Jackson, Casie Stoughton

Other Nominees: Noah Dawson, Christy Dyer, Alex Fairly, Jason Foglesong, Michael Hunt, Cody Jones, William C. Kearns, Jim Livingston, Freda Powell, Tom Scherlen, John Smithee, Kevin Sparks, Walter Wendler, Josiah “Joe” West