AARP Georgia Celebrates Age-Friendly Designation and Honors State President Myrtle Habersham

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller, AARP Georgia staff, and more than 200 AARP volunteers and participants visited the Macon Mall Conference Center yesterday to celebrate the city’s 13^th year as an Age-Friendly community. Macon-Bibb was the first of Georgia’s 159 counties to receive this designation from the AARP and the World Health Organization.

Much to Myrtle Habersham’s surprise, the crowd also gathered to honor her as she will soon end her second term as State President of AARP Georgia. Mayor Miller presented her with a proclamation declaring May 7^th as Myrtle Habersham Day in Macon-Bibb County, AARP Georgia’s State Director, Vanessa J. Payne, presented her with a plaque, and the AARP Volunteers honored her with flowers and a letter.

Habersham’s contributions help Macon-Bibb County maintain its Age-Friendly designation. She serves as lead volunteer and was appointed to the AARP Executive Council in 2012 and 2022, encouraging community leaders to develop walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, and access to key services. Habersham is also a graduate of AARP’s prestigious Volunteer Leadership Institute, an extensive six-month, rigorous training and development program. She was the first Georgian to be selected and complete this program.

In her professional life, Myrtle served more than three decades with the U.S. government, holding a succession of senior-level positions, including Commissioner for the Southeastern and Midwestern Regions of the Social Security Administration, Regional Inspector General for the Southeastern Region of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Associate Director for the Office of Management Planning in the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

“Myrtle’s commitment to service has been an inspiration. She embodies the very spirit of AARP, empowering people to choose how they live as they age, and creating a more inclusive, compassionate, and equitable future for all,” Payne said.