Wesley Whatley is an Emmy Award winning creative whose work spans the worlds of live performance, music, theater and television.  As a producer and creative development executive, he has built a distinguished career running some of America's most beloved live shows, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks.

Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, Wesley’s love for entertainment began at a young age, beginning with piano lessons at age four and marching in his high school band to performing at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando.  After earning a degree in music and business from Stetson University, Wesley moved to New York City, where he joined Macy’s Studios and quickly became an integral part of the creative production team. As show runner for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, he shaped the creative vision of the iconic variety show for over 20 years, overseeing the live event and broadcast staging of large-scale performances, celebrity and talent booking, music production, logistics and all aspects of creative production for one of the most-watched variety shows on television.   In addition to his work on Thanksgiving, Wesley led the creative direction and supervision of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, America’s largest Independence Day celebration.

Wesley’s creative talents have also earned him recognition as a composer and songwriter across multiple genres including Yes Virginia, the Musical and Miracle on 34th Street. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Broderick, Jane Krakowski and The Cast of Sesame Street.  In 2008, Wesley composed “I Believe” with lyrics by William Schermerhorn as a featured performance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, performed by Kermit the Frog.  The song was nominated for a 2008 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award and got its Carnegie Hall debut in 2009 performed by the New York Pops.  In 2010, his song “Yes, Virginia (There Is a Santa Claus)” appeared in the annual Parade and won the Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Original Song category.   In total, Wesley’s work has received 9 Emmy nominations as producer and songwriter in both the Original Song and Daytime Special categories.

Career Highlights:

• Led the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to record-breaking viewership on NBC (20+ years)

• 9× Daytime Emmy Award nominee (2009–2024)

• Daytime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Original Song (“Yes, Virginia (There Is a Santa Claus)”)

• TEDxBroadway speaker (2017): Exploring the connection between Music & Fire

• Creative lead, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks—America’s largest Independence Day celebration

• Santa’s boss

Wesley is an active freelance producer living in New York City.