▁wh olly ▁owned ▁subs idi aries ▁consisting ▁of ▁development ▁and ▁oper ational ▁companies . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁projects ▁include ▁The ▁K ess ler ▁Collection ▁of ▁them ed ▁hot els ▁and ▁resort s , ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 - acre ▁Silver wood ▁Plant ation ▁resident ial ▁community , ▁the ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 - acre ▁Georgia ▁North ▁International ▁Indust rial ▁Park , ▁and ▁commercial ▁land ▁develop ments . ▁ ▁Personal ▁history ▁K ess ler ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Sav ann ah , ▁Georgia ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁desc endant ▁of ▁the ▁Sal zburg ers , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Luther ans ▁from ▁Bav aria ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 2 ▁seeking ▁religious ▁freedom . ▁ ▁K ess ler ▁holds ▁b ach elor ' s ▁and ▁master ' s ▁degrees ▁in ▁industrial ▁engineering ▁and ▁operations ▁research ▁from ▁the ▁Georgia ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology . ▁He ▁is ▁married ▁to ▁Mar tha ▁Jane ▁Wilson ▁of ▁Dur ham , ▁N . C . ▁The ▁couple ▁has ▁two ▁grown ▁children , ▁Mark ▁and ▁Laura , ▁and ▁three ▁grand children . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 3 , ▁K ess ler ▁became ▁the ▁right ▁hand ▁to ▁real ▁estate ▁developer ▁Cec il ▁B . ▁Day ▁and ▁help ▁found ▁Days ▁Inn ▁of ▁America ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁K ess ler ▁founded ▁and ▁led ▁five ▁real ▁estate ▁development ▁and ▁oper ational ▁companies . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 5 ,