Richard C. Kessler is an entrepreneur in the field of hotel development and operations. Kessler has been Chairman and CEO of The Kessler Enterprise, Inc. since 1984. He is also Former Chairman, President and CEO,

Days Inn Days Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. It was founded in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who opened the first location in Tybee Island, Georgia. The brand is now a part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Parsippan ...

of America, Inc. and Former Chairman of

Lutheran Brotherhood Thrivent ( ) is a US Fortune 500 not-for-profit financial services organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Appleton, Wisconsin, and founded by Lutherans. As a member-owned fraternal benefit society, it operates under a chapte ...

. In 1984, Kessler founded The Kessler Enterprise which consists of several wholly owned subsidiaries consisting of development and operational companies. Some of these projects include The Kessler Collection of themed hotels and resorts, the 500-acre Silverwood Plantation residential community, the 1,000-acre Georgia North International Industrial Park, and commercial land developments, including

Plant Riverside District Plant Riverside District is a mixed-use development in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located on the west end of historic River Street, the development opened in 2020 after several years of construction. A JW Marriott hotel anchors the develo ...

Personal history

Kessler was born in Savannah, Georgia and is a descendant of the Salzburgers, a group of

Lutherans Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

from Salzburg (Austria) who came to America in 1732 seeking religious freedom. Kessler holds bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering and operations research from the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. He is married to Martha Jane Wilson of Durham, N.C. The couple has two grown children, Mark and Laura, and three grandchildren. At the age of 23, Kessler became the right hand to real estate developer Cecil B. Day and help found

of America in August 1970.GA Tech Alumn. Association 2001 From 1972 to 1975, Kessler founded and led five real estate development and operational companies. In May 1975, at age 29, Kessler became President and CEO of Days Inns, and one year later, Chairman. The chain was sold in 1984 and Kessler began his own independent ventures.Mervine 2007 pg. 24

Kessler Collection Hotels

The Kessler Collection owns, operates and creates hotels, each with its own unique theme. All of the hotels are part of the Marriott

Autograph Collection Hotels Autograph Collection is a group of independent upper-upscale to luxury hotels within the Marriott International portfolio. The properties are independently owned and operated under the Autograph Collection name. History To grow in the post-200 ...

marketing program, central reservation system and national sales, public relations offices, and technical services

Past developments

* Days Inn Resort & Suites / Sheraton Safari Resort, Orlando, FL – Developed as a themed hotel in 1995; sold December 1996 * Sheraton Studio City Hotel, Orlando, FL – Renovated and opened June 1999; sold August 2007 * Kehoe House Bed & Breakfast, Savannah, GA – Renovated and opened October 2003; sold June 2007 * Mansion on Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA - Renovated and opened in 2005

Philanthropy

New Ebenezer Retreat & Conference Center

Kessler is the Founder and Chairman of the New Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center in New Ebenezer, Georgia. Founded in 1736, the township of New Ebenezer was settled by a group of Lutheran Salzburgers seeking a new beginning and a place of religious freedom. Much of the town was destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War and later by Union soldiers in the Civil War. In 1972 Kessler spearheaded efforts to rebuild the essence of the town. New Ebenezer, has been reconstructed to resemble the original 1700s township. The new Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center has space for group meetings of up to 400 people opening summer of 1976. Each year 25,000 guests can participate in tennis, swimming, canoeing, volleyball, basketball, and hiking. Kessler retired from the Board after serving 30 years as Chairman.

Treutlen House at New Ebenezer

Kessler spearheaded the founding of the Treutlen House at New Ebenezer in New Ebenezer, Georgia, 20 miles north of Savannah, Georgia. Opened in 2000, adjacent to the site of the first organized orphanage in America, Treutlen House provides care, housing, support, and guidance to abused children. Initially, the program’s live-in facility housed 10 children.

Kessler New Ebenezer Trust

Kessler established the Kessler New Ebenezer Trust in 1984 with funds in excess of $1 million. The trust continues to support the conference center, the Treutlen House, and its programming and related activities.

Georgia Tech Plaza / The Campanile

In the early 1990s, Kessler led the committee effort which designed and created the "Tech Plaza" in the heart of Georgia Tech's campus. He then commissioned the

Kessler Campanile The Kessler Campanile is an campanile located at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Designed by artist Richard Hill, a University of Georgia graduate, it was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. It is named after Richard C. Kess ...

, a $450,000 carillon created by Atlanta artist Richard Hill. The 80 foot, stainless steel high tech tower is positioned in a 100-inch diameter fountain and an assortment of 100 different songs chime on the quarter-hour. During the 1996 Olympics, the set of NBC’s "Today Show" was centered directly in front of the Campanile, providing international exposure. Today, the Kessler Campanile is used by Georgia Tech as their 21st Century Logo.

The Kessler Reformation Collection

Kessler chairs the Committee for the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection, an assembly of over 3,600 pieces of rare works, all dating pre-1570. in Pitts Theology Library, on the campus of Atlanta’s

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

. It is one of the largest theological libraries in the United States with nearly 130,000 items in the rare book and archive collection alone. Kessler founded the collection in November, 1987, and funded its growth in partnership with Emory University. Considered a national treasure, the collection boasts many one-of-a-kind pieces and is a valuable resource for churches and religious scholars. It holds the largest collection in the U.S. of 1,000 pieces of original writings of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

Kessler scholarships

The Kessler family has established the following scholarships for outstanding professionals and students: * Excellence in Teaching Award –

Pace Academy Pace Academy is a K–12 college preparatory private school, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Pace has approximately 1,115 students. History Pace Academy was founded in Atlanta in ...

, Atlanta, GA * Georgia Institute of Technology * 4-H Club Leadership Award *

Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) is a theological seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and located in Columbia, South Carolina. It offers theological degrees. In 2012, it merged with Lenoir-Rhyne University, ...

* Excellence in Teaching Art & Music, Orange