About Leila

Leila Regan-Porter was born in North London to an Iranian mother and British father, and lived much of her childhood in the bucolic English countryside. Her family moved to the suburbs of Atlanta, Ga. when she was 13, giving her a rather large culture shock when she realized America was in fact not all “Saved By The Bell” and “Grease.”

Nevertheless, she found a home for herself, diving into the music scene of Atlanta once she got to college, studying journalism and music industry at Georgia State University and interning for the Atlanta Press Club, Atlanta Magazine, and Paste Magazine.

After graduating, Leila freelanced for publications such as Performing Songwriter, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Magazine, Paste Magazine, and more, covering both local and national artists.

Leila continued to explore the local music scene as a Manager at Eddie’s Attic, Regional Editor for Southeast Performer, Promotions Director for Ticket Alternative, and Editor for Atlanta Music Guide.

After moving to Macon, Ga., Leila adapted her journalism chops to grant writing for the Tubman Museum and Macon Arts Alliance. She continued freelancing, writing features for Macon Magazine, The 11th Hour, and The Macon Telegraph (where she had a monthly column), and working in the marketing and PR field for Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music and the Hargray Capitol Theatre.

A huge part of Leila’s life in Macon was working on boards of organizations that relied on volunteers for the amazing work they did in the community. Namely, Bragg Jam became an all-encompassing passion when she was brought on as a board member merely months after landing in Macon. She served as marketing chair until moving into the president position for the 2019 and 2020 festivals. When 2020 was not meant to be, she navigated the turbulent waters to create a concert by The Buckleys, the band which played the inaugural Bragg Jam in honor of the Bragg Brothers, with Brax Bragg being a member of the band. The concert was filmed in the legendary Capricorn Studios, which had been renovated and reopened the preceding December.

While volunteer work was a passion, Leila found her day job at an equally compelling organization. In 2012, she started work at the Otis Redding Foundation in a position that evolved from office management and administrative duties to encompass everything from grant writing to editing websites to event planning to accounting and more.

Working in small nonprofits has taught her to use her skills as a journalist to adapt, learn, research, communicate, and multitask. Each day brings a new challenge and new questions that need answers. After moving to Denver, Colo. in 2020, Leila discovered a new way to serve the community she lives in, with the position of Development Manager at Bluff Lake Nature Center, an outdoor classroom and nature preserve in Northeast Denver. She loves telling the story of the impact that this small nonprofit makes with the diverse communities of this heavily developed areas, working to make nature accessible for all.

Leila currently lives in Denver with her husband Tim, their child Rosemary June, and two cats Adora and Hermione. While she misses Macon like crazy, she is thrilled to be living in a climate that doesn’t keep her from enjoying the outdoors for the whole summer.