What endures after Josh Rogers: Sustaining momentum following loss

More than a year has passed since the unexpected death of NewTown Macon CEO Josh Rogers left a community in mourning.

But Jessica Walden’s thoughts frequently turn to her enterprising friend. He comes to mind when the city approaches a milestone or completes a project for which he helped lay the foundation. A framed letter from him sits on the desk of Walden, who, as CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, worked closely with Rogers.

She was there Wednesday when the Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners held a ceremony to rename a stretch of Third Street, between Cherry and Poplar streets, as Josh Rogers Way and announced plans to build a generational playground.

Rogers, who served as head of the nonprofit that championed the revitalization of downtown Macon, was just 42 when he collapsed while jogging and died November 24, 2024.

Hailed by the CEO of Main Street America as a leader who didn’t just help remake downtown Macon but one who “transformed the very framework of how Main Street programs across the country think about inclusive revitalization,” Rogers racked up accomplishments that rivaled the most seasoned of urban planners.

The loss of his star power left many in the city wondering if NewTown Macon would keep the same momentum. Rachel Hollar Umana, of Bike Walk Macon, remembers thinking, “How do we move forward?”

But, in the 14 months since Rogers’ death, NewTown has steadily forged ahead in its efforts to reshape the city’s core. James Fritze, who succeeded Rogers as CEO, said 2025 was one of the organization’s most successful years — something he attributed, in part, to his predecessor’s work.

The organization is currently working on $107 million worth of projects, according to Fritze.

Emily Hopkins, who was NewTown’s vice president of external affairs but was recently named executive director of the Historic Macon Foundation, called it “a testament to Josh’s leadership” that he “invested in his staff to be sure that we had the ability to pick up and keep going.”

Construction for Neel’s Lofts, a new mixed-use building located in the former Joseph N. Neel’s Department Store at 462 Cherry Street, is soon to be completed later this year. It was a project that was five years in the making.

NewTown also partnered with the county and urban development authority to expand the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail by purchasing more than 10 acres along the Ocmulgee River in July 2025. A multi-use river trail system has been a part of NewTown Macon’s vision since its founding in the 1990s. The expansion will make nearly 450 acres of green space accessible to the public and strengthen the connection between downtown, the Ocmulgee River and the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

Fritze said his team’s relationship with downtown business owners and community partners grew even stronger in 2025. Rogers’ death “pulled us together because we have to go forward without Josh,” he said.

A lasting legacy

A Waycross native, Rogers attended Mercer University, where his love for Macon first took root. He graduated in 2005.

From 2007 to 2009, he worked on the College Hill Corridor, a senior capstone project meant to bridge the gap between Mercer and downtown Macon by revitalizing a 2-square mile area of historic city neighborhoods. Rogers served as director of the project’s commission and handled grant applications.

The project garnered a $5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which supports local journalism and community development in Macon and cities across the country.

Rogers continued his career working for the city before serving as executive director of the Historic Macon Foundation, where he helped the organization complete $5 million in construction projects.

As president and CEO of NewTown Macon, he helped launch a loan program to encourage the development of lofts in downtown Macon.

Rogers partnered with Umana to design a more walkable and bikeable community, including a “transformative project” in 2016 to develop five miles of pop-up bike lanes in Macon.

“The downtown that you see and love today is a downtown that Josh Rogers was very intentional in curating and inspiring,” said Lynn Murphey, Macon program director for the Knight Foundation.

NewTown Macon was one of the first recipients of a Knight grant after Murphey became the program director in 2017.Her decision followed conversations with Rogers about growing small businesses downtown, she noted.

Rogers’ successful work as an urban planner and historic preservationist earned him a series of accolades. He was featured in Macon Magazine’s 5 Under 40, won an American Express Aspire Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was included on Georgia Trend Magazine’s Georgia 500 list alongside other Peach State leaders. 

Honoring his vision

Murphey frequently reflects on past conversations with Rogers.

“So much of what we’re doing now is based upon seeds that Josh had planted with us over a year ago,” she said. 

She said she still feels as if he might walk through her door.

The hole Rogers left behind may never close, but Walden called it “bittersweet and comforting” to see the city he was working toward continue to take shape.

Since his death, she said, “Macon’s been in this place of shock and wondering, ‘How are we ever going to continue?’ And then yet, the momentum was always there.”

Walden and other officials gathered Wednesday morning for the unveiling of Josh Rogers Way, fittingly located in downtown Macon — the heart of Rogers’ life’s work. For Walden, the street stands as a testament to her late friend’s planning and community leadership.

“He always had a vision. He always had an idea of where we could go,” Walden said. “He was an ultimate risk taker, but he just knew it was going to work.”