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

Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...

 of America, Inc. and Former Chairman of Lutheran Brotherhood. 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 – a portfolio of uniquely themed hotels and resorts, the 500-acre Silverwood Plantation residential community, the 1,000-acre Georgia North International Industrial Park, and commercial land developments.

Personal history

Kessler was born in Savannah, Georgia on May 28, 1946 and is a descendant of the Salzburgers, a group of Lutherans from Bavaria who came to America in 1732 seeking religious freedom.

Kessler holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Industrial Engineering/Operations Research from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is married to Martha Jane Wilson of Durham, N.C. The couple has two grown children, Mark and Laura, and three grandchildren. Mark graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in International Business and earned his Master's Degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

At the age of 23, Kessler became the right hand to real estate developer Cecil B. Day

Cecil B. Day

Cecil Burke Day was the founder of Days Inn Hotels. Day studied at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, but withdrew prior to graduation to join the United States Marine Corps...

 and help found Days Inn of America in August 1970 . 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.

Kessler Collection Hotels

Kessler’s original concept, The Kessler Collection, is a company engaged in the business of owning, operating and creating hotels, each with its own unique theme. The Kessler Collection shares a common commitment to thematic detailed design and a high level of guest service that provides an outstanding hospitality experience. All of the hotels benefit from the Marriott Autograph Collection marketing program, central reservation system and national sales, public relations offices, and technical services (with the exceptions of Beaver Creek Lodge and The Castle Orlando)

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

New Ebenezer Retreat & Conference Center

Kessler is the Founder and Chairman of the New Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center in New Ebenezer, Ga. 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 1700’s township, and today the center provides wholesome recreation and an opportunities for family togetherness in an upspoiled environment along the banks of the Savannah River. The new Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center offers restful accommodations for 175 people and space for group meetings of up to 400 people opening summer of 1976. Guests can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities including tennis, swimming, canoeing, volleyball, basketball, and hiking. Kessler continues as Chairman some thirty years later. Some 25,000 people of all ages visit the retreat center each year.

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 at 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 houses 10 children with a long-range vision extending to serving many more boys and girls

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. Kessler serves as Chairman.

Georgia Tech Plaza / The Campanile

In the early 90’s, 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

Kessler Campanile

The Kessler Campanile is an campanile located at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Designed by artist Richard Hill, it was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. It is named after Richard C. Kessler, Tech graduate and former head of Days Inns...

, 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

Pitts Theology Library, on the campus of Atlanta’s Emory University, is the second-largest theological library in the United States with nearly 90,000 books in the rare book collection alone. Kessler chairs the Committee for the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection, an assembly of over 3,500 pieces of rare works, all dating pre-1570. 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.

Kessler Scholarships

The Kessler family has established the following scholarships for outstanding professionals and students:

• Excellence in Teaching Award – PACE Academy, Atlanta, GA
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• 4-H Club Leadership Award
• Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
• University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Excellence in Teaching Art & Music, Orange

Further reading

• Mervin, Bob. "Art for the Art's Sake." Executive Living. April-May 2007. Pg. 20-24.
• Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Summer 1996
• Wittish, Rich. From Marbles to Mansions. Savannah Magazine July/August 2004 pg. 58-63
• McKechnie, Gary and Howell, N. Kessler's Kingdom. Orlando Magazine April 1997 pg. 66-67
• Salter, Salley. The Atlanta Journal. Richard Kessler: Business Man with a Sense of History. March 24, 1986. Section C.
• Rauen, Stacy S. Hospitality Design. Perspectives Interview: Richard Kessler. July 2011. Pg. 69-70.
• Elliott, Daniel T. "Effingham County's Historical Archaeological Resources."

External links

• http://www.tiffaniart.com/about/press/42
• http://hotelexecutive.com/newswire/32675/two-kessler-hotels-join-marriotts-autograph-collection
• Tang, Jason. "The Photo Gallery." http://www.jtang.org/~tang/gallery.html. 2001 March 1. Retrieved 2011 Nov 2.
• http://shapiro.anthro.uga.edu/Lamar/images/PDFs/publication_56.pdf. 1998 July. Retrieved 2011 Nov 2.
• GA Tech Alumn. Association. "Richard Kessler Develops Hotels on a Grand Scale" http://gtalumni.org/Publications/magazine/sum01/article2.html. 2001. Retrieved 2011 Nov 14.
• http://www.autograph-hotels.marriott.com/collection/
• http://www.newebenezer.org/index.htm
• http://www.treutlenhouse.org
• http://www.georgiasalzburgers.com/genealogy.htm
• http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/FL/New-Ebenezer-Family-Retreat-And-Conference-Center-Support-Trust.html
• http://www.paceacademy.org/community/alumni/kessleraward
• http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/scholarships/found_end.php#kessler
• http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_arts_letter/2011/07/10-orange-county-educators-honored-for-fine-arts-teaching.html
• http://www.kehoehouse.com/history.htm