ABOUT JOE M. TURNER

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Professional magician, speaker and M.C. Joe M. Turner is a corporate entertainment specialist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He creates customized corporate magic presentations for promotional, motivational and entertainment events in the United States and Canada. For his skills in adapting his performances to entertain and amaze his audiences while emphasizing specific marketing or inspirational messages, Mr. Turner is often described as "The Chief Impossibility Officer" and "America's Corporate Conjuror." He has also served as a magic consultant, writer and director for theatre, film and cause-related promotional projects on the national scale. Mr. Turner has entertained prominent elected officials, sports figures, corporate leaders and other celebrities. He has been featured in numerous television, radio and print appearances, including Good Morning America, Nightline, and a highly rated feature on CNN Headline News.

Joe combines seven years of corporate experience in training design and development, business communication, human performance development and change management initiatives at Fortune 100 clients with extensive theatre experience and magical talents to create customized magical presentations for his clients.

Joe is a member of the Academy of Magical Arts at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, The Magic Circle in London (A.I.M.C. with silver star), and the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. He is also a popular speaker, onscreen and onstage talent, a professional pianist, an accomplished vocalist, composer and playwright. He and his wife have one daughter and one son.

Magical Awards, Honors and Recognitions

• First Georgia magician and first Mississippian in history to perform in all three showrooms at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California:
  - The Close-Up Gallery, for intimate sleight-of-hand performance
  - The Parlour of Prestidigitation, for cabaret-scale performance
  - The Palace of Mystery, for stage magic performance
  This "triple crown" is a rarely attained honor representing high standards of professionalism, versatility, and skill.
• Unanimous election to The Magic Circle in London, with the unusual distinction of immediate advancement to the degree of Associate of the Inner Magic Circle (A.I.M.C.) with silver star.
• J.C. Doty Award for Excellence in Stage Magic
• Doyne Michie Award for Excellence in Close-Up Magic
  *Note: First performer to ever win both of the above awards
• Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year, 2010 (nominated as a finalist by both Atlanta clubs)
• Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year, 2000
• Georgia Magic Club "President's Award," 2002
• FEA Atlanta Magician of the Year, 2009
• IBM Ring 9 magical performance awards: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
• Close-Up Sleight-of-Hand Competition
  Atlanta Harvest of Magic (Atlanta, GA), First Place
• Close-Up Sleight-of-Hand Competition
  Winter Carnival of Magic (Gatlinburg, TN), First Place
• Close-Up Sleight-of-Hand Competition
  South Carolina Association of Magicians (Columbia, SC), First Place
• Certificate of Appreciation, International Brotherhood of Magicians
• Close-Up Sleight-of-Hand Competition
  Winter Carnival of Magic (Gatlinburg, TN), 2nd place
• IBM International Executive Committee: 2009-present
• IBM Territorial Vice President for Georgia: 2006-present
• President, Georgia Magic Club/IBM Ring 9, 2000 and 2001
• Vice President, Georgia Magic Club/IBM Ring 9, 2002
• Vice President, Atlanta Society of Magicians/SAM Assembly 30, 2002
• Vice President, Atlanta Society of Magicians/SAM Assembly 30, 2004
• Executive Secretary, Southeastern Association of Magicians, 2001-2002
• Member, Academy of Magical Arts - The Magic Castle, Hollywood
• Member, Atlanta Coalition of Performing Artists
• Member, Family Entertainers of Atlanta

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Biographical Summary

Born in 1969, Joe M. Turner was raised in the South and though he is happy to be an "adopted" Georgian, he is a proud native of the great state of Mississippi. He attended Mississippi State University as one of the first four Schillig Leadership Scholars, the most prestigious full honors scholarship offered at Mississippi State. This program evolved into today's Distinguished Scholars program. He also later received the President George H.W. Bush Education Scholarship. Joe graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1992 with a B.S. in Physics/Chemistry Education, completing significant additional coursework in astronomy, mathematics, music, and drama. He now serves as a member of the Distinguished Scholarship selection committee.

While at Mississippi State, Joe was named to the University Hall of Fame, the Society of Scholars in the Arts & Sciences, Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, Who's Who in Mississippi, Phi Kappa Phi and several other academic and leadership societies. He was a member of the Famous Maroon Band and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity. In addition to academic awards, he received artistic awards for acting, directing, and playwriting at the University and in regional and national competitions. A talented and avid musical theatre performer, he was awarded two internships at Maine State Music Theatre where he performed in professional musical theatre productions for two seasons. He remains active as a performer and playwright in Atlanta-area theatres, as well as a sought-after musician.

The art of magic was one of Joe's performance interests from the tender age of six. Joe's competitions in local talent shows led to smalltown newspaper articles and his early performances at children's birthday parties in and around his hometown. Even in college, Joe would occasionally perform perplexing or even slightly horrifying magical stunts for his dormmates. After moving to Atlanta in 1993, he delved into the study of the art with increased vigor. In 2000 he served as president of the Georgia Magic Club, also known as Ring 9 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Joe was reelected president for 2001. He was voted Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year 2000 by the Atlanta chapters of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians, and was awarded the trophy again for 2010 after having been named a finalist for the award by both clubs - an unusual honor. Joe writes a bimonthly video review column for Genii Magazine, the oldest magic journal still in publication. In addition, he has contributed thoughts and writings to most of the other major magic industry publications.

Joe became a Christian at the age of eight. He served as the pianist/accompanist in his church, and he served as his church's youngest-ever Chairman of Deacons in 1999-2000. He and his wife are active in music, drama and dance ministries at their church as well as at other churches throughout Atlanta. Joe has used his Christian-themed illusion performances to provide entertaining and thoughtful messages to children, youth and adults with a variety of denominational backgrounds.

Professionally, Joe worked in the Change Management practice of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) for over five years and was promoted to Manager. After leaving consulting due to travel demands that conflicted with the priority he places on his family, Joe joined Bank of America where he performed a wide spectrum of creative change management and communication roles as Vice President for Associate Development in the Business Practices Integration group. Joe left the bank in 2000 and began pursuing his entertainment and marketing business interests.