Knight Foundation trustees and many staff members are in Macon, Ga., over the next three days for the foundation’s third-quarter board meetings.

Macon is one of 26 Knight communities, cities where founders John S. and James L. Knight once owned newspapers, and one of eight communities where local program directors lead the foundation’s grantmaking. Beverly Blake is the program director in Macon.

The gathering, with events that began Saturday in Macon, is more than a chance to do foundation business, however. It’s also a chance to learn more about the history of Macon, its rich musical heritage and its resurgence in recent years to become an international model for economic development.

Sunday morning Knight Board Chair John Palfrey led a group of runners along the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, part of a community effort to revitalize downtown Macon and just one of the ways Knight staffers are experiencing Macon. Other plans include a community reception at historic Terminal Station, tours of the town and attending a Mercer Bears football game.

Michael D. Bolden is editorial director of Knight Foundation.