Who is Ronnie Mayer

Ronnie Mayer is, quite simply a doer who diligently champions causes in Ashford Park and the greater Brookhaven area.  As president of the Ashford Park Civic Association, a 200+ family organization representing over 1500 homes in north DeKalb County, Ronnie has worked tirelessly to improve the area he has called home since childhood.  Whether he is trimming Crepe Myrtles at Ashford Park Elementary School or leading the neighborhood support for the Dresden Village development, a now vibrant part of our neighborhood, Ronnie Mayer is a one-man neighborhood improvement crew and a force to be reckoned with for everything that impacts our neighborhood.

A brief description of Ronnie Mayer’s work and accomplishments over the years include:

• Active in the development of the Brookhaven LCI initiative and the final LCI zoning/development standards approved by DeKalb County as the Brookhaven Overlay District.
• Early proponent of the Dresden Village development and coordinating negotiations of a zoning agreement allowing the project to proceed while fully respecting the adjacent neighborhood’s concerns.
• Early proponent of the Town Brookhaven development, working closely with the developer to understand and respond accordingly to the adjacent neighborhood’s concerns.
• Single-handedly championing the reconstruction of the Activity Building at Ashford Park, including:
• lobbying DeKalb County to replace the aging park building with a beautiful new facility,
• coordinating the design to address neighborhood needs,
• monitoring construction to ensure timely completion within budget,
• Solicitation of donations of time, material and equipment from local businesses to greatly improve the final product while not increasing the overall project budget.
• Coordinating clean-up activities throughout Ashford Park and Brookhaven nearly every weekend ranging from volunteer work days at Ashford Park and Georgian Hills Park to individual efforts with a small crew of laborers to plant trees along Peachtree Road, trim shrubs, clean up trash, or landscape some small corner of the neighborhood.
• Negotiating the resolution of an illegal tree removal at a development in the neighborhood that provided for the replanting of 8-10 large oak trees and a number of smaller flowering shrubs worth thousands of dollars in Clack’s Corner Park and Ashford Park.
• Championing the construction of a pedestrian bridge across a small drainage ravine, built by DeKalb County and PATH Foundation at Camille Drive, to greatly improve the neighborhood access to the shops at Dresden Village allowing residents the opportunity to walk to this shopping district.  The pedestrian bridge enhances walking opportunities promoting healthy exercise, and is used as an integral part of the Brookhaven Bolt, a fun run benefiting Ashford Park Elementary School and increased communication between neighbors across this previously inaccessible barrier.
• Working with Friends of Brookhaven Park and Historic Brookhaven foundation to lead a cleanup of a neglected area of Brookhaven Park.  Ronnie Mayer’s efforts were the first major cleanup of the park in over ten years.  After removing approximately five truckloads of invasive vegetation and trash, the area cleaned up revealed a long-overgrown path and park bench.  As a result, a safer environment for pedestrians, runners, and dog owners was created and harmful non-native and invasive plant species were removed.
• Assisting area homeless people to ensure that have clothes and food.

Beyond his support of neighborhood causes and projects, Ronnie Mayer is a generous supporter and active fundraiser for many worth causes, including:

• Donating 1000 t-shirts to help sponsor one of the Ashford Park groups for the 3-day Walk for the Cure (Susan Komen breast cancer foundation) in 2010.
• Annually raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House through his business partnerships with BMW and Haven Restaurant.
• Annually raising funds for research for the Diabetes Foundation through a Harley Davidson Motorcycle ride.
• Active in Park Pride cleanup projects throughout the community.
• Meeting with the Costco CEO and president (new Town Brookhaven Costco store) and was instrumental in securing a donation of 500 back packs for Ashford Park and Woodward Elementary Schools.
• Through his company, Mayer Towing, being a sponsor for the Brookhaven Bolt 5K race to help raise monies for the Ashford Park Elementary School.
• Sponsoring an annual Easter Egg Hunt for Ashford Park and other surrounding neighborhoods.
• Donating his personal time and spending his own money, and monies donated by others, to purchase and plant shrubs, trees, and flowers throughout the Brookhaven community.