About this episode

Nicole Jansen and Deke Copenhaver discuss how communities can rebuild stronger after disaster through trust-based leadership and collaboration.

What separates communities that merely recover after disaster from those that come back stronger? In this episode of the Leaders of Transformation, Nicole Jansen welcomes back former Augusta mayor, leadership coach, and community builder Deke Copenhaver to discuss how communities can become stronger after disaster through trust-based leadership and servant-hearted collaboration. Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Deke stepped into an unpaid leadership role to help launch the Greater Augusta Long-Term Recovery Group. What began as a local disaster response has become a powerful model for rebuilding homes, restoring hope, and uniting people across generations, organizations, and lines of difference. Together, Nicole and Deke explore how trust, faith, collaboration, and a mindset of abundance can transform not only disaster recovery but the future of communities everywhere. If you're passionate about leadership, community impact, or creating lasting change, this conversation offers a practical blueprint for turning crisis into opportunity. What We Discuss in this Episode Why trust is the foundation of effective community leadership How servant leadership creates lasting…

People in this episode

Host: Nicole Jansen

Guest: Deke Copenhaver

Topics covered

• disaster recovery
• community leadership
• trust-based leadership
• servant leadership
• collaboration
• transformation
• hope

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Greater Augusta Long-Term Recovery Group

Places: Augusta

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