Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful celebrates the community with Awards Recognition Brunch

“Sometimes it’s people who feel like, wow, like me, why me? But why not you?,” said Asha Ellen, Executive Director for Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful. “If you take the time out of your schedule to go out in inclement weather and heat and cold to to pick up litter or to plant a tree or to create a community garden in a community that is plagued by food deserts and other environmental issues. You definitely deserve to receive an award. I wish we can give more awards out.”

May 15, 2025

Godfrey Hall,

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – America the Beautiful, performed by Makeda Nichelle accompanied by Jeremy Johnson, rang throughout the room as Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful celebrated with the community as they held their Annual Awards Recognition Brunch at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Many from all over the county received awards from individuals, local businesses and city officials for their contributions to keeping the city clean, to Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful.

Garrett Thomson, Asha Ellen, & Natasha Christian (Photo Credit: Godfrey Hall/41NBC)

A few of the notable awards included Garrett Thomson, a college student, who received the Clean Streets Matter Award, by reporting and helping clean up an illegal dumping site he found along with his friends after taking a wrong turn and Brandon Harris, who received the William A. Fickling, Sr. Award, for his contributions for giving the youth an outlet to find their passion in life and for providing one of his buildings on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard for a mural painting to celebrate the icon.

“Sometimes it’s people who feel like, wow, like me, why me? But why not you?,” said Asha Ellen, Executive Director for Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful. “If you take the time out of your schedule to go out in inclement weather and heat and cold to to pick up litter or to plant a tree or to create a community garden in a community that is plagued by food deserts and other environmental issues. You definitely deserve to receive an award. I wish we can give more awards out.”

“I think it’s pretty cool, but most importantly the thing that I do, I do it for my family, to give an example to my children, my wife, and anything that spills after that is a blessing,” said Harris.

“Just keep expanding, help build a legacy for my family, keep moving forward, helping push Macon forward, pushing black businesses forward, people that look like me and go through the same struggles, I want to be an example to show that we can do anything.”

Myrtle Habersham, Natasha Christian, & Asha Ellen (Photo Credit: Godfrey Hall/41NBC)

Another notable award recipient was Myrtle Habersham who received the Carolyn Crayton Award for her contributions for helping Macon keep its age friendly designation and just last week she received a proclamation from Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller to make May 7th Myrtle Habersham day.

Full list of Award Recipients:

Macon-Bibb County Government Awards:

Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award | Sgt. Stephen Stafford
Fire Department Employee of the Year Award | Lt. Carell Rembert
Code Enforcement Employee of the Year Award | Joseph Mann
Facilities Management Employee Award | Ronald Johnson
Parks and Beautification Employee Award | Maurice Lampkin
Parks and Recreation Employee Award | Dewayne Dudley
Public Works Employee Award | Michael Beasley
Solid Waste Employee Award | Dennis A. White Jr.

Community Awards:

Commitment to Excellence Awards: