Ocmulgee to Okmulgee 2023

MACON, GA (September 26, 2023) — Beginning Wednesday, September 27, through Friday, September 29, 2023, a 52-person delegation of Macon, Georgia’s leaders will have the opportunity to connect with the leaders of America’s most generous city and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

During their time in Tulsa, Oklahoma, they will explore the city’s thriving public spaces, substantial philanthropic investments, and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. They will engage with local leaders and experts who will share their insights and knowledge, inspiring the innovative approaches to community development that are apparent within the Tulsa community.

“Tulsa has a lot of momentum right now and we believe that started with us investing in ourselves,” says Jonathan Long, VP of DEI, Tulsa Regional Chamber. “Public-private partnerships on projects like BOK Arena and ONEOK Field were catalysts for a seismic shift in our downtown. Since 2008, we’ve seen $1.56 billion invested in our downtown, which is home to a thriving arts district, our arena/medical district, and the historic Greenwood district. Additionally, we’re coming off the biggest year in Tulsa tourism history with an economic impact of $359 million. With events ranging from the PGA Championship to the World Breaking Classic (Break Dancing), amenities such as the Gathering Place (66.5-acre destination park) and Greenwood Rising history center, and Tribal partnerships including the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Tulsa is establishing itself as a city that is culturally inclusive and welcoming.”

This year’s Intercity Tour will be especially significant as Macon celebrates its Bicentennial and prepares to be home to the 64th national park in the country with the designation of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park & Preserve. As the former capital of Muscogean culture, Macon-Bibb County and the Ocmulgee River still hold unique significance to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Macon, Georgia – under the leadership of Mayor Miller and countless community partnerships, initiatives, and people – has made strengthening the bond and trust with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of the highest priority with its governmental relationships and cultural exchanges.

In December of 2022, the Mayor signed an ordinance that was unanimously passed by the Commission to permanently raise the Muscogee (Creek) flag over Macon City Hall. The ordinance also placed a land acknowledgement on the grounds of City Hall, symbolizing the growing relationship between the Macon-Bibb County Government, community, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. (A copy of the Ordinance has been attached and/or is available upon request.)

On January 20, 2023, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Chief David Hill and Second Chief Del Beaver attended the flag raising ceremony.

“We are bound together over the love of this sacred place. We are dedicated to working hand in hand to be stewards and shepherds of it,” Mayor Miller said during the ceremony. “This flag flies over an ancestral homeland ripped from you. This flag acts as a gesture of peace and good will. It is a message that you are always welcome in your ancestral homeland and that the time has come for us to acknowledge what was, and forge what can be.”

The city, NPS, and community are also working to expand the Park’s current boundaries to protect even more land and history. The 2019 John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9) nearly quadrupled the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park’s authorized boundary, then at 701 acres. This acquisition increases the park’s boundary to 1857 acres and follows closely on the heels of NPS’s recent purchase of 906 acres from a willing seller.

In September of 2022, the National Park Service (NPS) and Macon-Bibb County announced the donation of several land parcels totaling 250 acres to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

“This is one of the most important efforts for our community and our region, from preserving history to increasing recreation opportunities and tourism,” said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester M. Miller. “I’m grateful for the team that has been working together so diligently at all levels of government and with all the partners to keep this moving forward.”

The National Park and Preserve is to be co-managed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Department of Interior.

Participants of this Intercity Tour will have the opportunity to visit Okmulgee, Oklahoma and meet with leaders of the Muscogee Nation. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enrich our collective perspective on history, culture, and the vital importance of preserving and celebrating our shared heritage.

Participants will stay at the River Spirit Resort and be immersed in the culture of Tulsa and Okmulgee. Tulsa and Muscogee leaders will share their expertise in destination venues like Tulsa’s BOK Center, ONEOK Stadium, the Gathering Place, and Greenwood Rising and the Muscogee Nation’s Supreme Court, Creek Council House, and Looped Square Ranch. Participants will see tangible models for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, engaging the philanthropic sector for catalytic investments, crafting beautiful and accessible public spaces, addressing past injustices for racial reconciliation, and more. In addition to engaging and informative learning opportunities, participants will have ample time for networking at Tulsa’s live music venues, craft breweries, and destination resorts.

Past Intercity Tours catering to Macon-Bibb leadership collective have included Richmond, Virginia and Fort Collins, Colorado. To date, Macon has already sent a total of thirty smaller delegations on six visits to Okmulgee including to the Muskogee Nation Festival at the Claude Cox Omniplex in Okmulgee for the last two years.

This year’s Intercity Tour is organized by Visit Macon and NewTown Macon, but would not be possible without the Tour Sponsors from the Macon, Georgia community. Those include:

Title Sponsors: Community Foundation of Central Georgia, The Peyton Anderson Foundation, Knight Foundation, and OVG 360

Patron Sponsors: Piedmont Macon, Adams Law Firm, Cox Communications, Georgia Power, and the Griffith Foundation.

For more information: For media inquiries or opportunities to interview representatives from the delegation, please contact Marisa Rodgers by phone or text (501) 655-6564 or by emailing mrodgers@visitmacon.org. Available interview requests include:

Gary Wheat President & Chief Executive Officer of Visit Macon

Josh Rogers President & Chief Executive Officer of NewTown Macon

Seth Clark Mayor Pro Tem of Macon-Bibb County; Executive Director of the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative

Tracie Revis Director of Advocacy of the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative; Former Chief of Staff for Principal Chief David Hill of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation

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About Visit Macon: The mission of Visit Macon is to unify and lead our community in marketing the Macon-Bibb County area as a superior visitor and meeting destination. Visit Macon promotes Macon, Georgia to travel writers, meeting planners, group tour operators and leisure travelers in an effort to bring people and revenues into the community and area businesses. http://www.visitmacon.org

About NewTown Macon: We are an independent nonprofit that focuses on economic development and revitalizing Downtown Macon. We make it safe and beautiful and fun and affordable. And we keep it local. NewTown Macon is located at 555 Poplar Street, Macon, GA 31201 and can be reached at (478) 722-9909. For more information, please visit newtownmacon.com.

About Macon-Bibb County: Macon-Bibb County is the fourth largest city in Georgia and its newest consolidated government. It was created on January 1, 2014, after a popular vote in July 2012, and it replaced the older, outdated, often contentious, and separate municipal and county governments. The Macon-Bibb County consolidated government serves more than 157,000 residents, with nearly 30,000 more people driving in each day to work, eat, or shop. Thousands more travel through each day thanks to Interstates 75 and 16. The entire county serves as a regional hub for services, eating, shopping, entertainment, jobs, transportation, and more.

In January 2021, a new mayor, Lester Miller, began serving as the first new mayor in 13 years. Through a months-long process of forums, surveys, meetings, and more, he found the community’s top priorities to be: public safety; economic development; education & workforce development; diversity, equity, & inclusion; and recreation & tourism. In his first year, several successful initiatives have been launched, including the Brookdale Resource Center, Macon Mental Health Matters, the Blight Fight, Clean Streets Matter, and more.