Ron Shipman Makes History as First African American Executive Director & President of Macon Water Authority
The Macon Water Authority Board of Directors voted to hire Ron Shipman as its Interim Executive Director & President during a Called Meeting held on November 17, 2022. The move makes Shipman the first African American Executive Director in the history of the Macon Water Authority.
After accepting the resignation of Executive Director Joey Leverette, the Authority held a Called Meeting on October 27th and subsequently announced on their website and via news release, that Mr. Shipman was being considered for the position. This announcement allowed for public comments and questions regarding the proposed hiring and presented the credentials and qualifications of Shipman for review.
Shipman attended his first board meeting on December 1, 2022 and was appointed that day. His first official workday was December 5th. Transparent and energetic, Shipman’s immediate plans are to jump right in. “I have seen some opportunities for improvement and want to work on these,” he said. “For example, efficiency: getting things done better, quicker, and with less human involvement – I’d like to see the authority become more even more technologically savvy.” A guy who likes to get his hands dirty, Ron maintains that you might see him out with the crews, working hand-in-hand. “And we’ll be safe doing it,” he adds.
Shipman comes with plenty of executive experience. A native of Vidalia, Ga., he retired from Georgia Power after serving with the company for nearly 40 years, beginning in 1984 at Plant Hatch in Baxley, Ga office as a Nuclear Chemistry Technician & Environmental Specialist and working his way up to become Vice President of Customer Service and Operations for the Southwest Central Region, serving 59 southwest Georgia counties and over 440,000 customers. Over the years, Shipman served in a number of communities in Georgia including Vidalia, Baxley, Atlanta, Thomson, Lithonia, Marietta, Jonesboro, and Macon, retiring from the Macon headquarters in 2020. “Though I was born in Vidalia, I moved around the state several times over the years with Ga. Power, so I consider the entire State of Georgia my home,” he said. Since 2015, “the Macon “stop” has been wonderful for my wife and me.” Recently, Shipman served as the Interim President & CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce until Jessica Walden was appointed to the position permanently in September of this year. Shipman served the Chamber as Vice Chair in 2017 and Chair in 2018.
Just weeks into his new position, Shipman is busy learning everything about the Water Authority. “I am inheriting a lot of great things,” he said, “such as the amazing employees and the infrastructure already in place (sanitary water, wastewater, and storm water),” he continued. “I am still assessing the organization to see how everything functions, from the people to the processes.”
Shipman is looking forward to the coming weeks and months at the Authority. “I am excited by this opportunity, and I am enjoying learning more about the people that make it “flow,” he said. “I am an optimistic person, always seeing the glass “half full” and have really enjoyed all of the holiday events, getting to know the people that make the Authority work for the citizens of Macon.”
Shipman graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Shorter College (University) in Rome, Georgia.
