The Wake Up Call with Benji Snead Podcast

Tray Payne on May 7th, 2026

Benji Snead is joined in the studio by local attorney and former Lubbock mayor Tray Payne. Benji asks Tray about his background, including working in the District Attorney's office, and what stories he has about his time trying cases. Tray talks about what he took away from his time as mayor, what the most difficult aspect of being mayor was, and what the difference is between the DA's office and private practice.

Christy Martinez-Garcia on May 6th, 2026

Benji Snead talks to Christy-Martinez-Garcia as she was reelected as councilwoman of District 1. Christy shares what issues her constituents are wanting addressed, how she represents a variety of people within the district, and how she's further involved in the community. She addresses what needs to improve in the city and what her priorities as a councilwoman are.

Mark Funderburk on May 6th, 2026

Benji Snead talks with the CEO of University Medical Center Mark Funderburk. Mark discusses how things have developed in the health industry, how UMC meets the needs of the community, what the hardest part is of delivering on a regional scale, and how UMC is funded. Mark talks about the new family medicine clinic in Wolfforth and what stands out with the expanded cancer center that opened back in April.

James Arnold on May 5th, 2026

Benji Snead chats with James Arnold, who is the President of UMB Bank and an economic voice in the community, for this episode. James gets into what trends he's seeing in the Lubbock economy, how inflation is affecting banking, and what needs to be improving in the city.

Matt Ernst on May 5th, 2026

Benji Snead is joined by KCBD news director and meteorologist Matt Ernst. Matt shares his background and talks about how things have changed in the news industry, how recruiting has changed in the industry, and how KCBD handles their coverage on issues such as elections. Matt also discusses preparation for severe weather season, his thoughts on what's going on downtown, and how he's involved in the community.

Mark McBrayer and Brayden Rose on May 4th, 2026

Benji Snead had a chance to talk with Lubbock mayor Mark McBrayer and outgoing councilman Brayden Rose. Mayor McBrayer was just reelected for another two years, and Brayden is a city councilman from District 4. The mayor shares what it means to be reelected, what low turnout in the election means, what accomplishments he's proud of from his first term, and what issues and priorities he wants to face in his next term. Later in the podcast, councilman Rose shares why he is stepping down from his position.

Dr. Charles Addington on May 4th, 2026

Benji Snead had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Dr. Charles Addington. Charles is the mayor of Wolfforth and Lubbock County medical examiner. Benji asks Doc about how he balances life and his jobs, what the main source of growth in Wolfforth is, and what projects are in the works for the county. Charles also shares what has changed about the city over the years and talks about how he was involved in putting together a medical examiner facility in the county.

Jeremy Snead on May 1st, 2026

Benji Snead had the chance to sit down and talk to his brother and award-winning film director Jeremy Snead, who is also the founder of Mediajuice Studios. Jeremy promotes his feature film "Matter of Time" starring Sean Astin and breaks down what went into creating the film. He also talks about his background and what he's learned from filmmaking.

Taylor Peters on May 1st, 2026

For this episode, Benji Snead is joined by Taylor Peters, who is the Director of Video Storytelling for Texas Tech's Marketing and Communications department. She is also a former reporter for KCBD News Channel 11. Taylor talks about how she got into media and started her podcast Fearless Unscripted, where interviews different Tech personalities and alum. She also explains how the seasons change what she does, how producing content differs from reporting, and shares the best lesson she's learned in media.

Trey Strong on April 30th, 2026

Benji Snead is joined in the studio by Lubbock Cooper school board member and now candidate Trey Strong. Trey discusses how he got on the board a year ago, what challenges LCISD faces, what voters need to understand ahead of election day, how the school district is managing growth, and what his top priorities as a board member are.