Heather Holder Executive Director Responsible for translating the vision and goals of the College Hill Corridor Master Pl an into effec tive and sustainable operational strategies and community initiatives. Heather Holder was named executive director of the College Hill Alliance in January 2013. Prior to her arrival at the Alliance, she was the director of Digital Bridges, a community-led outreach project of Georgia College & State University funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to increase citizen engagement, economic investment, and promotion of community discourse through the use of broadband technology. Holder began her career in Milledgeville, as the Main Street director in 2001. Heather served as the Milledgeville Certified Local Government representative and as the administrator of the state designated Opportunity Zone and local Enterprise Zone. During her tenure in Milledgeville, the downtown portfolio increased by 39 percent and the vacancy rate decreased by 21 percent. She also worked as executive vice president for business and residential development and was then promoted to president of NewTown Macon. While at NewTown, she initiated Macon’s inclusion in the National Main Street program, assisted in the development of City Watch, a neighborhood watch program for urban areas, and helped shaped the initial College Hill Corridor plans. Holder has served on the Georgia Downtown Association Board of Directors, the Georgia Festival and Events Association Board, and as a Trustee on the Georgia’s Lake Country board. She currently serves as CFO of partners in Dine, a $4 mixed-use development in downtown Milledgeville. In recognition of her work in downtown development and commitment to community service, Milledgeville Living Magazine named her one of the top five of “20 under 30.” In 2009, she was selected as Outstanding Recent Alumni by Georgia College & State University, where she received a BA in History and a Masters in Public Administration.
Jessica Walden Director of Communications and Outreach Shapes and communicates the College Hill Corridor message and initiatives in ways that inform and energize the community as well as encourages individuals and organizations to actively support and participate in initiatives. A Macon native, Jessica Walden began her career in public relations and events at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. She later worked as a writer and editor for several local print publications. In the fall of 2009, she accepted the position as the director of communications and outreach for the College Hill Alliance. In 2010, Walden was named one of Macon Magazine’s “Five Under 40” in recognition of community leadership. For almost a decade, she served as marketing chair for the Bragg Jam Festival. She is a member of Leadership Georgia’s Class of 2013, a board member of Macon’s Downtown Rotary Club, and serves on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Macon Advisory Council. Walden received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Georgia State University. She is a graduate of the Georgia Academy of Economic Development and earned her Certificate of Non-Profit Management from Georgia’s Nonprofit University. Walden is a regular contributor to the Macon Telegraph’s “Ear to the Ground” entertainment column and co-owns Rock Candy Tours, a Macon music history tour company.
Nadia Osman Director of Revitalization and Business Initiatives Primarily responsible for planning and implementing projects designed to facilitate, promote and advance the goals of the College Hill Corridor Master Plan, attract new business investment, and encourage entrepreneurship in the College Hill Corridor and Downtown Macon. Nadia Osman grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where she witnessed the revitalization of its downtown area, led by an innovative private institution with sincere interest in change and invested residents and businesses. She moved to Macon in 2005 to attend Mercer University and was there introduced to the College Hill initiative. During her time at Mercer, Osman focused her volunteer efforts toward reinvigorating Downtown Macon. She attended community meetings that crafted the College Hill Corridor Master Plan and later joined the College Hill Alliance staff in 2009. Currently, she is a member of the International Economic Development Council, Georgia Economic Developers Association, Technology Association of Georgia and plays an active role in rejuvenating Historic Riverside Cemetery. Osman graduated from Mercer University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and is a 2010 graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.
JR Olive Program Coordinator Responsible for working directly with College Hill Alliance partners and for organizing initiatives that implement the goals of the College Hill Corridor Master Plan. Columbus native JR Olive joined the College Hill Alliance as program coordinator in July of 2012. Olive’s work in the non-profit arena includes serving on various committees that created and coordinated curriculums, assisted in writing grants and provided assorted services directly for organizations such as the Georgia Children’s Museum, the First Street Arts Center, Macon Rescue Mission, the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, the Open Door Community House, Goodwill Industries and others. Olive’s passion for making and listening to music led him to Macon’s historic downtown where he gained an appreciation for the renewal efforts taking place there and in the College Hill Corridor. After a brief stint touring the southeast with two musical groups and college graduation, Olive worked for the Bibb County Board of Education and the Georgia Pre-K Program before joining the Alliance staff, where he continues to strengthen his relationship with Macon’s burgeoning arts and culture scene. Olive holds a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Community Service from Mercer University with a concentration in public policy of non-profit organizations and a minor in political science. He currently serves as a member of the Friends of Tattnall Square Park Board of Directors.