Sam Massell accepts Four Pillar Award for leadership: ‘I'm afraid you have inflated my ego beyond repair’

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Buckhead’s unofficialMayor Sam Massell Thursday night told a crowd of nearly 800 business, politicaland community leaders “I’m afraid you have inflated my ego beyond repair” as heaccepted the 2012 Four Pillar Award for leadership from the Council for QualityGrowth.

Sam Massell accepts the Four Pillar Award, flanked by those who took
part in the program, from right to left, Michael Paris, president & CEO
of Council for Quality Growth, emcee Atlanta City Council President
Ceasar Mitchell, former Gov. Roy Barnes, former U.S. Sen. David Gambrell,
Atlanta Fine Homes CEO Jenny Pruitt, Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens,
Juanita Baranco and Georgia State University President Dr. Mark Becker.
For a photo gallery of the event, go here.

The native Atlantan and53^rd mayor of the city, was lauded during an almost three-hourceremony that featured presentations by present Mayor Kasim Reed, Lt. Gov.Casey Cagle, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, former U.S. Sen. David Gambrell,Atlanta Fine Homes CEO Jenny Pruitt and Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens.
Two additional highlights were a musical tributeto Massell by his daughter and well-known songstress MelanieMassell and a video tribute to Massell’s life, business and public servicecareer entitled “Public Service, Civic Pride”.
Melanie Massell sangthree songs: “God Bless America” in honor of her father’s sense of patriotism,“I Did It My Way,” in honor of the way her father has lived his life, and “It’sBuckhead,” a new song written to honor Massell’s community he serves and loves.

Sam Massell with his daughter Melanie who sang three
songs in tribute to her father and his life and work. 

The master of ceremoniesfor the event, held in the Georgian Ballroom of the Georgia World CongressCenter, was Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell. The Four PillarAward was presented to Massell by well-known Atlanta real estate attorney DougDillard, who is the 2012 chairman of the Council for Quality Growth. 
For 23 years, theCouncil for Quality Growth has annually recognized an outstanding individualwhose accomplishments embody the Four Pillars of leadership and success:Quality, Responsibility, Vision and Integrity. They are the four principles onwhich the council was founded in 1985.
The 2011 Four PillarAward recipient was another Buckhead leader R. Charles “Charlie” LoudermilkSr., who with Massell founded the Buckhead Coalition. Massell continues as thefirst and only president of the Buckhead organization of 100 business leaders.

Massell posed before the ceremony with members of his
family, left to right, son-in-law Jack Jacobs (daughter
Melanie's husband), wife Doris and daughter Cindy. 

Mayor Reed in hiswelcome remarks said of Massell, “He has never stopped delivering for Buckhead,for Atlanta and for the state.” 
Speaking to the firstpillar of “Quality”, Gov. Barnes quipped about Massell’s designation as themayor of Buckhead. “He names himself. He serves for life. There are nore-elections,” Barnes said, adding that is something he could wrap his armsaround.
Barnes praised Massellas fostering the “intersection of business and politics” to create a qualitycommunity environment in Buckhead and Atlanta. “This all happened because ofpeople like Sam Massell,” he stated. “Oh, if we only have more like him on theway.”
Former Sen. Gambrell,who spoke to the pillar of “Responsibility”, told the audience, “Sam has made alife’s work of making quality growth in the city of Atlanta.”

Massell with Buckhead developer David Allman, who is
chairman of the Buckhead Community Improvement District
which Massell helped start to promote quality development.

Gambrell said that whenhe first met Massell, “Sam was a member of a family that was changing theskyline of Atlanta.” He praised Massell for upholding “his promises to fairnessand equality” in Atlanta government.
Gambrell and otherspeakers pointed to Massell’s record in Atlanta politics of appointing thefirst female member of the Atlanta Board of Alderman (now City Council) and thefirst African American department head. Also, before avowed liberal DemocratMassell made the change, there were no Republican primaries in Atlantaelections.
“Sam keeps on keepingon,” Gambrell added. “He is a man of all seasons.”
Pruit spoke on “Vision”and how Massell has envisioned Atlanta and Buckhead as leading business centersand communities of thriving neighborhoods. She pointed to Massell’s variouscareers in real estate (where he won several awards), politics, the travelindustry and now in association management as president of the BuckheadCoalition.
“Because of Sam’sleadership, people have not perished, they have flourished,” Pruitt stated.  

Council for Quality Growth Chairman Doug Dillard makes the
presentation of the award (in his hand) to Sam Massell.

Olens spoke to Massell’s“Integrity” and how he has always stuck to his principals and has always been astrong promoter of quality growth for Buckhead, Atlanta and Georgia.
When it finally cametime for Massell to speak, he joked about being asked once what was the bestway to get in to see him when he was mayor of Atlanta. He said he told theperson “bring a plaque and have a pretty girl present it.”
The presenter of thesymbolic Four Pillar Award was not a pretty girl, but instead the imposingfigure of a powerful attorney, Doug Dillard, flanked on stage by a cast ofdignitaries looking out upon and audience of about 800 friends who came tosupport the presentation.

Massell gives a thumbs up

Massell appeared bothhumbled and impressed.
“I am very impressedthat these gentlemen and ladies would show up for this event in my honor,” hesaid. “The bottom line benefit to the receipt ofan award like this you have bestowed upon me tonight, is that it motivates theman or woman honored, to strive to do better to live up to its expectations.” 
‘I am not going to letyou down…and, I am not through yet,” he concluded, referring to his continuing rolein community service and leadership.  

For a photo gallery of the event, go here.