About the Cover Photographer
Mark Gammill was born in the Mississippi Delta region. He majored in Graphic Design at Mississippi State University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in June, 1999. After graduation, Mark moved to Douglasville, GA and began his career at a large advertising agency in Norcross, GA. He accepted a position as Head of Marketing and Design at DeNyse Signs, one of the largest sign companies in the Southeast. Mark built up his freelance design business and then launched his own company, FirmDesign, Inc. (www.firmdesign.com), in 2006. Under Mark’s leadership, the business has grown from 10 major accounts to well over 200 clients in a wide variety of industries, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies.
Mark also expresses his creativity and artistic talent in many related fields. He and his wife, Kelly co-own Dance Academy West (www.danceacademywest.com), West Georgia’s premier dance school.
He is also passionate about guitar, pottery, and photography. He has been a professional photographer since 2004, and enjoys photographing Dance Academy West’s annual dance concerts, as well as families, children, and corporate headshots.
On the Cover
The Turners
Our Town celebrates its Third Anniversary this month. Time flies when you’re having fun and boy, have we had fun these last three years! We are always amazed at the generous and talented people who live here. This month, we are proud to introduce you to a family who use their talents to entertain, educate and bring joy to many people - The Turners.
Joe M. Turner, his wife Rosemary, and children Hayley and Preston, have lived in Paulding County since 2007. Joe is originally from Brandon, Mississippi and Rosemary is from Germantown, Tennessee. They first met at Mississippi State University. Joe was pursuing a degree in physics education and studying theatre. Rosemary transferred to MSU and changed her major from dance to civil engineering. They married in 1995, and in August, they celebrated their 15th Anniversary. Congratulations!
As newlyweds, Joe moved to Atlanta to embark on a career in management consulting. Rosemary decided to pursue a master’s degree in environmental engineering and enrolled in graduate school at Georgia Tech. Before graduating, Rosemary discovered she was expecting their first child and decided to put her engineering goals on the “back-burner” so she could be the best mom she could be. In 1997, Joe and Rosemary welcomed a baby girl, Hayley. Then in 2003, their second child, a son Preston, was welcomed into their family.
Joe and Rosemary were very involved at their previous church; he in the choir and interim pianist and she in the dance ministry. Rosemary’s love of dance was rekindled when she realized how it could be used as a form of praise. It was at this same time that one of Joe’s longtime hobbies began to resurface. That hobby? MAGIC!
This hobby became more serious over time, and through his involvement with a local magic club, he began to perform at large corporate events and banquets. He quickly realized that because of his experience as a management consultant, he had a knack for using magic as an attention getter in the corporate environment, which had not been done before. He soon decided to make magic his full time business. As a corporate magician and mentalist, Joe M. Turner, the “Chief Impossibility Officer,” delivers a show of sleight-of-hand, illusions, and para-psychological presentations that has entertained audiences all over the globe. He has won several awards as a magician and is the first Georgia magician to perform in all three showrooms at the world-famous Hollywood Magic Castle, the Parlour of Prestidigitation, and the Palace of Mystery. This triple-crown honor only belongs to a handful of performers. He has also been featured on Good Morning America, Nightline, CNN Headline News and numerous other television appearances.
Joe is very thankful for Rosemary’s support of his career, and has said, “(My career) wouldn’t be possible without the support and understanding of my wife. Besides being a great partner and an amazing mother to Hayley and Preston, she is probably the only person in the world who can relate to my wildly eclectic interests.”
Joe and Rosemary have a strong belief in giving back to the community. After seeing the beautiful downtown Dallas Theater, he knew he wanted to perform there. He decided to produce an annual show that would benefit a local Paulding charity each year. To date the shows have benefited McKenna Farms, the Paulding County School Foundation, and a Paulding -specific project through Engage Atlanta. The show, “Midsummer Magic,” has traditionally been held during the summer, but he is considering moving the 2011 program to late summer or early fall and is already looking for potential charitable organizations for the 2011 show.
Today, the Turners enjoy their life in Paulding very much. They are all active at their church, Burnt Hickory Baptist. Rosemary is the co-founder and co-director of their dance ministry, ‘Sole to Soul”. There she teaches ballet and jazz using contemporary Christian music for the purpose of praise, worship and outreach.
Hayley is now 13 and in the 8th grade and Preston is 7 and in the 2nd grade. Both children are very active on their own, but do enjoy learning the occasional magic trick for fun. Preston’s favorite trick is one that is a comedy card trick using balloons and situational humor. Hayley’s favorite is one of the larger illusions where Joe make a person appear in an empty box. She wants to help her dad with some of the large illusions when she gets a little older.
For both Joe and Rosemary, they have no prediction on their future, but are glad to fully rely on God for directing their path. Says Rosemary, “We can see God’s hand in so many parts of our lives. The strange part is that when the most unexpected thing happens, you look back and see how it was almost inevitable. I think maybe God does that to keep you on your toes… no pun intended.”
Meeting the Turners was a privilege. They are a perfect combination of talent and generosity. We appreciate them taking the time out of their busy schedule to be our cover family on this truly, special cover of Our Town.
We would also like to extend a big THANK YOU to Lenay Walker, Theater Manager of the Dallas Theater for allowing us to photograph in this beautiful and historic venue. The Dallas Theater has some excellent family entertainment scheduled that you won’t want to miss. Check their website www.dallastheater-civiccenter.com or contact the box office at 678-363-0813.
For more information on Joe M. Turner Magic, visit his website www.turnermagic.com. There you can read his blog, check for upcoming shows and learn how to schedule the “Chief Impossibility Officer” for your own event. Also, keep an eye on Our Town, for we will certainly let you know the next time he gives his benefit performance – you will NOT want to miss it!