What does it mean for cities to lead with a neighborhood approach? Macon-Bibb County makes an ambitious play to build up by empowering district leaders to thrive, and providing them a voice who promises to listen.
Story by Eldredge McCready | Photos by DSTO Moore
Jerry Battle recently returned to his hometown to become the Neighborhood Program Coordinator for Macon-Bibb County, a newly established role. His mission is to revitalize areas deemed at risk.
It’s part of the Macon Good Neighbor Program initiated by Mayor Lester M. Miller. In some ways, he is finding that the new job is one battle after another, with his name analogous to the recent movie which won the 2026 Oscar for Best Picture.
But at the same time, this new job is a labor of love for Battle. He was working as a project manager for the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for about a year when his position was eliminated in 2025 by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the program put in place by Elon Musk.
He graduated from nearby Knoxville College in 1993, which he considers to be many years ago. The opportunity at the DOE was his first job working for the U.S. government, but he had previously held several jobs within Georgia state and local government. Growing up in Macon, Battle graduated from Northeast High, taught at Southwest High School for many years, and previously worked for Macon’s Parks and Recreation department.
On the state level, he was a project administrator for the Department of Human Services and briefly worked as an eligibility specialist for the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services. While living in Atlanta, he earned a master’s in business administration from Strayer University.
Battle, now 56, lived in the Kings Park area of Macon from 1975-79, and the house he and his family resided in back then has a backyard that literally abuts a fence bordering the park’s basketball court.
“I’m hitting all of Bibb County,” he said of his new mission, but has started with neighborhoods frequently deemed most in need of revitalization. Besides his old neighborhood of Kings Park, he is currently focusing on the areas of Unionville, Payne City, and Napier Heights, among others to come.
He is contacting local neighborhood associations, which are usually comprised of concerned residents and church leaders, to connect them with available services that the county already offers. “A lot of them have [associations] that have been established but are no longer active, so I’m really trying to get them back active,” Battle said. “I’m really trying to tap into the people, let them know how to get in touch with me.”
Now on the job several months, Battle has become more efficient by maintaining a calendar and establishing standard operating procedures to keep up with all he is confronted with. He says he’s trying to fulfill a vision from County Manager Keith Moffett and gets a lot of support from his supervisor Alex Morrison, who serves as the director of planning and public spaces, as well as the mayor.
People who have known him for years affectionately refer to him as “Tae.” Battle stays active in the community as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and still keeps in touch with people he met while growing up in East Macon and Tindall Heights. Battle has also run into some of his former students from Southwest High School, now adults, as well as former classmates from Northeast.
“The first things I do is cleanup,” he said about what he’s set to do in the area. Battle noted that several downed basketball goals are soon to be replaced, picnic tables set up, and tree saplings have already been planted at the recreation facility in Kings Park.
“What we’re trying to do is get these associations organized, show them how to get some funding so the group can become self-sufficient.”
To that end, Battle is using his expertise to help the various neighborhood associations file the necessary paperwork to obtain 501c3 status, which would make them nonprofit organizations in the eyes of the federal government. This designation is the gold standard for obtaining traditional grant funding. He recently filed paperwork to get Kings Park a grant and is awaiting notification.
“This is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had, but I love it,” said Battle of the challenges he faces in instituting a new program where he grew up. “Community is first for me, because that’s what the job consists of. This is full circle for me.”
The next months will be keeping Battle busy. He is a divorced father with two grown-up children. His son, 27, lives in upstate New York, while his 22-year-old daughter is in the military while also attending classes at Florida A&M University.
But he’s ready, willing, and able to help his community thrive. This vibrant, tall gentleman is ready to improve Macon and Bibb County, so that one neighborhood at a time can stand tall.
One Battle After Another.
Sidebar:
Get into Battle with the Macon Good Neighbors program
The focused efforts Jerry Battle is making in Kings Park is just the beginning of what he wants to accomplish for specific neighborhoods. In May, the county announced the Macon Good Neighbors program, where Battle will start by listening to what neighbors are saying in local meetings and then spend a concentrated amount of time and county resources in a specific area. After starting with Kings Park, Battle is now moving into working with Payne City. County leaders were clear by saying that these efforts don’t happen with one isolated complaint, but rather through organized groups that are already working within a given area, and with an exchange of listening. If you have any questions or would like to invite Battle to your neighborhood meeting, you can reach him at jbattle@maconbibb.us.