Today on The Changemaker: Justin Wheelon (@justinWheelon). This episode features Justin Wheelon. Emmy® Award-winner Justin Wheelon is a professional director and actor who's appeared in numerous films and television shows. Justin's commercials on-line have generated millions of views. His work has been featured in national television commercials for major clients, including directing two Super Bowl commercials. His films have played at multiple Oscar® qualifying film festivals around the world.
He is the Founder and President of the SOUTHERN CITY INSTITUTE® which hosts filmmaking classes and workshops for kids and adults. The Southern City Film Festival takes place annually and has been rated inside the "Top 100" film festivals via FilmFreeway. He is also a partner and co-founder of the Emmy® winning Oak Film Co., a film production company which produces movies and national commercial work for clients.
The Changemaker is hosted by Deke Copenhaver. When Deke took over as mayor of his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, the city’s politics were broken and riven along racial lines. Half of the city commissioners were white, half were African American. Neither group trusted the other, so nothing got done.
Against all reasonable odds, Deke and a band of enthusiastic twenty- and thirty-somethings who knew little about running a political campaign won the election. He had his first commissioners meeting as mayor on December 20th, 2005, and began the work of being a Changemaker.
From 2005 through 2014 Deke was a catalyst in helping to transform Augusta, attracting businesses to spur economic development, implementing social programs that impacted the lives of Augustans on a daily basis and developing communities that, for many years, had been neglected by the city’s leadership.
Amid all the challenges and setbacks, tragedy and strife, Deke never lost hope. Instead, he’s always been inspired to serve. Since the grassroots days of his campaign of hope and change to currently serving as the Principal of Copenhaver Consulting, Deke remains committed to being a Changemaker while helping others realize the potential they have to be leaders in their community and their lives.
He’s been recognized on multiple occasions by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians and has spoken at many national conferences on topics including city design, economic development, healthcare, veterans’ issues, and the nonprofit industry.
Deke currently authors a monthly column on leadership published by the Georgia Municipal Association. Deke earned a BA in Political Science from Augusta College and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia and the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.
A passionate athlete, Deke has completed five Ironman 70.3s and several half marathons. He and his wife, Malisa, reside in Augusta with their dogs Sarah Bet, Buddy, and Johnny.
