Leadership
General Festival Phone Line: (478) 330-7050
Staff
Stacy Moore
President & CEO
rcochran@cherryblossom.com
(478) 330-7050
Robin Cochran
MERCHANDISE & ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
rcochran@cherryblossom.com
(478) 330-7050
Katie Hart
director of operations
khart@cherryblossom.com
(478) 330-7058
Scarlett Farr
ROYALTY COORDINATOR
royalty@cherryblossom.com
(478) 330-7050
arah adams
MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER
aadams@cherryblossom.com
(478) 330-7051
2020-2021 cherry blossom Board of Directors
ALEX HABERSHAM
2020-2021 BOARD CHAIR

Owner of Habersham Enterprises
Mr. Habersham is the owner of Habersham Enterprises. His companies offer a comprehensive suite of managerial consulting services designed to assist business owners and organizational leaders to remain competitive and achieve optimal success. Habersham Enterprises is comprised of two major businesses: Habersham Promotions, a marketing /promotional outreach business, and the Macon Middle Georgia Black Pages, a resource and business guide of African American businesses that also features other community partners. Additionally, he is the host and producer of the Call To Action Program (highlights community issues and potential solutions) that is aired on television, radio and online services).
champion for education and continuous learning
Habersham is a longtime champion for education and continuous learning. He is a proud graduate of Savannah State College and has taught in the public school systems of Macon and Savannah. Other educational achievements include Instructor Certifications – Georgia Bar Association, Governmental Management, Tax Assessor , IAAO Ethics Reviewer, and Trainer for Communications, Team Building and Customer Service. He continues to serve as an instructor for the Georgia Bar Association’s BASICS World of Work Program as well as the Department of Juvenile Justice’ Boys On Probation Program.
Community Involvement
Habersham has continued to provide professional leadership and volunteer services in the community. Prior and current services include: National Alliance of Businessmen, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (member); International Association of Assessing Officers, Georgia Summit of African American Business Organizations, Board of Directors for the Macon-Bibb County Greater Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce, Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival (2019 Festival Chairperson/2020 Board Chair), and Member of both the Grand Opera House and One Macon Boards.
Economic Leadership
Mr. Habersham’s leadership, community service and dedication toward improving the economic posture of the Middle Georgia Community have resulted in numerous awards and recognitions from various organizations. They include: Board Member of The Year (Hutching Career Center Advisory Council), Community Leadership Award (Middle Georgia Food Bank), Emerging Partner Award (NewTown Macon), Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition (Congressman Sanford Bishop), Macon Trail Trailblazers/Activists (Middle Georgia State & Tubman Museum), Evangelical Ministerial Alliance’ Drum Major for Justice Award, NAACP Community Service Award, GA Department of Corrections’ Community Partner Award, University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center Award, Macon Economic Development Commission Award, Humanitarian Award (New Fellowship Baptist Church), Secretary of State’s Community Service Award, State Bar of Georgia Appreciation Award for BASIC Program, and the U. S. Small Business Association (SBA) Small and Minority Business Champion of The Year.
Macon Area Resident
Macon-Bibb area resident Alex C. Habersham has more than five decades of professional business, managerial, leadership, community/civic and mentoring experiences. His contributions have been repeatedly acknowledged through key appointments, special recognitions as well as exemplified by his entrepreneurial ventures that have resulted in positive outcomes in the Middle Georgia area.
Dr. Ivan Allen
2020-2021 Festival CHAIR

president of Middle Georgia Technical College
In 2005, Dr. Ivan H. Allen was selected to serve as president of Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins, Georgia. In July 2013, Middle Georgia Technical College and Central Georgia Technical College in Macon and Milledgeville consolidated to form the new Central Georgia Technical College, where Dr. Allen continues to serve as the president of the institution.
Economic Development
In FY2019, CGTC became the first technical college in Georgia to graduate over 4,000 unduplicated students from credit programs. In fact, for the last seven years, CGTC has led all technical colleges in the number of unduplicated graduates. Additionally, more than 2,200 students were served through the College’s Adult Education program, with over 700 students receiving their GED® in FY2019.
