Gary Wheat has been President/CEO at Visit Macon since January of 2017. A native of Prentiss, Mississippi, Gary has been serving in the tourism industry 24 years with 20 years of experience at the CEO level. He has been the CEO in starting two tourism organizations from the ground up with both showing continued growth and stability.

In his seven years at Visit Macon, the destination posted record tax collections in 2019, 2021 and 2022, designation of Ocmulgee Mounds as a National Historical Park and renovations to the Wilson Convention Center. During his tenure at Visit Macon, Sports Tourism has gone from a $3 million per year economic impact to a $14 million return annually. This included luring the GHSA State Basketball and Wrestling Championships back to Macon on a multi-year contract. In addition, Visit Macon took over operations of Film Macon in 2018 and has worked with over 20 productions in 6 years.

Among his career successes, Gary is credited with luring the Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum and Hall of Fame to Waterloo, Iowa, hosting the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and recruiting the Gaylord Rockies Hotel and Convention Center to Aurora, Colorado.

Prior to beginning his career in tourism, Gary earned his master’s degree in Coaching and Sports Administration serving as a graduate assistant for the athletic departments at Southern Mississippi and Virginia Tech before serving in a full-time administrative capacity within the athletic department at Virginia Tech.