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
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, CONSTRUCTION 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
BRADY GONZALEZ, PROJECT MANAGER
Brady Gonzalez has lived in Macon since he was young, attending St Joseph’s Catholic School and graduating from Mount de Sales Academy. In 2022, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Middle Georgia State University.
Brady is no stranger to historic things, as he has operated and managed his family’s antiques and gift store, Our Favorite Things, since he was a teenager.
He has always had a passion for Macon and its history, especially when it comes to revitalizing historic homes and buildings. When he’s not out in the field, Brady enjoys attending music festivals, spending time with his loved ones and adding neon signs or old video games to his “man cave.”
Email: bgonzalez@historicmacon.org
Phone:478-733-0906