Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546131
August/September 2026 | maconmagazine.com 75 that I've worked with over the years, there's such a very small percentage that stayed in journalism. And I think the community has suffered for it, because we don't have that kind of institutional knowledge. I mean, it has been difficult at times. It's a very demanding job in certain stages. And I've been blessed to be able to do all kinds of different work from breaking news reporting around the clock to more contemplative pieces, or investigative pieces, and now settling into this role as a civic journalist and a senior fellow at Mercer University is very rewarding. I get to draw on everything I've learned and I also get to look at those students in the face and see the fear, and know exactly how they're feeling…help them and nourish them. Integrity is integral, with a dose of humility [and] honesty, prevalent in everything. Being able to lead by example, I think that's something that I've always tried to do, To try to aim higher, or triple-check a story before I even turn it over to an editor, or just trying to pursue excellence, but also having vision and charisma so that people want to follow you. J I M C R I S P I am dreamer and a survivor. One of the things I'm most proud of is the young lives that I personally touched and impacted—and taught, trained, nurtured, encouraged, and pushed. There's a real legacy there. And I love thinking about those young people. Some of them are middle-aged now, but some of them are still young. I would tell an emerging leader to keep believing in what they're doing. Keep believing in this community. There are a lot of naysayers. They're always around, but I also think that this community, our community, is at a very critical crossroads right now. And I think it's because of the leaders who've been behind us, and the leaders who are emerging now. I have a lot of faith and admiration for the young leaders now. When I came here in 1982, and I was 31 years old, I looked around, and I thought, "Well, I'll only be here two or three years at the most," because it seemed like I'd fallen through a time warp into 1956. But when it came time for me to choose a different path and to begin Theatre Macon, I realized that there were a lot of opportunities. And by that time, this community had really grown on me, and I saw the potential. Look for allies, be collaborative, don't be territorial. Keep the vision large and inclusive. Be bold. Just keep believing. I just feel like the future of this community is in great hands. These young people look to one another, they collaborate, they talk to one another, they share a common vision, they share a common language. From left: Jim Crisp, Alex Habersham, Liz Fabian