Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1407173
M aconites know the McKelvey name. Dr. Tom McKelvey, the kindly dentist who arrived in Macon in 1960, maintained a practice here for more than 50 years. Macon is where he and his wife, Rose Mary, a fixture in development at Wesleyan College and later at the Museum of Aviation, raised their six children. In September 2020, Ryan, the youngest McKelvey, became president of Cornerstone Brands — four home and apparel lifestyle brands selling proprietary home furnishings, décor and women's apparel through catalogs, ecommerce and retail stores. Cornerstone's companies will be familiar to online shopping aficionados. Frontgate, Ballard Designs, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road engage customers through social media, blogs and design services, while Ballard's podcast, "How to Decorate," provides inspiration and ideas. Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a year of achievement for Cornerstone and of ascension for McKelvey. While many corporations failed or floundered, home design and décor boomed and Cornerstone flourished, topping $1 billion in sales. McKelvey, who began the year as president of Ballard Designs, was promoted twice. In April, he was named Cornerstone's chief operating officer, and in September, Cornerstone's president. Yet, this proud son of Macon flies under the radar as one of the city's most inconspicuous corporate luminaries. Here, he's known to family and childhood friends as "Boo," although no one, including McKelvey, knows the nickname's origin. Macon architect and developer Gene Dunwody Jr. is effusive in his praise for his lifelong friend. CORPORATE TITAN RYAN MCKELVEY IS ONE OF OUR OWN BY JAMI GAUDET | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA WHITLEY CORNERSTONE of LEADERSHIP 86 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021