location
Historic Macon's office is located in the historic downtown of Macon, GA.
Physical address: 950 Third St., Macon, GA 31201
Mailing address: P.O. Box 13358, Macon, GA 31208
Phone Number: 478-742-5084
Historic Macon has a team of staffers with diverse backgrounds and a passion for preservation.
NATHAN LOTT, Executive Director
Before joining Historic Macon, Nathan Lott was policy research director and advocate for the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. There he worked with community partners to find common-sense solutions to protect New Orleans’ historic architecture, neighborhoods and cultural identity.
Among his achievements there were championing the reauthorization of a state historic tax credit this year; advocating for changes to state law (and local ordinance) in 2022 that increased penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings; and securing the listing of Pontchartrain Park, a historically African-American neighborhood, on the National Register of Historic Places - NPS in 2021.
Before joining PRC, Lott served as director of the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, working alongside architects, engineers and planners to retrofit the historic city to combat flooding and subsidence. Educational walking tours, professional development courses and advocacy on local ordinances and comprehensive plans were cornerstones of that work, for which he received the 2017 Partner in Excellence Award from AIA New Orleans.
Lott came to New Orleans after a decade in natural resource management in the mid-Atlantic to pursue graduate studies in preservation at Tulane School of Architecture, where his thesis examined climate change risk and resilience measures at cultural heritage sites.
For seven years as executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network, Lott led a coalition of nonprofit and community groups in promoting energy efficiency, conservation easements and watershed restoration. In that role, he helped launch the Choose Clean Water coalition, which became a force for cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay and a resource to local governments.
Lott also previously served in a state agency as lead author for a greenway-blueway project, Capt. John Smith’s Trail on the James River, which leveraged natural and cultural assets to drive economic development.
Lott, 46, is a graduate of Samford University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. He has a master’s degree in preservation studies from Tulane University, where his thesis examined climate risk and resilience at historic sites.
Lott and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children, Turner and Jay.
Email: nlott@historicmacon.org
Phone: 478.742.5084, ext. 101
Responsibilities: Advocacy for endangered places • Preservation planning • Neighborhood revitalization • Economic development and financing • Grants and major gifts
Staff contact for Board of Trustees
PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT
Matt Chalfa, Director of Preservation field services
Matt Chalfa grew up in Macon and graduated from Westside High School. He earned a bachelor of arts in political science from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C. After graduating, Matt spent several years in the scuba diving industry before pursuing a master’s degree in preservation studies from Boston University. Matt has previously worked for the city of Conyers Department of Planning & Inspection Services and the city of Forsyth’s Mainstreet program, as well as performing contract work for the Boston Department of Parks and Recreation and the town of Winchester, Mass.
When not at work, Matt enjoys hiking and gardening and spending time with his wife, Gena, and their two children, Harper and Jack.
Email: mchalfa@historicmacon.org
Phone: 478.742.5084 ext. 103
Responsibilities: Manages tax credit applications • Plans and executes education events • Creates rehabilitation plans • Completes and updates National Register listings
Staff contact for Preservation and Education Committee
EMILY ALLMOND, LANIER EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Emily Allmond was born and raised in Macon and graduated from Central High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Middle Georgia State University. Before and after graduating from MGS, Emily worked for many years in retail and office administration. She returned to school in 2017 to earn her master's degree in English from Georgia College in Milledgeville. While in Milledgeville, Emily completed her graduate assistantship at the Old Governor's Mansion. There, she discovered an affinity for historic preservation and curated exhibits and programs for the museum. Emily has been an adjunct instructor of English at Central Georgia Technical College since 2020.
In her free time, Emily enjoys going to see live music, spending time outdoors and curling up with a good book.
Email: eallmond@historicmacon.org
Phone: 478.742.5084 ext. 109
Responsibilities: Education programs • Research
Staff contact for Friends of Rose Hill Cemetery
Stafford Gudenrath, Director of Engagement
Stafford Gudenrath grew up in Macon and graduated from Stratford Academy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business/marketing from the University of Georgia and later earned her master’s degree in teaching from Mercer University. After graduating from UGA, Stafford spent several years in Atlanta as a director of marketing and then began her career as a teacher in Macon after graduating from Mercer. Over the years, Stafford has enjoyed volunteering for local organizations, including the Museum of Arts and Sciences as chair of the Festival of Trees. Outside of the office, Stafford enjoys anything outdoors and spending time with her husband, Field, and their two kids, Maggie and Ford.
Email: sgudenrath@historicmacon.org
Phone: 478-742-5084, ext. 105
Responsibilities: Plans and executes Historic Macon events; Flea Market oversight; social media work.
Staff contact for: Engagement Committee
Oby Brown, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Macon native Oby Brown is a proud graduate of Central High School and the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Before joining Historic Macon, he spent most of his working life as a reporter and editor at The (Macon) Telegraph.
He is a Macon history buff and loves to sing its praises every chance he gets. He and his wife, Lynda, have two children, Bo and Emma, a son-in-law, Nate, and a sweet Transylvanian hound named Sally. Outside the office (and in), he is a devout follower of the University of Georgia football team. He likes anything he can grill, strong coffee, perfecting his biscuit recipe, yoga and old-school R&B. He’s a member of the Macon Touchdown Club.
Email: obrown@historicmacon.org
Phone: (478) 742-5084, ext. 104
Responsibilities include: Media relations • communications, including blogging, website management and social media • marketing; Flea Market oversight, special projects.
LAURA M. Botts, Director of office administration
Laura hails from Forsyth, Georgia, and comes to Historic Macon by way of years in museums, libraries and archives. She holds degrees from Shorter College (Rome, Ga.), Florida State University and Mercer University. When she’s not in the office, she’s probably listening to The Beatles, reading or eating her husband Bill’s baked goods.
Email: lbotts@historicmacon.org
Phone: (478) 742-5084, ext. 106
Responsibilities include: Membership database management • office oversight • occasional shenanigans and intermittent tomfoolery.
REED PURVIS, PROJECT MANAGER
Reed grew up in Eatonton and originally was pursuing a psychology degree at GMC before deciding he wanted to be a carpenter. He moved to Macon in 2019 and fell in love with Macon and its history.
He is enrolled at Central Georgia Technical College and is working toward a degree in both carpentry and construction management.
Outside work, Reed enjoys playing music, spending time outdoors and helping friends with their projects.
Email: rpurvis@historicmacon.org