Lauren Marshall, 35

Vice President for Community Development, NewTown Macon
Owner, The Post Letters

Tell us about your calling. What brought you to your career field?

My path to community development has been a journey. After graduating from the University of York in England with my master’s degree in conservation studies, a preservation internship at Historic Macon Foundation (HMF) led me to Macon. That internship turned into a full-time job as the loan fund manager and eventually as the director of neighborhood revitalization, working closely with the facade loan program, Beall’s Hill neighborhood revitalization, and neighborhood engagement efforts.

At NewTown Macon, I lead Central Georgia’s first U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), managing a $26 million loan fund. My work ensures that local people and businesses have access to the resources, capital, and coaching they need to build a stronger, more vibrant downtown Macon while creating pathways to generational wealth for themselves and their families.

What other activities are you involved in where you contribute to your community? Especially mention what you’re most excited about.

I serve on the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Design Review Board, Hay House Board, and the Macon-Bibb County Affordable Housing Fund Board.

I’m most excited about my involvement at Hay House, where I currently serve as the Chair-Elect. Next year, Hay House will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation operating the national landmark. For me, my love for historic preservation began when I first visited Hay House as a five-year-old. While I don’t work directly in historic preservation now, preservation brought me to Macon and kicked off my career. Serving on the Hay House board has been a full-circle moment to give back to an organization that continues to inspire visitors.

How do you think Macon is aligning to open the door wider for more people to feel included and share in our success? How has that shaped your values and actions?

Downtown’s revitalization over the last decade has been instrumental in providing pathways to ownership for both local entrepreneurs and developers. Thirty years ago, only 33% of downtown storefronts had active businesses. Today, 82% of storefronts are occupied, predominantly by locally owned and operated businesses. To help small businesses succeed, we should keep providing local entrepreneurs with the resources they need to thrive.

As a calligrapher, I started my own small business, The Post Letters, addressing wedding invitations, and expanded into stationery design. I learned how to operate a business between late nights, Google searches, and plenty of trial and error. And I am still learning! My experience as an entrepreneur helps me relate to NewTown’s business clients, giving them the support and confidence to run a successful business. Helping small business owners identify opportunities for their business is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

What would be a missed opportunity in Macon?

It’s incredibly important to keep Macon, “Macon,” especially as Macon continues to grow with new development and (hopefully) National Park designation. This charge extends to retaining and expanding opportunities for local ownership and increasing efforts in affordability. Our downtown is unique in that it predominantly features locally owned businesses that create a community not replicated anywhere else. If we don’t intentionally maintain both local ownership and affordability, then the threat becomes outside development pressure and losing our unique identity.

What is your vision for our community?

I think NewTown Macon’s vision perfectly sums it up: “a city led by locals that is booming and real.” For me, emphasizing “led by locals” is critical to ensure we provide opportunities and access for all residents to contribute to Macon’s unique identity and build generational wealth across Macon-Bibb County.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Honestly, working at NewTown Macon is one of my greatest achievements. As Central Georgia’s first Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), we have grown the CDFI to self-sufficiency and expanded our lending, supporting start-up businesses and mixed-use developments that drive our local economy. Additionally, I am extremely grateful to have worked alongside Josh Rogers and learned so much from him. It is truly an honor to work alongside this incredible team to fulfill our mission and continue implementing Josh’s vision to create a downtown for everyone.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

Adaptability, curiosity, and commitment to Macon

What are you personally committed to accomplishing in Macon and why?

I’m personally committed to Macon’s historic architecture – whether that’s through financing a startup business opening in a historic storefront, coaching an aspiring developer through NewTown’s Developer’s Academy, serving on Design Review Board, supporting organizations like HMF and Hay House, or stewarding my 112-year-old craftsman cottage. Preservation is more than just protecting a historic building — it’s about managing change to adapt to modern-day use so we can continue enjoying these unique and authentic places for years to come.

Right now, what is the best thing going on in Macon?

Macon consistently implements community-based initiatives identified through strategic plans like the Macon Action Plan and One Macon. Today, we are witnessing these plans come to life across the community. The momentum between Neel’s Lofts, Mercer University’s medical school, Bibb Theatre, the new arena, the National Park efforts, and other economic development initiatives is a result of public-private partnerships, leadership, and vision decades in the making. It’s an exciting moment for Macon to see this progress unfold and how working together can make a difference!

What does it mean to be a good leader?

Being a good leader means creating an environment where your team is motivated to thrive not only in their direct role, but also as a professional and individual. It’s also important to be self-aware as a leader, recognizing that you don’t have all the answers, but prioritizing learning something new every day.