Moreover, CGTC serves as a catalyst for Economic Development by providing support and services to more than 330 companies and more than 18,000 customers annually throughout the 11 counties in the Central Georgia region. Out of more than 7,500 institutions reporting data to the US Department of Education, CGTC was ranked fifth nationally in 2017 for one-year awards among two-year institutions. Most recently, CGTC was ranked in the top 15 institutions by Military Times magazine nationwide as Best for Vets and was designated as a Military Friendly© school. In recent years, the College has been selected to receive the Partner Agency of the Year award from the Georgia Department of Corrections (DOC) in recognition of services offered at DOC sites and was named as one of six Models of Excellence by University Business magazine among colleges and universities nationwide in 2017.
Global Reach
Under Dr. Allen’s leadership, CGTC has expanded its reach globally by developing educational and training partnerships with countries across the world, including Afghanistan, China, Colombia, England, Germany, Ireland, Libya, Scotland, and Tunisia. Since establishing the Global Initiatives program, the College hosts annual study abroad experiences and has hosted faculty, staff, and students from around the globe.
Community Involvement
In addition to serving the Technical College System of Georgia, Dr. Allen is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Houston Healthcare System and is a member of the Navicent Health Foundation Board. He also serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the 21st Century Partnership, the Museum of Aviation Foundation, the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia and the CSRA, the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Middle Georgia Regional Education Service Agency, and the Middle Georgia Consortium.
Most recently, he was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC serves as the recognized regional accrediting body for institutions of higher education that award degrees in 11 southeastern states. In this role, Dr. Allen joins the other elected SACSCOC Trustees in representing over 800 institutions of higher learning and taking actions on the accreditation of applicant, candidate, and member institutions in the southeastern states.
Macon Native
Dr. Allen is a native of Macon where he graduated from Mount De Sales Academy. He is a Phi Beta Kappa Graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta. He also holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Georgia College and State University and a Doctorate of Education from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Allen and his wife Danyel reside in Centerville with their three children.
Carolyn Crayton*
Founder
Don Bailey*
Past Chair
Alex Habersham*
2020-2021 Board Chair
Ivan Allen*
2020-2021 Festival Chair
Elizabeth Cleveland*
Incoming Festival Chair
Karla Redding- Andrews* Secretary
Paul Hart* Treasurer
Bill Fickling III* Fickling Family
Eddie Pruett* Chairman’s Club Chair
*Designates Executive Committee
Dr. Jimmy Asbell
Jean Bragg
Jacob Fields
Steven Fulbright
Patty Gibbs
Jaime Kaplan
Jeralyn Middleton-Craig
Gregory Brown
Antonio Lewis-Ross
Ember Bishop- Bentley
Mary Bowman- Hampton
Chris Floore
Yash Patel
Kenna Scragg
Kenny Burgamy
Cassandra Cox
CHAIRMEN CLUB
Charles A. Jay
82-83: KMBBC Chair
90-91: CBF Chair
94-95: Festival Chair
William P. Simmons*
82-83: Festival Chair
Harold C. Weathers*
83-84: KMBBC Chair
84-85: KMBBC Chair
91-92: CBF Chair
William O. Faulkner
83-84: Festival Chair
Dr. Kirby Godsey
84-85: Festival Chair
J. Alan Neal
85-86: KMBBC Chair
86-87: KMBBC Chair
Dr. Robert K. Ackerman
85-86: Festival Chair
Dr. S. Aaron Hyatt
86-87: Festival Chair
Marion Byrd
86-87: Festival Chair
Buckner F. Melton
87-88: Festival Chair
Carr G. Dodson
88-89: Festival Chair
Thomas H. Faulk*
89-90: CBF Board Chair
A.P. “Buster” Barry
89-90: Festival Chair
Vernon Colbert
90-91: Festival Chair
Guy B. Eberhardt
91-92: Festival Chair
92-93: Festival Chair
94-95: CBF Board Chair
William T. “Bill” Wiley
92-93: Board Chair
99-2000: Festival Chair
Emily P. Myers
93-94: CBF Board Chair
Melvin I. Kruger
93-94: Festival Chair
Bill Forget*
95-96: CBF Board Chair
96-97: Festival Chair
97-98: CBF Board Chair
Roy H. Fickling
95-96: Festival Chair
98-99: CBF Board Chair
Dr. John O’Shaughnessey
97-98: Festival Chair
98-99: CBF Board Chair
Donald K. Miller
98-99: Festival Chair
1999-2000: CBF Board Chair
Mark A. Stevens
2000-2001: CBF Board Chair
2001-2002: CBF Board Chair
William A. “Bill” Fickling II
2002-2003: CBF Board Chair
2003-2004: Festival Chair
Reverand Ronald E. Terry*
2002-2003: Festival Chair
2003-2004: Festival Chair
Paul Leath
2004-2005: CBF Board Chair
Steve Jukes
2005-2006: CBF Board Chair
2008-2009: CBF Board Chair
2009-2010: Festival Chair
Chip Cherry Jr.
