PRESS RELEASE Media Contact:
For Immediate Release: Anna Frances Gardner
Thursday, May 28, 2026 770-813-3388
Council for Quality Growth Names Speakers & Chairs for the 2026 Four Pillar Tribute honoring Egbert Perry
Chairman of The Integral Group to Receive 37th Annual Four Pillar Award on October 1
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – The Council for Quality Growth will honor Egbert L. J. Perry, Chairman of The Integral Group, with its 37th annual Four Pillar Tribute on October 1, 2026 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Council’s prestigious Four Pillar Award annually recognizes an outstanding individual who demonstrates the ‘Four Pillars’ of leadership – Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity – and exemplifies the Council’s mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth. The 2026 Tribute will recognize many lasting and ongoing contributions Egbert Perry has made to our Atlanta region, state of Georgia, and beyond. The 2026 reception and dinner are presented by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, and Norfolk Southern, and will be held in the Georgia Ballroom of the Georgia World Congress Center.
The theme of Egbert’s Four Pillar Tribute is Integrity. Innovation. Impact. – a reflection of the principles that have defined his leadership for more than three decades. Today, The Integral Group is recognized as one of the nation’s premier urban development and community investment firms. Since co-founding Integral in 1993, Egbert has helped transform communities across the country through mixed-use developments, transit-oriented projects, and affordable and workforce housing initiatives. Under his leadership, Integral has developed approximately 10,000 housing units and built a national reputation for sustainable real estate and infrastructure solutions. Among the company’s most impactful projects is Centennial Place, the nation’s first urban mixed-use, economically integrated community. Egbert has also been a nationally respected voice on housing and economic development, including serving as Chairman of Fannie Mae following the 2008 financial crisis.
At the 2026 Four Pillar Tribute, a special group of Tribute Speakers will speak to the presence of these ‘Four Pillars’ of leadership in the life and work of Egbert Perry. Tribute Speakers include Larry Gellerstedt III, Partner at Sweetwater Holdings, Renee Lewis Glover, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder of Coretto and Associates, LLC, Rian Smith, Chief Legal and Impact Officer at The Integral Group, and T. Dallas Smith, Founder & CEO of T. Dallas Smith & Company. Miguel Southwell, President & CEO of Brakkam Aviation Management, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. The evening will also feature a special musical tribute and entertainment, a video tribute to Egbert, and remarks from other special guests. An esteemed group of Tribute Chairs have been selected to pay tribute to Egbert Perry for his impact and exemplary leadership across Atlanta and beyond, including:
The Council for Quality Growth commends the work of Egbert Perry and The Integral Group’s contributions to Atlanta’s success story, making it a better place to live, to work, and to visit. The Council is incredibly proud to continue its annual tradition of recognizing extraordinary leaders in our region and state by adding Egbert to its prestigious list of Four Pillar Award honorees. Sponsorship information is now available at www.FourPillarTribute.com.
What: Council for Quality Growth’s 37th Annual Four Pillar Tribute
Who: Honoring Egbert Perry, Chairman, The Integral Group
- Master of Ceremonies
- Miguel Southwell, President & CEO, Brakkam Aviation Management
- Tribute Speakers on Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity
- Larry Gellerstedt III, Partner, Sweetwater Holdings
- Renee Lewis Glover, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder, Coretto and Associates, LLC
- Rian Smith, Chief Legal and Impact Officer, The Integral Group
- Dallas Smith, Founder & CEO, T. Dallas Smith & Company
- Other Featured Speakers
- Gerald McDowell, 2026 Chairman of the Board, Council for Quality Growth and Executive Director of ATL Airport CIDs
- Michael Paris, President & CEO, Council for Quality Growth
When: Thursday, October 1, 2026
- 6:00 p.m. – Cocktail reception
- 7:15 p.m. – Dinner and Tribute presentation
Where: Georgia World Congress Center’s Georgia Ballroom
Attire: Black-tie Optional
Tickets are required for guests and are available at www.FourPillarTribute.com.
Read the 2026 Four Pillar Tribute Honoree Announcement Here.
Download the full 2026 Sponsorship Brochure Here.
About the Four Pillar Tribute:
For 37 years the Council for Quality Growth has paid tribute to an outstanding individual in the metro Atlanta region who exemplifies the Council’s mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth through an annual leadership tribute gala that recognizes the ‘Four Pillars’ of leadership – Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity.
The Four Pillar Award and Tribute is an unparalleled honor that allows the opportunity for the metro Atlanta region and State of Georgia to celebrate the recipient’s significant contributions to quality of life, community leadership, and economic development. The gala and award have come to be known as the highest honor bestowed for the contributions. The event provides a platform to align the honorees’ impacts on the region and the state with the Council’s ambitions and serves as a beacon of inspiration to perpetuate our economic prosperity. More information about the annual Four Pillar Tribute can be found at www.fourpillartribute.com.
Past recipients of the Council’s Four Pillar Award include:
| 1990 Steve Reynolds | 2002 Governor George Busbee | 2014 Steve Selig |
| 1991 Wayne Shackelford | 2003 Richard L. Tucker | 2015 Dan Cathy |
| 1992 J.W. Benefield | 2004 Charlie Brown | 2016 Jenny Pruitt |
| 1993 D. Scott Hudgens | 2005 Senator Johnny Isakson | 2017 Governor Nathan Deal |
| 1994 Wayne H. Mason | 2006 John Wieland | 2018 Paul Bowers |
| 1995 Virgil R. Williams | 2007 John A. Williams | 2019 Larry Gellerstedt III |
| 1996 Paul A. Duke | 2008 Tom Cousins | 2020 Doug Hertz |
| 1997 Jim Cowart | 2009 Mayor Shirley Franklin | 2021 Amb. Andrew J. Young |
| 1998 J.D. Caswell | 2010 Arthur M. Blank | 2022 Carol B. Tomé |
| 1999 A. Ray Weeks | 2011 R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. | 2023 Ed Bastian |
| 2000 Louise Radloff | 2012 Mayor Sam Massell | 2024 Herman J. Russell Family |
| 2001 F. Wayne Hill | 2013 John Portman | 2025 Tommy Holder |
About the Council for Quality Growth:
The Council for Quality Growth is a trade organization that works to ensure continued growth and economic success for generations to come by providing advocacy, information, and education to its members. In its 41st year, the Council is committed to the mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth and is proactively involved in the formulation of policy and legislation critical to the growth and development industry. The Council addresses, head-on, strategic economic planning, infrastructure needs, and tough quality-of-life issues throughout the metro Atlanta region and state. For more information, please visit http://www.councilforqualitygrowth.org.
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