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found out they were having me, my mom said, 'We're going back to Georgia,'" Katie says while adjusting her big '70s style sunglasses. "Have I always been a little salty about not being an L.A. baby? Just a mild amount." After living in Atlanta for five years, Katie and her family moved to Macon where her mother was "born and raised, so Macon was always home" and the Cherry Blossom Festival was one of her first and favorite memories. However, like many teenagers after graduation, Katie couldn't wait to leave. "I was only looking at schools in big cities and I knew I wanted the cold and to be away, so I chose Boston University. at year was one of two times in my life that I missed the Cherry Blossom Festival and I was devastated," she says. Ultimately, Katie was drawn back to Georgia to be closer to her family and she graduated from the University of Georgia and moved back to Atlanta. Trips home to Macon shone a new light on the place she was trying to avoid. "I fought it. I fought it for so long and there's a reason I've always come back. It's just nice coming home. Macon claims you. ere's something about leaving your home, going off and getting your legs, figuring yourself out and having this broader view, then coming back. You have all these people who have seen wonderful elements of other cities and they're able to bring that back and implement those things here," Katie says. "And Macon allows people to implement new ideas. ere are so many programs, grants and organizations that will supply you with the funds to make dreams come true – and the opportunities for women are huge." e two-time Leadership Macon attendee hopes the future of Macon provides more access and awareness to the activities, programs and events available to Macon residents. During the conference, she "worked with people who want to do something good for Macon. You also have access to people who don't think like you, and it provides a safe space to have difficult conversations and gain new perspectives." After college, Katie landed a job in New York "specializing in wine, spirits and K atie Hart only wears black. Black top, black pants, black shoes, black sunglasses. "It's my signature color, but everyone needs a pop of pink in their life," she says, gesturing to her pink trucker hat. For the director of operations for the Cherry Blossom Festival, March is the hardest month of the year. "I leave a little exhausted and sunburnt, but it is worth it. Kids running around so happy all day long and groups coming from the senior living centers truly enjoying themselves – it's generational. It's everything you loved as a kid, and you can relive those moments," she says. I recounted my most magical Cherry Blossom Festival moment, meeting Tone Loc at the 2009 festival, and in that moment, I realized Katie embodies the purpose of the festival she loves — she's a joy-bringer. "My parents bounced around from Atlanta to Athens to Chicago to L.A., but when they CHOOSING MACON Katie Hart A series featuring individuals from our community who, after some time away, have returned to share their skills and talents here. BY KELLEY DIXSON PHOTO BY MIKE YOUNG 76 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021