Ellen Green

You might recognize Ellen Green from when she was a Channel 4 area reporter in the early 80s, landing in various places around the community in a helicopter to cover a story, or when she later anchored the evening news on Channel 10. Or perhaps you’ve watched her in recent years on KACV’s Face to Face, when she interviewed the likes of the late Rick Husband and opera singer Mary Jane Johnson. Regardless of where you’ve seen her, Ellen Green is an Amarillo native everyone should know.

That being said, people on the other side of the television screen might be surprised to learn she used to be terribly shy. That might explain why her family laughed at her upon saying she wanted to be a reporter.

“I was a senior in high school in 1976 and I was watching the Democratic National Convention. I wasn’t as impressed with the candidates as I was the reporters, so I said to my family that I wanted to be a reporter. They all laughed, but I had made up my mind,” she says on the set of Face to Face. KACV, the local public television station, operates on the Amarillo College campus. “I’d had enough of being shy and just decided to stop it. Of course, sometimes when I start a 30-minute TV show I get a little nervous, but I just have to walk through the fear.”

Ellen’s first experience on camera occurred during her college years at the University of Texas in Austin. She worked for the NBC-affiliate, KXAN, as a weekend reporter and weekday producer. At 21 years old, Ellen covered the Capital 10K, and while that road race wasn’t altogether significant at the time, it would become doubly meaningful to her later on.

“I remember thinking that I didn’t know what to say and I was trying to write the story. I probably had to do the stand-up about 50 times,” she laughs. “I’m sure the cameraman wanted to kill me.”

After graduating college in 1980, Ellen returned to Amarillo, thinking that if she could at least land a job with a local television station that she’d be able to find the courthouse if that’s where she was sent. She started at Channel 4 as an area reporter and by 1982 became the 5 p.m. anchor for Channel 10. The intention was to stay three years and move on but it’s nearly 30 years later and Ellen has no plans to leave.

“Naturally, I ended up covering the courthouse and police beat at Channel 10, so I met the chief of police and ended up marrying him,” she says. Ellen and Jerry Neal were married for 21 years and, in that time, had two children, Kent, now 25, and Natalie, 20.

Ellen went back to Channel 4 in 1984 to take a position as the assistant news director, but by 1988 she decided to try her hand in the advertising world. In the meantime, Ellen went back to school for a master’s degree in communications and graduated from WTAMU in 1991. That launched a new career teaching at both the University and Amarillo College.

“The general manager of KACV came to me one day and said, ‘Ellen, why don’t you come in and work about 10 hours a week while you teach,’ and I said okay. I never saw the sunshine again,” she laughs. “I never worked less than 40 hours a week producing documentaries, and I did that for about 10 years. Truly, it was really the most wonderful experience of my life.”

That may come second (or third, when you consider her children) after hearing her talk about David, her husband of nearly four years. At the prompting of her sister, the two met at Austin’s Capital 10K in 2005, the same event where Ellen got her feet wet on camera, and got married a year later. David was widowed with two sons, Harry and Charlie, so the newly formed family of six settled nicely in Ellen’s hometown.

“He’s the best thing I’ve ever done, honestly. He’s the greatest gift of my life,” she says. “And I’m not being hokey. He moved here to marry me. Wherever David is, that’s home.”

Her longevity at Amarillo College has proved to be worthwhile. She is currently the Dean of Marketing and Communication, in charge of all media relations for the school and overseeing the operation of KACV and the student radio station, FM 90. She also continues to produce and host Face to Face.

Ellen serves as president of her neighborhood association, is on the board at the Ronald McDonald House and participates in Leadership Texas. She’s also in the process of fine-tuning her culinary skills.

When I get in my car, the first thing I listen to is… The news on High Plains Public Radio – I’m a big fan. I love public radio and have always wanted to be a disc jockey.

My friends and family call me… “e” Ellen is a common name in my family and “e” is a term of endearment.

My favorite meal to make from scratch is… I know everyone says this, but really my chili is wonderful. I think I could win a cook-off but that is probably because I’ve never tested my theory. My chili tastes even better the second day.

In an alternate life, I would’ve been a… Stand up comedienne. I performed a three-minute original routine at the comedy store here during open mic night a few years ago. I was one of only three people called back to perform again another night. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done but I loved it.

My biggest pet peeve is… My pet. I’m extremely peeved that my dog ate my couch. Anyone want a chocolate lab? She is very well behaved.

If I had an open plane ticket to anywhere, I would go to… I love Paris in the spring, winter, summer or fall but I’ve never been to Italy so I would head to Tuscany or Florence.

After a long, hard day, I love to… Hot tub with a glass of wine and my husband.

One of my favorite childhood toys was… My Easy Bake Oven hands down, no question. There’s nothing better than cooking brownies with a light bulb!

If I were a character in a book, I would be… Dorothy – because she didn’t really need the wizard, the shoes belonged to her all along.

The greatest piece of advice I’ve ever received is… Never, never believe your own press – it is usually very positive or negative when the truth can almost always be found somewhere in between.

When my children grow up, the one thing I want them to always remember is… If an officer is giving you one call, you better phone an attorney instead of your mother (who loves you even though she won’t bail you out).

You may be surprised to know that I… Was so shy as a child that I dropped out of public kindergarten so that I could stay home with my mother, wouldn’t call information for a phone number and never, ever spoke in public.

One habit I wish I could break is… Interrupting conversation – sometimes I talk more than I listen!

My guilty pleasure is… Mad Men marathons.

I know every word to the song… The Eyes of Texas. Hook ‘em Horns! (I bleed orange)

If I had the time, I would… Spend three months (January, February, March) at a beach house on Paradise Island, Bahamas with good books, great wine and my wonderful husband, David Green.

My favorite bad-for-me-food is… The caramel/apple pie from Roosters – owner (and cook), Peggy Smith, and I have a love/hate relationship! Peggy’s pie is addictive, but worth every calorie.

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