Speakers
We are honored to have John Curley as our emcee and Richard Turner as our keynote speaker during our Centennial Celebration!
John Curley
Emcee
President of John Curley Auctions (J.C.A.), John Curley has singlehandedly raised $85,000,000 for charities—and he is on track to raise $100,000,000 for non-profits within six years. John is an Emmy® and Edward R. Murrow® Award-winning broadcaster with a television and radio career spanning 30 years with work in major markets on both the East and West Coasts. He has hosted KING TV’s Evening Magazine in Seattle for a record 16 years, and he is known as the most recognized local celebrity in the Emerald City. Charismatic and fun loving, John brings a dynamic energy to each of the nearly 100 charity events he hosts around the country. When he’s not charming audiences on TV or radio, or raising much-needed funds for worthy charities, John applies his boundless energy to IronMan® and powerlifting events.
Richard Turner
Keynote Speaker
Playing the hand you’ve been dealt isn’t just a figure of speech for Richard Turner… it’s a way of life.
Turner, 62, lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is regarded as the best card mechanic and among the best up-close magicians in the world. His talent, humor, poise and eloquence has made him a highly sought after stage entertainer and Fortune 500 motivational speaker. He has entertained and entranced millions of people, including celebrities such as Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Secretary of State Colin Powell, actor Brad Pitt, sports legend Muhammad Ali, and many more.
In 2014, he won the coveted “Close-up Magician of the Year” award, the magic industry’s version of the Oscar. His unparalleled skill with a deck of cards has been repeatedly featured on television, including CBS This Morning, Face the Nation, and even a 2014 National China TV special. Turner was also the subject of the feature documentary film (also) titled Dealt, that had its world premiere in 2017 at South by Southwest film festival.
In addition to being the world’s most skilled card shark, Turner is a 6th degree karate black belt. His black belt test – ten rounds, each lasting three minutes, against a fresh opponent every round – was so grueling it was televised and featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times Sports Section.
Turner has also designed and created a series of board and puzzle games, and produced a bestselling DVD series on advanced card technique that is studied by casinos and card players worldwide. Due to his remarkably delicate “feel” for individual playing cards, he has been the Touch Analyst for U.S. Playing Card Co., the largest card manufacturer in the country, known for producing the finest quality cards preferred by professional magicians and gamers. But what makes all of Turner’s accomplishments truly incredible is that he is blind– and has been since childhood.