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 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


EMILY ALLMOND, director of education & outreach

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 in 2013. In 2017, she earned 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. 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 Rose Hill Cemetery


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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

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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

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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