Late President, CEO Josh Rogers to receive Mary Means Leadership Award from Main Street America

This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the field of comprehensive preservation-based economic development and commercial district revitalization.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Josh Rogers, the late CEO and president of NewTown Macon, has been named a 2025 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient by Main Street America. The award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in comprehensive preservation-based economic development and commercial district revitalization.

According to a news release, the award recognizes the impact of these leaders and underscores the important role they play in shaping the Main Street Movement. Rogers was nominated by former colleagues and selected by a national jury.

Erin Barnes, president and CEO of Main Street America, issued the following statement:

“Josh Rogers was one of the most impactful leaders the Main Street movement has ever known. He didn’t just transform Macon’s downtown; he transformed the very framework for how Main Street programs across the country think about inclusive revitalization. His legacy is one of courage, creativity, and a relentless belief in the power of building local. We are honored to celebrate Josh’s visionary leadership and the lasting impression he left on the national Main Street community.”

Main Street America added:

“Though he passed unexpectedly in November 2024, Josh’s impact will resonate for generations to come through the values he embedded into his community. Josh was a transformative and visionary leader whose legacy lives on in the streets, storefronts, and residents of Macon, Georgia. Under his leadership at both Historic Macon Foundation and NewTown Macon, Josh shaped a new future for his Main Street built on innovation and equity. Josh believed in providing Macon residents with the tools they needed to build wealth and prosperity in their own backyard. At Historic Macon Foundation, he leveraged tax credits not only to restore historic buildings, but also to build a model for sustainable redevelopment. These efforts led Macon to complete more historic tax credit projects than any other Main Street community in the nation.”

According to the news release, NewTown Macon catalyzed more than $1 billion in public-private investment under Rogers’ leadership. Storefront occupancy grew from 56% to 89%, 830 lofts were created, housing more than 1,000 residents, and the percentage of Black-owned businesses increased from 18% to 29%.