This week on the Change Maker: John Wood Jr. John is an ambassador for Braver Angels a former nominee for Congress, former Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, a musical artist, and a noted writer and speaker on subjects including racial and political reconciliation. Deke and John discuss the recent gathering in Gettysburg arranged by Braver Angels, the difficulties dividing our nation today, and how we might overcome them.
You can find more information about John Wood Jr. and Braver Angels at: https://braverangels.org/
To find more information on this show: https://www.augustapodcasts.com/thechangemaker
Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/G0kWMIuS0hU
The Change Maker
The Change Maker 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. No group trusted any other group, so nothing got done.
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. He focused effort on communities that had been neglected for years.
No serving as the Principal of Copenhaver Consulting, Deke remains committed to being a Change Maker while helping others realize their potential to impact their communities for the better. For his work, he’s been recognized on multiple occasions by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians.
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.