As Juanita Jordan retires as president of the Peyton Anderson Foundation, the Georgia Cities Foundation presented her with the organization’s first President’s Award during the Georgia Municipal Association’s convention Sunday in Savannah.

Jordan spend the past 22 years administering the financial legacy of the former publisher of The Telegraph.

She also served on the Georgia Cities Foundation since it was established by GMA in 1999.

Georgia Cities Foundation President Mike Starr called Jordan a tireless advocate for cities and their downtowns.

During her leadership, the foundation invested more than $60 million dollars to stimulate investment, encourage development and improve the quality of life, he said.

“Ms. Jordan is widely regarded as both the visionary and the architect of many of the significant projects that are changing the quality of life in Middle Georgia, including several projects in downtown Macon,” Starr said in a news release from the Georgia Municipal Association.

Jordan’s successor and daughter, Karen Lambert, accepted her mother’s award on her behalf.