Jessica Walden is the President and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, where she serves as a leading representative for local business and a passionate advocate for economic growth in Macon-Bibb County. In her role, she promotes Macon, Georgia, as the premier place to live, work, and do business – overseeing strategic programs, advocacy efforts, and initiatives that support a thriving business community.
Jessica assumed this role in the fall of 2022 after serving as a business and leadership advisor for the University of Georgia. Her 24-year career in community and economic development includes leading the transformational College Hill Corridor initiative, which leveraged over $200 million in investment into some of Macon's most historic neighborhoods.
Born to a family synonymous with southern music, Jessica developed a deep-seated loyalty to her hometown of Macon, Georgia, through its music heritage and untold stories. In 2011, she launched Rock Candy Tours, a music history tour co-founded by Jessica and her husband, Jamie Weatherford, a third-generation candy manufacturer. Today, Rock Candy Tours is powered by Visit Macon as the official local tour company.
Having been a small business owner, Jessica brings firsthand insight into the needs of entrepreneurs. She is Georgia’s first recipient of the Entrepreneur-Led Economic Development Planner certification from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), reflecting her commitment to building communities anchored in small business growth and sustainability.
Jessica is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Macon and a 2013 graduate of Leadership Georgia, where she served the organization as a trustee and program chair.
She and Jamie live on a hilltop just outside Downtown Macon with their son, Walden Weatherford, and a menagerie of pets. A former intercollegiate equestrian at Georgia State University, she enjoys spending her free time back in the saddle.
