MACON, GA. – May 5, 2016 – Beverly Blake, program director for Macon at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, will retire in June, the foundation has announced.

“Beverly has been a tireless and effective representative of the Knight tradition, working to build a stronger, more informed and engaged Macon,” said Alberto Ibargüen, president of Knight Foundation. “She went straight at problems and went around them. Ultimately, she brought energy, vision and resources to Macon and pride to Knight.”

Blake joined the foundation in 2004. She led efforts to establish the College Hill Alliance in 2009, with an initial $2 million investment from Knight. Among the most visible outcomes of the initiative are: continued revitalization of the Beall’s Hill neighborhood; improvements to Tattnall Square Park;  the development of Mercer Village; and the advancement of Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative Journalism, which received an additional $3.7 million investment from Knight. These efforts, in partnership with others, have resulted in over $100 million in private and public investment since 2009.

Blake also developed major Knight investments in Macon that include: the Knight Neighborhood Challenge, the Historic Macon Beall’s Hill revitalization project, the Knight Cities Challenge and most recently, the Downtown Challenge. Blake also helped support Knight’s efforts in Milledgeville, Georgia and Columbus, Georgia, during her tenure. From 2005-2006, she served as Knight’s interim program director in Biloxi, Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“It has been a privilege to represent Knight Foundation in Macon for the past 11 years. Knight believes in Macon, as I do, and I look forward to following the community’s continued progress,” said Blake.

Before joining the foundation, Blake served as senior vice president and senior charitable adviser at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo) in Atlanta, where she oversaw the accounts of six private foundations.

Blake is a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. She is a 2015 Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Award recipient and is a member of the Downtown Macon Rotary Club. She is a former member of the board of directors of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the Georgia Cities Foundation and the board of trust of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

The search for Blake’s successor is underway. Knight is seeking candidates who will build on Macon’s momentum for success and help the city attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of civic engagement. Any interested candidates should email [email protected]. 

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.

CONTACTS:

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]