This week on the Change Maker: Gloria Squitiro. Gloria is an author and wife to former Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser (she calls him Funk). Gloria talks with us about how local politics is a dirtier battlefield than you might think, and how upsetting the status quo can lead to losing an election.
You can find more information about Gloria and her books at: https://gloriasquitiro.com
To find more information on this show: https://www.augustapodcasts.com/thechangemaker
You can watch the video version of this episode on our youtube channel at: https://youtu.be/EPTAWAugOL4
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.