Main Street Moments: Meet Athens’ New Communications Coordinator, Simon Rhodes

This week on Main Street Moments, we welcomed Simon Rhodes, the City of Athens’ new Communications Coordinator, to talk about his background, his vision for the city, and what residents can expect moving forward.

Originally from the Ringgold, Georgia area, Simon brings a strong media and production background to Athens. He studied Media & Entertainment at Kennesaw State University, graduating with honors and a minor in Professional Writing. After college, he gained hands-on experience in production and live events at Rich Heart Global Studios in Atlanta before working as an overnight producer at Local 3 News in Chattanooga, where he wrote and produced the 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. broadcasts.

Now, Simon serves as the “town crier” for Athens — the voice connecting the City to its residents.

What Does a Communications Coordinator Do?

In simple terms, Simon ensures the public knows what’s happening in Athens.

From street closures and city updates to highlighting downtown businesses, festivals, museum events, and Art Center programming, his role is to communicate clearly and consistently with the community.

Since stepping into the position, the City’s digital engagement has skyrocketed:

• 1 million views in just two weeks

• 100,000 clicks

• 10,000 likes

• 1,000+ comments

That’s a significant increase in visibility for Athens and its local businesses.

Supporting Downtown & Local Organizations

Simon is actively collaborating with:

• Main Street Athens

• Friendly City Festivals

• McMinn Living Heritage Museum

• The Arts Center

• Local downtown businesses

His goal is simple: bring more people to Athens and highlight everything that makes it such a vibrant, welcoming community.

He’s also working on revamping the City of Athens website, improving accessibility, updating visuals, and enhancing communication tools for residents.

A Stronger, More Connected Athens

With clear communication and strong collaboration between the City and Main Street, Athens is continuing to grow in visibility, energy, and opportunity.

We’re excited to see what’s ahead.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Main Street Moments  on Spotify.