Madeleine Henner steps up to become Legacy Decatur’s new Executive Director.

In May of 1983, Lyn Menne came to work for the City of Decatur. She ended up staying until her retirement 36 years later.

At the time she arrived, the city had lost 17% of its population in just 12 years. Competition from shopping malls, former building sites now serving as parking lots, and the disruption of MARTA’s Blue Line construction through the heart of the Square had left its once thriving downtown a shell of its former self.

Down but not out, the remaining community had rallied in 1982, courting renaissance with the city’s seminal Town Center Plan. Menne came on board thereafter to help steward the effort.

“Decatur was poised for redevelopment,” she says. “Not just our streets and empty downtown lots but the community itself. We were cultivating a civic rebirth. New neighbors, new ideas, but rooted in the shared Decatur values that had taken root over generations.”

It was a career-long education that, by 2020, made her the perfect candidate to lead the early years of Legacy Decatur.

Lyn Menne, enjoying Legacy Park's inclusive playground, a project she helped bring to fruition.

Birth of an organization

Late in Menne’s career, city staff began discussing Decatur’s approaching Bicentennial in 2023. Exactly how it would play out was a question to be answered over time but one thing was evident: the endeavor would require fundraising in the form of grants and donations, plus an army of volunteers needing to be managed. Tasks outside the conventional role of government.

Thus the idea for the Decatur Legacy Project, a distinct nonprofit closely aligned with the city and its vision, was born.

At first, the organization existed mostly on paper. But then, in 2017, the city purchased the United Methodist Children’s home and shortly thereafter conducted a community-wide effort to envision its future. The results were ambitious and made clear that an organizational entity — something akin to the Piedmont Park Conservancy — would be required to manage the property’s long-term operations and master plan.

The Decatur Legacy Project, rechristened Legacy Decatur, was the perfect vehicle.

Lyn Menne, on the verge of retirement, stepped in to serve as interim director, a transitional role that ultimately evolved into a three year commitment to lead the emerging organization — staffing up, expanding its board of directors, developing policies and procedures, establishing a formal management agreement with the city, implementing key components of the Legacy Park master plan, and generating revenue. All tasks she’s since carried through to completion.

Beyond its park operations work, the organization also supports a variety of community-based activities like Friends of Decatur Cemetery and the Season of Giving Program and serves as the fiduciary agent for community fundraising around projects like the John Lewis Tribute and the Decatur Bicentennial.

Which leads us to today. As Menne’s three year window comes to a close, it’s now time for the baton to change hands.

Madeleine Henner shows off Legacy Park's recently renovated Dairy Barn.

Meet Madeleine Henner

Madeleine Henner, a Decatur native, moved on from her undergraduate studies at North Carolina’s Davidson College with a passion to contribute — a passion that ultimately led her to the American Voices Project, a collaborative effort between Stanford and Princeton Universities. There she worked to augment the vast quantitative data held by agencies like the Census and the CDC with equally compelling qualitative data — stories and personal histories from everyday individuals across the US — that paint a more nuanced picture of life behind the numbers.

That experience led her to two conclusions: first, the well-being of individuals is rooted in the strength of their communities; and second, place matters — from the quality of its design and durability to the care invested in its natural assets.

Thus, there was a sense of kismet when she came across Legacy Decatur — an organization with near identical interests — and its job posting for new staff, a position she successfully landed. In her tenure since, she’s assumed responsibility for programing, event rental, and tenant relations at Decatur Legacy Park.

“In my last two years with the Legacy Decatur organization,” recalls Henner, “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to expand rental revenue at the park, build a strong community of nonprofits, introduce a variety of community programs, and play a role in implementing the park’s community-driven master plan.”

Madeleine Henner in a rare moment of inactivity at Legacy Park.

Welcome to the next generation

Menne’s departure leaves a sizable void to fill but it’s one for which the organization's board has carefully prepared. A thorough process was conducted with multiple candidates in the running. But in the end it was Henner, who’s shadowed Ms. Menne’s leadership for several years now, who emerged as the candidate of choice.

Mayor Pro Tem Tony Powers, who serves as the Chair of Legacy Decatur’s 11 member board, is effusive in his support.

“It’s always exciting when our young people bring their skills and talents back home to continue to build a strong community,” he says. “We look forward to working with Madeleine as we expand our organization to support our community.”

As for Henner, there’s a full plate waiting when she officially assumes the role of Executive Director July 1. Both the track and field facility and the South Village affordable housing project are expected to break ground early in the new year. The Creative Village is moving forward too, and there’s talk of adding more community gardening spaces.

As always, effectiveness will be rooted in the deft balancing of Legacy Park’s competing priorities — recreation, housing, stewardship, community, and the arts.

In time, she hopes to increasingly broaden the focus of the organization — transitioning from a city-aligned nonprofit closely associated with Legacy Park to a true community foundation, fostering legacy initiatives of all kinds throughout the Decatur community.

She’s already off and running.

Celebrate Decatur's 200th Birthday with Your Gift to the Bicentennial Fund

Legacy Decatur – in its capacity as a city-affiliated 501(c)3 — is currently in the midst of its bicentennial-themed capital campaign with the ambitious goal of raising $200,000 to endow a series of legacy-oriented projects in support of the Decatur community — both today and in the century ahead. Your generous gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the City of Decatur. >> Give Today >>

Schedule Your Picture-Perfect Wedding at Decatur's Legacy Park

Legacy Park offers an ideal setting for an enchanting wedding — from the intimate and historic Moore Chapel to a variety of scenic assets spread across the property. Nestled on the east side of Decatur, Georgia, Legacy Park is just a five minute drive from many restaurants, shops, and hotels. >> Get Started >>