Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1479628
50 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 F or 10 years, The Urban CEO, a Macon-based organization dedicated to serving the community and building its leaders, has been living its mission "to serve, unify, empower and equip individuals in a way that positively impacts their quality of life." What started a decade ago as a vision for founder Dominique Johnson has grown into an organization dedicated to relentlessly focusing on creating champions for the community and beyond. As a partner with Mercer University's Upward Bound, TRIO and AGAPE Ministry programs, Johnson is accustomed to keeping his pulse on the challenges facing today's young adults. At the same time, his work as pastor of Kingdom Life Inc., a church whose mission is to cultivate positive change within the local community, has helped form his vision for the greatness that lies in Macon's people. Also the CEO and chairman of The Urban Community Empowerment Organization, a nonprofit group geared toward providing community and cultural enrichment through mentoring and economic empowerment, Johnson found himself uniquely positioned to create an extraordinary community one champion at a time. Thus, The Urban CEO was founded. Meanwhile, LaTravius Smith, a graduate of Jones County High School, had enlisted and served in the United States Army for eight years before returning to raise her family in Macon. "Back in 2008, a mutual friend thought that LaTravius and I should meet and consider combining our efforts in community service," Johnson said. "Within the first 10 minutes of the meeting, we realized we already knew of each other from our childhood years." Both Johnson and Smith grew up in East Macon, then departed for education and military service, respectively. Upon returning home a few years later, they found that their beloved community seemed to be on a slow decline. "The once thriving community of upper middle-class families of diverse backgrounds had suffered from the loss of A DECADE OF DOING THE URBAN CEO WORKS TO EQUIP PEOPLE AND CREATE SENSE OF COMMUNITY BY LISA MAYFIELD SPENCE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DSTO MOORE Top: 2018 Big Man on Campus college and career bootcamp for young men; submitted photo. Bottom: a table set up to give out free school supplies at RaiderFest 2021; submitted photo. Right: Dominique Johnson and LaTravius Smith.