The newly revived Main Street Macon announced Christy Ferguson as executive director following its Aug. 13 meeting.
Ferguson, who grew up in Noxubee County, moved back to the area in 2024. While excited for her homecoming, she misses the vibrant downtown where she registered for her wedding and got her first job in 1988. Ferguson hopes her work with Main Street Macon will breathe new life into the city’s downtown.
In September, reporter Paloma Green asked Ferguson what she hopes to accomplish in her role.
What does Macon mean to you?
It means home. Believe it or not, I was born in the local hospital. I had my very first job there, (at Citizens National Bank). I did turn from a teller to an actual business instructor. And I had my first teaching job there at Central Academy, and that gave me my first taste that I wanted to do more teaching. And I then, in turn, ended up going back and getting a master’s degree and ended up teaching at a community college. So, to me it just means coming home. It’s great, most of the time when I end up seeing anybody from previous years, because like I said I am fairly new, back three years now. But it’s so great whenever I see people in the grocery store or in the Dollar General, whatever, just to sit and chat just to catch up with people.
How has Macon changed since your first job at Citizens National Bank?
Clearly we don’t have the shopping options that we used to have. I just remember it being a community-driven (town with) very nice establishments. We didn’t need to go out of town to shop places. …There were no boarded-up buildings. We have that now. And there were just a lot more choices of shopping in the area and we don’t have that now.
How did you get involved in Main Street Macon?
I’ve started trying to be a little bit more active in my community. And one of the groups that I got active with was the GALS group — God’s Amazing Ladies in Service — and through that organization I guess I showed my potential. As far as I was a retired business teacher. I had taught social media. I had been on several non-profits (boards). I had obtained different grants through my years of work and things like that. …Miss Vicky Rogers, who is our leader for GALS, she’s like, ‘Christy I really think, they are looking for somebody to do this, I know it will be unpaid.’ She said, ‘Well, right now it won’t be paid.’ She said, ‘But, I really think you should do that.’ And so I met with the first group that met back in June and asked some questions and had conversations with the mayor. And I guess that’s sort of how the ball got rolling.
What are your short-term goals?
Kick off membership, get the ball rolling with that. Up our social media, so that others that don’t live here but did live here will know and want to, in some form or way, give back to the town that raised them because a lot of people have moved away. Another main thing is us making the town look nice, as far as those buildings that are on Main Street we have a few that are boarded-up. And so we have already completed a report of all the buildings. We have about 55 of them and of those not all of them have business running.
What are your long-term goals over the next five years?
Go back to that short term goal and let’s add seeking support from our city and county, because we don’t have that right now. We’ve gone to both boards twice and I know budgets are tight but there is always a give in a budget in some fashion or form. But that would be something else on our short term goals is to seek their support because that’s going to play into our long term plans.
What are those long-term plans?
There are three tiers for Main Street. We’re on the bottom tier, and we would like to get to the top tier. So that will be our goal within five years to be listed as a designated community. With that, it will come with a marketing plan. So that will be another long-term goal is to have them come in and give us a polished marketing plan for Main Street Macon. We would hope to have a, what I would call an office/welcome center downtown, would be wonderful. Because currently there is no office anywhere because there is no funds for that. (We are) in those very baby steps.
What’s your vision for downtown Macon if Main Street Macon is successful?
I’m just envisioning driving down Main Street (and) whenever I hit the corner and I turn down Main street from the courthouse and I don’t see any boarded-up buildings. I see activity going on. I see signage inviting people in to shop. I see people hanging out outside talking on the streets. …Maybe a pocket park, something that would draw all age groups to come in and be part of our Main Street Macon family.
Words by Paloma Green
Photo by Deanna Robinson