An executive at NewTown Macon will become the new leader of the Historic Macon Foundation.

The nonprofit’s board of directors voted Tuesday night to offer the executive director’s job to Emily Hopkins. She will succeed Nathan Lott, who announced his departure last month.

Hopkins, 36, is scheduled to begin her new role at Historic Macon Feb. 2. She is now vice president of external affairs at NewTown Macon, where she directs strategic programming, partnerships and engagement efforts that attract more than 1 million visitors to downtown Macon annually.

She serves on the boards of the Georgia Downtown Association and Visit Macon and lives in Macon’s historic North Highlands neighborhood.

“Emily is a dedicated community leader,” said Pat Muse, chairman of Historic Macon’s board. “With more than a decade of experience advancing historic preservation, downtown revitalization and place-based economic development in Macon-Bibb County, Emily is well-positioned to fulfill our mission and grow our reputation as a local and national leader in community revitalization.”

Hopkins previously worked at Historic Macon before being appointed Macon’s Main Street manager, where she has led the city’s nationally accredited Main Street program since 2017. She managed the program’s successful transition to NewTown in 2018. Under her leadership, downtown Macon earned statewide and national recognition, including designation as a Georgia Exceptional Main Street in 2023 and winning the Great American Main Street Award in 2024, the highest recognition within the national Main Street network.

“I began my career at Historic Macon Foundation, and it was there that I learned what effective, community-centered preservation can accomplish,” Hopkins said. “I am honored to return in this role and work alongside the board, staff, members and partners to build on Historic Macon’s legacy while continuing to push forward innovative strategies that preserve our historic places and strengthen our neighborhoods.”

Founded in 1964, Historic Macon is recognized nationally as an innovative leader in historic preservation and community revitalization. Through its real estate development model, state and federal historic tax credit consulting services, advocacy efforts such as the Macon’s Fading Five program, educational programming and low-interest loan programs, Historic Macon has helped transform neighborhoods, strengthen local economies and demonstrate the powerful impact of saving historic places for more than 60 years.