Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently appointed Maria Guerra-Stoll, the CEO of Atlanta’s GSB Architects and Interiors, to the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Advisory Commission. Guerra-Stoll, also the principal of PAM Studios (Playa Azul Media) in Rome, was a pioneer in the design and implementation of the sound stages, backlots and studios that now dominate the Georgia landscape. The Film Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the State’s Office of Economic Development, the entity with oversight of the state’s film, music and gaming industries. A sector that was once an afterthought in Georgia has exploded in recent years to become a huge factor in Georgia’s economy, accounting for nearly $5 billion in revenues across the state. Many are not aware of the role Maria’s firm played in the early days of Georgia’s major expansion into film 15 years ago.
The Georgia Film Office was established by then-Governor Jimmy Carter in 1973, after the highly acclaimed film Deliverance put Georgia on the map as a location for filming in 1972. The state saw slow but steady growth in film production over the years, with more than 500 film projects produced in Georgia by 2007. That pace accelerated rapidly in the early 2000s, when the state created an unprecedented package of incentives and benefits for filming in the state, resulting in Georgia’s rapid ascension to its current position as the Hollywood of the South. Guerra-Stoll, a Latina who originally hails from Venezuela, played a major role in the film industry’s evolution in Georgia, leading the design effort for Tyler Perry Studios, the first major studio production campus in the state. In 2015, she took her film and production involvement to a new level with the launch of PAM Studios LLC in Rome.
Maria is also a trailblazer in minority business development, emulating Tyler Perry’s monumental impact on his community through her devotion to creating opportunities in the Hispanic community. A GMSDC certified minority business owner, Guerra-Stoll is focused on projects in the film, television and streaming industries that empower and inspire women and minorities. She plays an active role in her community through her service to the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Latino Film Festival, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Rome Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity, in addition to her engagement in boards and leadership roles in the architecture and film industries. We congratulate Maria on her appointment by the Governor to the State’s Film Commission and salute her dedication to blazing a trail for others in her community to follow. For more information, visit gsbarchitects.com and pam-studios.com.
