Stockbridge Amphitheater, second verse same as the first.
The ink is barely dry on Harold Young’s termination letter, but the questions surrounding his business dealings are multiplying. A story that began with a financially troubled amphitheater in Stockbridge has now intertwined with a controversial charter school in Macon, revealing a cast of characters whose connections stretch into the corridors of state government. At the center of it all are two public-private ventures plagued by allegations of mismanagement and fraud, with Harold Young, Macon Tubman museum director and ex-Stockbridge Amphitheater GM. As well as Donie Hogan, owner of the Alexander Ballroom. Both Harold and Donie are involved in both “VyStar at the Bridge” Amphitheater and The Infinity Charter School.
The Stockbridge Amphitheater was meant to be a crown jewel, but it has become a financial millstone for taxpayers. Under the management of Harold Young, the venue’s budget spiraled out of control, exceeding its $2 million allocation for the 2022 & 2023 concert seasons to reach a staggering $8.1 million. This wasn’t a one-time issue; the amphitheater repeatedly went millions of dollars over budget for multiple years under Young’s tenure. The financial “mismanagement” became so severe that in July, the Stockbridge city council had to amend its budget by a total of $32.9 million to account for the amphitheater and voluminous other instances of financial malfeasance.
Beyond the budget overruns, serious questions have been raised about procurement practices. There was no competitive sealed bid process for vendors or naming rights at the amphitheater for any year since its opening in 2021. The facility itself was plagued with issues, including being built without a proper sound booth, forcing operations to be run from a tent for four years, which resulted in poor sound quality. So, they decided to try and sneak a $390,000 sound booth around the law. Which states public works construction contracts valued at $100K or more are subject to Chapter 91-36 of the Official Code of Georgia.
Young, who also serves as the executive director of Macon’s Tubman African American Museum, was terminated for breach of contract on June 16, 2025. He has since claimed his name was “slandered” and that he has hired an attorney to explore “legal remedies” for his dismissal.
The Infinity Academy: A Petition Marred by “Deeply Concerning” Allegations
While Young was managing the troubled amphitheater, his name and that of Donie Hogan, owner of the Alexander Ballroom, appeared on the governing board of a proposed charter school in Macon: The Infinity Academy. This venture, however, is now at the center of a scandal that Bibb County school board members have called “deeply concerning.”
The most glaring issue is an allegation of fraud. The school’s petition to the Bibb County School District included a notarized affidavit supposedly signed by its governing board chair, Pamela Burkhalter. Upon seeing the document, Burkhalter stated unequivocally, “That is not my signature. Period. I am stunned”. She claims she resigned from the board in May, long before the petition was being finalized, and never authorized anyone to sign on her behalf. The school’s founder, Christopher D. Holmes, claimed Burkhalter gave him permission to sign for her, an assertion she flatly denies. Mr. Holmes seems to be involved in many corporate entities according to Georgia Secretary of State. Too many to name.
The fraud allegation was just one of many problems. The Bibb County School District ultimately issued an official denial of the charter petition on August 1, 2025, citing a litany of “material deficiencies.” The entity was found to not be registered with the IRS as a nonprofit. Concerns were also raised about their financial planning; specifically, an unrealistic budget allocating only 20,000 for facility improvements estimated to cost between 4.7 and $5.7 million. The proposed building itself presented issues, appearing too small and lacking key facilities like a gym or cafeteria, in addition to significant safety concerns regarding entry points, student drop-off zones, and fire evacuation routes. Finally, the evaluation revealed a lack of clarity concerning governance structures alongside an inadequate staffing plan geared towards effectively serving students with ADA required accommodations.
The Players and Their Potential Connections
Christopher D. Holmes is the founder of the Infinity Academy. I think he’s Alpha Kappa Psi from hand signs he throws up in pictures. A teacher, academic coach, and K-12 curriculum coordinator for the Bibb County School District. In 2018, he took on a new role as a curriculum and instructional interventionist for the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice. He has also worked as a Research Assistant for the Georgia State Charter School Commission and runs his own education consulting firm.
Andy Welch is an attorney and former Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives for District 110. A key part of his legislative work involved his role as a member, and former subcommittee chairman, of the House Juvenile Justice Committee. Andy also held a long standing position on the Georgia Juvenile Justice Board. He’s currently Locust Grove City Attorney, I’m sure, among many other positions.
The amphitheater was built in large part by Eagle Excavation. Who, during construction were represented by Mr. Welch’s law firm partner, Republican candidate for Attorney General of Georgia, Senator Strickland. Andy does business with the amphitheater as well. The local Tabernacle of Praise church is represented by Mr. Welch in corporate filings and made use of the amphitheater facilities for a show this year.
Professional overlap
Holmes is a state employee working within the Department of Juvenile Justice, a department that falls under the legislative purview of the former committee & juvenile justice board on which Welch served. While this doesn’t confirm a personal relationship, it establishes a direct professional connection where a state legislator & board member would (or should) be acquainted with the operations of selecting curriculum.
Harold Young and Alexander Ballroom owner Donie Hogan were named as board members for the Infinity Academy, a proposed charter school founded by Christopher D. Holmes whose petition was denied amid allegations of a forged signature and deep financial and operational flaws. During this same period, Young was managing the Stockbridge Amphitheater, a publicly funded venue that exceeded its budget by millions of dollars, leading to his termination. We also know that the charter school’s founder, Holmes, has worked for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, an agency that a powerful state legislator, Rep. Andy Welch, had potential oversight of through his committee & board assignments. We know Andy, Brian and SWWW are deeply entrenched in amphitheater business.
Perhaps “coordinated network” is a better choice of words than “overlap,” strictly speaking. For in the case of (State Rep.) Williams vs. Powell. You’ll find my lawyer, Mr. Greenamyre and Stockbridge City Attorney Washington’s firm partner (at the time), David Dreyer on that case together. As the city at large knows by now. We desperately needed to sue the city. So, then. Did this perceived network interfere in my affairs to that acute degree. In my opinion, yes.
Of note: City Attorney Washington’s police station deal with Jeff Grant. If you’re new in town. Mr. Grant and Mr. Welch’s firm go way back. And if you don’t know about my lawsuit. You won’t be surprised it was Greenamyre representing me against Strickland.
The further questions
• Did SWWW, LLP (Andy’s firm), as registered agent for Tabernacle negotiate a contract with Harold Young in the course of scheduling this years first gospel show?
• Which of Quinton Washington’s three legal entities handled, if any at all, amphitheater business. Such that there was involvement further than Washington & Dreyer’s e-mail concerning the amp. financial open records.
• What accountability measures were in place at the City of Stockbridge that allowed the amphitheater’s budget to be exceeded by millions of dollars for several consecutive years?
• What, if any, is the connection between Rep. Andy Welch and the Infinity Academy project, given the professional overlap between his legislative & board duties and Christopher Holmes’s state employment?
• Are these two cases, a mismanaged amphitheater and a fraudulent school petition simply isolated incidents, or do they point to a broader pattern of insiders leveraging public trust and taxpayer funds for poorly planned ventures?
• The receipts for the $8.1 million amphitheater budget amendment?
In closing, a bit of Shakespeare I find pertinent, “O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.”
