James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 69
he Georgia World Congress
Center (GWCC) officially
opened for business in
1976. From that year until 2024, the
sprawling event and convention
venue’s Authority (GWCCA) was led
by two people— Dan Graveline and
Frank Poe. Poe retired last year, and
the third CEO is long-time GWCCA
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Duvall.
Duvall is a Texas native but has
been with the GWCC for 23 years
and served as COO for the last 15 of
those. He takes the reins at a transformative time for the sprawling
campus and its neighbors, with the
increasing development on Atlanta’s
westside and the projects at the adjacent Gulch site.
Duvall was with the Alamo
Dome in San Antonio for 10 years— a
multipurpose venue, the home of
the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, also a
large entertainment venue, as well
as college and high school football,
and more. Duvall had an opportunity to expand and grow
his career with a move to Georgia
in 2002 to join the Georgia Dome.
Without any family here, he and his
wife wanted to come and have a
different opportunity in the facility
management business.
“I got an opportunity to work
at a first-class facility. For me, what
was appealing was the Georgia
World Congress Center Authority
itself. I’d always heard about it.
They’re kind of the gold star in our
industry. They do it right, they take
care of facilities, they do big events,
and they really, really have a lot going on for them. And Atlanta is such
a great destination,” said Duvall.
Duvall worked at the Georgia
Dome for four years as the assistant
general manager and oversaw the
entire operations there. Then he had
the opportunity to move across the
street, across the plaza, and join the
Georgia World Congress Center team
as the assistant general manager.
He didn’t even have to change his
parking space.
“It was an opportunity to still be
on campus and be engaged but really
learning another side of this great
business that we’re in— the trade
show and convention space of the
business,” said Duvall. “I really leaned
forward and kind of learned more
about how everything’s put together.”
A New Era, New Growth
Duvall enjoyed that time as assistant general manager but within
a few years another position opened.
Longtime COO Khalil Johnson retired
in 2009 and Duvall put his hat in the
ring, continuing the climb up the
GWCC ladder. Fifteen years later, the
CEO position opened, and the final
rung was in sight.
“The search committee was
committed to finding a leader who not only had the
expertise to navigate
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