This influential Macon group has remained behind-the-scenes

A little-known group comprised of some of Macon’s most powerful business leaders meets to discuss issues they deem important to the city’s success.

The BOLD Group, loosely known as Business Owners Leading Development, started in 2011 as a non-formal organization that sought to improve race relations in the city by bringing black and white businessmen together. The makeup of the 20-plus-member group is split along racial lines, with roughly half of its membership white and half black.

Its members run some of the area’s top construction companies and are attorneys with top law firms. There are executives in banking and real estate as well as small business owners. BOLD’s members also are involved with various civic groups and nonprofits and serve on governmental entities such as the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority board.

The BOLD Group focuses on topics such as public education, public safety, politics and economic development. At a meeting members may invite Sheriff David Davis or Mayor Robert Reichert to talk about issues affecting the community. At another meeting they might bring in a county leader to discuss efforts to get a new sales tax.

There are initiatives such as the “The Leader in Me,” a character-building program in Bibb County schools, that BOLD members help support.

They also will bring in candidates for office to discuss certain issues, but the group does not formally endorse any political candidates, said Warren Selby Jr., a member of BOLD and president of construction firm Warren Associates Inc.

“We don’t always agree on certain items, but that’s part of the diversity of the group is we see those other perspectives and something may change someone’s mind or help them to see,” another angle, Selby said. “I think every person in that group has a sincere love for our community and wants to help make it a better place.”

Freeman Lester, owner of Metro Realty, has been a part of BOLD since its inception.

“We try to bridge the racial divide and set an example that hey, black and white people can get together and discuss very sensitive issues, and we do,” he said. “We also try to look at things from a businessman’s perspective.

“A lot of decisions are based on political affiliations. ... We try to shed light on some of the issues from a businessman’s standpoint.”

No women in BOLD

Unlike more formal organizations like the Rotary Club, BOLD does not have bylaws, there are no dues and members have to be invited to join the group.

The organization meets monthly except during the summer. While many of its members are visible throughout the community at various events, Tuesday was a rare public group appearance as about a dozen of them gathered at a County Commission meeting.

They were there for a presentation about concerns over the county’s future and to make recommendations on how to improve budgetary problems.

“I would not be here today were I not concerned about my city. I love this place.” BOLD member Blake Sullivan said Tuesday. “(I) moved here 17 years ago, and we have a great city, but we’re not going to be what we can be as long as we’re doing what we’re doing to some of our citizens.”

At that meeting Commissioner Elaine Lucas brought up the fact that no women are in BOLD.

Yet there are prominent women in Macon that fit the profile of someone would could be in the group.

Kathryn Dennis, president of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, said she applauds the task that BOLD has taken on in the city. Further diversifying BOLD, whether it’s through gender, age or other ethnicities, could be beneficial by bringing in more viewpoints, she said.

Women members could be in the future for BOLD, Selby said.

“From my perspective, we would certainly welcome women, he said.

BOLD Group members:

• Keith Holmes, insurance broker
  
  
• Bruce Freeman, business owner (McDonald’s franchises)
  
  
• Freeman Lester, real estate agent and owner of Metro Realty
  
  
• Ben Hinson, businessman and former owner of Mid Georgia Ambulance
  
  
• Blake Sullivan, entrepreneur and inventor
  
  
• Warren Selby, Jr., president of construction company Warren Associates Inc.
  
  
• Alex Habersham, owner of Macon Black Pages, motivational speaker
  
  
• Duke Groover, attorney with James-Bates-Brannan-Groover-LLP
  
  
• Dwight Jones, president of Ocmulgee Fields, member of Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority and Macon Water Authority
  
  
• Ed Grant, vice president of CEE Management, founder of Grant’s Lounge
  
  
• Roy Fickling, president of Fickling & Co. Inc
  
  
• George Greer, attorney at Spivey, Pope, Green, and Greer
  
  
• John Hall, president of American Pride Bank
  
  
• Shawn Stafford, owner of Stafford Builders
  
  
• Stewart Vernon, founder of ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company
  
  
• Wade Scott, president/CEO of Scott’s Health Mart Pharmacies
  
  
• Dan Speight, attorney with James-Bates-Brannan-Groover-LLP
  
  
• Ruddell Richardson, CPA and president of Richardson Financial Inc.
  
  
• Scott Thompson, real estate attorney and founder of Piedmont Construction Group
  
  
• Chris Sheridan, owner of Sheridan Construction
  
  
• Bruce Riggins, owner of Ciceros’ Moving & Storage, LLC
  
  

This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 4:22 PM.