Ron D. Fennel is co-founder and President/CEO of Georgia Capitol Associates, a governmental and public affairs consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. He also served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association (2003-4) and was the Executive Director of the Atlanta Hotel Council since 1999. Fennel was Senior Vice President of the Georgia Hospitality & Travel Association from Apr. 1995 – Oct. 1998, directing the statewide organization’s governmental affairs, grassroots and communications efforts. He served as chief staff support for the Atlanta Hotel Council, Buckhead Hotel Council, Airport General Managers’ Forum, Cobb Hotel Council, DeKalb Hotel Council, Atlanta Restaurant Council, and others. Ron was responsible for most of the governmental affairs programming for Georgia’s hospitality industry since 1995.

Ron left GHTA in Fall, 1998 to start his own consulting business, with GHTA as his first client, adding others quickly. Fennel served in various political positions over his nearly thirty year career. He was twice elected to the Georgia House of Representatives from Brunswick. While in the legislature he served as a member of the committees on Transportation, Natural Resources, Defense & Veterans’ Affairs and Motor Vehicles. Ron also spent three stints at the Democratic Party of Georgia: Appointed by Governor Zell Miller as Executive Director (1990-91), Governor Joe Frank Harris as Field Director (1984), and Governor George Busbee as first-ever Executive Director of the Young Democrats of Georgia (1982).

He worked for nearly four years as Executive Assistant to then-Lt. Governor Zell Miller (1979-82), prior to starting his own political career. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for several organizations, including: the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (1999-present); Atlanta’s Table of the Atlanta Community Food Bank (1995-present, Chairman in 1999-2000); TEAM Georgia, a statewide safe driving & safe boating program (1995-present, currently Chairman); Atlanta’s Inn for Children (1995-2002); Hills Park Neighborhood Assoc. (President, 2006), the Atlanta Fire Foundation (founding Board member) and others.

Fennel was active in leadership roles in industry groups as a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Economic Developers Association, Regional Leadership Foundation, Georgia Public Affairs Society and the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Assoc., Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, Fennel is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute (1998), Global Leaders of the South (1996) and Certified Hospitality Industry Executives (1996. He taught seminars at the Georgia/Alabama Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Assoc. of County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Municipal Association, Southeast Kentucky Tourism Development Association, Southeast Tourism Society and many others. An alumnus of Georgia Southern University, Fennel lives in Smyrna with Cindy and their young sons Hunter Lanier and Walker Thomas.

Tim Hourigan, The Home Depot - VP of Human Resources

Jacques Murphy, Gallup Organization  - Chief Managing Partner – Worldwide

VIEW BIO