What do cancer advocacy, political consulting and true crime podcasting all have in common? Cameron Jay says it all leads back to his first job at a funeral home.
Born and raised in Baxley, Georgia—“a bump in the road on the way to the beach”— Cameron moved to Athens after high school graduation to attend UGA. After pursuing what Cameron describes as a “major in partying” for two years, he decided to leave the university and enter the workforce. That’s how Cameron got his first job, a three-year apprenticeship with Lord and Stephens Funeral Homes, a role requiring empathy, an understanding of grief and loss, and a commitment to serving those in positions of vulnerability.
After his time at Lord and Stephens, Cameron found himself still inspired by his work in grief services and his lifelong interest in criminology and started Classic City Crime Podcast in 2020. The first season of the program followed the decades-old case of Tara Louise Baker, a UGA law student who was murdered in 2001. The podcast went on to generate 1.5 million listens, and sparked a renewed interest by citizens and law enforcement to solve the case.
His work with CCCP pushed Cameron to go back to college and pursue a degree in criminology. But Cameron soon found himself in a scary position of his own— he was diagnosed with cancer. He did a year of treatment while at the University of West Georgia, and in 2024, he graduated with honors, was declared cancer-free, and had lived to see the day that Tara Louise Baker’s killer was found and arrested after 23 years.
Around the same time, Cameron took a job as a Relationship Manager at the Cancer Foundation, an organization helping cancer patients financially throughout their treatment.
Outside of work, Cameron holds an advisory role at Athens PRIDE + Queer Collective. He also serves on the board of Juvenile Offender Advocates, doing intervention with youth at risk of falling into the carceral system. Cameron also works as a political consultant for local elections. Out of the 10 current county commissioners, he’s helped six run their campaigns in some capacity. Most recently, he served as an advisor to Kalki Yalamanchili, the DA-elect of Athens and Oconee counties. Cameron is also involved in LEAD Athens, a leadership program at Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, where he was ranked in the Top 10 people under 40 in the chamber.
Cameron lives in Beechwood Hills, with his “Athens mom” Becky, his partner Kyle, and cats, Mildred and Judith.
What’s your favorite part of the work you do?
My favorite work is with the Cancer Foundation, and getting to alleviate the financial burden of cancer for patients. There’s research that recently came out that shows that a cancer patient’s ability to access food, housing, and transportation are more indicative of their ability to survive the disease than even their treatment is. People who don’t have access to the necessities never get to the doctor. So I think the most impactful part of what I do is getting to pick up the phone and call a cancer patient and say, “You’re not going to be evicted this month because we took care of the balance on your rent” or “Your lights are going to stay on because we just covered that Georgia Power bill for you.” Or the patient who comes through our doors every day to get access to food, they walk out with a smile and food in hand, and we know they’re going home and they’re not going to be hungry. Seeing the impact we’re able to have, and the ripple effect it has, is certainly my favorite part of what I do. And it’s personal for me, having been there.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do in and around Athens?
I think Athens is so lucky to have so many amazing organizations, and with that comes many special events. It is not uncommon to see me frequenting an Athens gala or special event. A few of my personal favorites are RetroProm with the Council on Aging, Wild Rumpus, Pride Fest, and truly every event in between. So you’ll always find me on the weekend and after work hours at something that Athens has to offer in the event space.
If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
You probably noticed that I don’t really stop a lot– I don’t pause to breathe and relax and take care of myself that way. So, I’ve always said I’d want to go to New Zealand, because it just looks relaxing and beautiful and would force me to slow down, even if just for a little bit.
If you could see any musician or band, anywhere, at any time, who would it be and where?
I would like to see Frank Sinatra perform at the White House. I believe his music speaks so much to me, specifically the song “My Way” talking about how each of us has made mistakes and gone through trials and tribulations, but as long as we’re doing things our way, then in the end we have a lot to be proud of. So definitely Mr. Blue Eyes is who I’d bring back and listen to.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To know that “it gets better” sounds so hackneyed and overused, but life really does always work out. We are never defined by a single moment in time, a single experience, a single mistake, or a single trial. There is always tomorrow, and in tomorrow there is always the opportunity to learn, do better, and be better.
Do you have a favorite book, or one you often reread, reference, or gift?
So, fun fact, I only read nonfiction. Nine out of ten times it’s a political autobiography, or an autobiography in general. On my shelf or in my hands you’ll often find me reading autobiographies of presidents, first ladies, things like that. But one that I’m really focused on right now is called How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge [by Clay Scroggins]. I believe that so often we view leadership as a title, and really leadership is an action, and a state of being. This book really speaks to how you can have and exert influence, even when you’re not the one at the helm of a project or an organization.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I honestly would probably say The Sound of Music. Not only am I a Julie Andrews fan, but I think the Rodgers and Hammerstein music throughout is absolutely wonderful. I also think the movie really speaks to standing up for what is right, standing against hate, and the importance of family and friends, even when that family is chosen.
If you could put any message on a billboard, what would it be?
I would take a quote from a hero and one of my personal favorites, John Wesley, which is “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can.” I think that we all have good to do, and I want to remind people that we all have the opportunity to do so.
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?
I’m going to get emotional with this one. I would have lunch with Tara Louise Baker, who was the person that my podcast covered for two years, whose case was recently solved. I’ve never had my life changed or impacted so much by someone I’ve never even met. Having heard her story, and the stories of her family and friends, I feel like we not only would’ve had a really good politically-based conversation, but that we’d have a lot in common, too.
What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?
Love, grace for others, and Athens. I always say Athens is not where I was born, but it’s where I was reborn. It’s where I found myself and my people and my chosen family. Home is not necessarily where we’re born, but where we find ourselves.
