Georgia Entertainment recently released the names of the 200 Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries. The individuals are highlighted in the bi-annual printed publication – Georgia Entertainment: The Creative Economy Journal. See the digital version. Our 200 Spotlight series showcases many of those that were included.
By Carol Badaracco Padgett, Senior Writer
Ray Ezelle, Executive Director of Discover Dunwoody
Ray Ezelle makes an excellent point when he says, “This industry will allow the next generation even more opportunities to keep their roots in Georgia.”
As executive director of Discover Dunwoody, a destination marketing organization whose mission is promoting tourism in the city just north of Atlanta, Ezelle sees firsthand how the film industry in the Peach State and the creative arts as a whole serve to make an already strong economy even more rock solid.
“These industries are special because of jobs that are created both directly and indirectly,” he says. “It drives people to our hotels, restaurants, and merchants, keeping them employed.”
A seasoned senior executive in hospitality sales, marketing, events, and business development – specifically in the South — Ezelle came fully loaded to his current position in Dunwoody in 2021.
An alumnus of the University of Southern Mississippi, Ezelle’s real-world qualifiers include key positions as vice president of sales, sports, and services at Visit Virginia Blue Ridge; executive vice president of business development at Connections Housing in Suwanee, Georgia; vice president of Connect Meetings in Norcross, Georgia; and area director of sales and marketing at PCH Hotels – Resort Collection on Alabama RTJ Golf Trail, based in Florence and Montgomery, Alabama. In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ezelle established Total Hospitality Industry Solutions (THIS) in Suwanee.
Ezelle knows that future growth and success in leveraging the creative industries in Georgia depends on continually building up a strong infrastructure for film and the arts.
“My passion is promoting Dunwoody as a destination: our hotels, our restaurants, our shops, our venues. We strive to streamline the processes for film and TV productions regarding hotel rooms, [and to]educate our community on the benefits of this economy,” Ezelle notes.
Under his leadership, Discover Dunwoody has ramped up fast in the film and creative vertical market by partnering with organizations Entertainment Tourism Alliance of Georgia (ETAG), which he helped to start up, Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition (GSEC), and Georgia Production Partnership (GPP). Even grassroots efforts like Dunwoody’s Funwoody newsletter serve to educate Georgian’s on the industry’s economic might and potential.
When you ask Ezelle what he loves most about the Peach State, his answer reflects much more than the creative arts — it’s a way-of-life.
“I love the Braves, the Bulldogs, and SEC Football. I love that it is easy to visit the North Georgia Mountains or the beach. [And] I love all the varied opportunities that our thriving economy is creating in Georgia,” he says.
The robustness and break-neck speed of the burgeoning film and creative industries in Georgia make Ezelle glad he had a very grounded mentor, Larry Haslam, a manager who taught him years ago how to be a leader.
“We had many ideas and implemented them. If they were successful — he gave me the credit. If they were not successful — he took all the blame. I still strive, yet mostly fail, to be the type of leader he was,” the Discover Dunwoody executive director states.
Today, Ezelle lives in Suwanee, Georgia, with his wife Stephanie, their four sons, and three dogs. Outside of the work he’s passionate about, he enjoys playing golf and supports the Atlanta Braves, Dallas Cowboys, and SEC Football.