2005-2006: Festival Chair
Shirley M. Buafo
2006-2007: CBF Board Chair
2007-2008: Festival Chair
Lowell L. Register
2006-2007: Festival Chair
2007-2008: CBF Board Chair
William Lee Robinson*
2008-2009: Festival Chair
2009-2010: CBF Board Chair
C. Steve Farr
2010-2011: CBF Board Chair
2011-2012: Festival Chair
Thomas J. Wicker
2010-2011: Festival Chair
2011-2012: CBF Board Chair
George McCanless
2012-2013: Board Chair
2013-2014: Festival Chair
Cyndey Busbee
2012-2013: Festival Chair
2013-2014: Board Chair
General Bob McMahon
2014-2015: Festival Chair
2015-2016: Board Chair
Stacy Ingram
2015-2016: Festival Chair
2016-2017: Board Chair
Don Bailey
2016-2017: Festival Chair
2017-2018: Board Chair
2018-2019: Board Chair
*Designates Deceased
In Memory of the pink baron

W Lee Robinson, former Board Chair and Festival Chair, became the first-ever Pink Baron of the Cherry Blossom Festival. His mission was to fly to all of Georgia’s public access airports and promote the Festival by leaving promotional material for airport patrons to read during their travels.
Mr. Robinson passed away on November 4, 2015, and the Festival cherishes his memory as friend, supporter, leader, and Pink Baron!
Mr. Robinson wrote compelling articles about his flights, and we invite you to read them here:
Flight Update #5
Your flying ambassador is back in the air promoting our CBF fall events. Any excuse will do to go up, but what a privilege it is to remind our neighbors that their festival is year-round.
Flight Update #4
Fellow flight instructor, Dan Giallourakis, and I decided to shoot an approach at Macon Downtown (KMAC) before we headed to Hazlehurst (KAZE) for our Pink Baron flight. Dan is an experienced pilot and he was able to point out some of my bad habits right away. This...
Pink Barons Flight #3
We are inside 35 days until the Cherry Blossom Festival. So the CBF flying ambassadors are looking for blue skies and calm winds as we continue our mission to encourage the flying community to come to Macon’s “Pinkest Party on Earth.” We’ll leave the beacon on for you.
The Pink Baron – Flight #2
Beautiful, crisp, clear, fall mornings beckon aviators to the skies; I could not resist. Bill Philips was standing next to his bright blue RV-8 waiting for our “Pink Baron” flight when I pulled up to the hangar. Soon we were taxiing for takeoff at Macon Downtown. We...
The Pink Baron – Flight #1
The Pink Baron, Cherry Blossom Festival's new high-flying ambassador, made his inaugural flight earlier this month. If you haven't been caught up to speed on The Pink Baron program, take a few moments and learn about it! We're looking forward to seeing this program...