Council for Quality Growth names Egbert Perry as 2026 ‘Four Pillar’ award recipient

The Council for Quality Growth has named Egbert Perry, chairman of Atlanta real estate developer The Integral Group, as the recipient of its 37th annual Four Pillar Tribute and Award. 

Each year, the Council presents the honor to an individual who it feels exemplifies its “Four Pillars” of leadership (quality, responsibility, vision and integrity), which are attributes the nonprofit feels best represents the definition of a leader. 

Originally from Antigua and Barbuda, Perry moved to the United States during high school and arrived in Atlanta in 1980, where he started his now 47-year real estate career.

In 1993, Perry co-founded The Integral Group, a firm that has since grown into a 300-person organization headquartered in Atlanta, with additional offices located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and Denver.

Over his career, Perry has overseen the delivery of more than 10,000 housing units and led several major projects, such as the redevelopment of the General Motors plant in Doraville, along with current efforts involving the office-to-residential conversion of 2 Peachtree and the redevelopment of the former Atlanta Medical Center site.

Additionally, Perry helped to pioneer the “Atlanta Model” of urban redevelopment, first demonstrated through the transformation of Techwood Homes into Centennial Place prior to the 1996 Olympic Games. 

The model established a national precedent for mixed-income, mixed-use communities by integrating affordable and market-rate housing with educational, recreational and retail components, including a STEAM-focused K-8 school, early childhood development programs and the Arthur M. Blank Family YMCA.

Beyond his development portfolio, Perry has also held a variety of civic and corporate leadership roles. He served on the board of Fannie Mae for 10 years, including a five-year term as chairman, and has served on the boards of The Carter Center, the National Center for Civil & Human Rights and the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as the chairman of Centennial Academy. 

“Egbert’s leadership has not only transformed communities, but it has also helped shape the economic trajectory of our region and strengthened the quality of life for generations to come,” said Michael E. Paris, president and CEO of the Council for Quality Growth. “His thoughtful approach to development reflects the very best of what the Four Pillar Tribute represents.”

Egbert will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 1, 2026, at the Georgia World Congress Center, with the theme for the tribute event being chosen by Perry himself: “Integrity. Innovation. Impact.”

“To be recognized by the Council for Quality Growth and this Four Pillar Award is both humbling and meaningful, and it reinforces the responsibility that comes with this work — to keep building with integrity, innovation and impact,” said Perry. “There is still more to do, and more people to reach.”