When Wes Ramey graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2008 with his masters’ degree in Professional Relations, he planned on a career that focused on public relations in motorsports.
He was drawn to ETSU from his hometown of Gate City, Virginia, due to the motorsports operations coursework that fell within the degree in Sports Management, as well as the opportunities that the Tri-Cities area offered. Ramey completed an internship with NASCAR and worked at the Bristol Motor Speedway for roughly six years as the public relations manager, before taking a chance on an offer from another PR job in a place that he had never even thought about before.
“After a few years, an opportunity from Dollywood presented itself,” Ramey said. “I knew the company was poised for a lot of great growth, so I took advantage of the opportunity to join the company.”
Ramey began working as the public relations director at Dolly Parton’s theme park, where he is still employed to this day. In his work, he communicates with various media sources to provide them with everything they need to successfully cover all aspects of the Dollywood Company, including parades, festivals, events and announcements. Ramey and the PR team are also responsible for managing all of Dollywood’s social media accounts.
“We are treated very well at Dollywood. We know every day that we are appreciated for the work that we do,” said Ramey, when asked what his favorite part of working for the company was. “I also enjoy the fact that I can help families create the long-lasting memories that are similar to mine from growing up and visiting the park. It was always special to come to the park with my parents and grandparents, now I’m able to bring my parents and kids so that we can have the same experience. Knowing we do that for so many people is very rewarding to me.”
Ramey mentioned that most of his favorite memories from his time at Dollywood involve, of course, the times he has interacted with Dolly Parton herself. He also cherishes the time he gets to spend with his team in producing media for the park, movies, major announcements and other things that, when he was in college, he “never would have dreamed he would have the chance to do.”
As for the future, Ramey believes his ultimate dream job lies right here in the heart of Tennessee.
“I always thought my dream job was somewhere in motorsports, but now that I’m at Dollywood, I hope to stay here for the rest of my career,” Ramey said. “Employees are treated so well and the company does so many good things for the community that I plan to stay here as long as I can. I’ve even considered what job I would like to have in the park after I retire!”
