The Council for Quality Growth will honor Dan T. Cathy, President & CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc., with its 26th annual leadership award at the Four Pillar Tribute on Thursday, October 1 at the Georgia World Congress Center. A who’s who of Metro Atlanta and Georgia – including Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, The Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent, Georgia Power Company Chairman, President and CEO Paul Bowers, and Larry Gellerstedt, President and CEO of Cousins Properties – among others will co-chair and pay tribute to Mr. Cathy.
“Dan is devoted to continually improving the Greater Atlanta community,” said Tim Lowe, 2015 Chairman of the Council for Quality Growth. “His passion for and commitment to communities throughout metro-Atlanta gives us insight into the measures he is taking to bring growth and prosperity to areas of the city that need us most.”
The theme of this year’s tribute will be “Climb with Care and Confidence,” which is one of the many lessons Cathy learned from his late father, Chick-fil-A, Inc. founder S. Truett Cathy. While Dan and his siblings grew up working in the family business, his tenure officially began in 1975. Cathy has served as the President and COO since 2001 and became Chairman and CEO in 2013. As the next generation of leadership for the country’s top quick-service chicken brand, Dan embodies his Four Pillar theme selection through his work in and out of the office. He is committed to upholding Chick-fil-A’s mission to “have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
Cathy is also committed to the prosperity of Atlanta. He has been a vocal proponent of investment and community improvement in Atlanta’s most impoverished neighborhoods. To help further these efforts, the Council for Quality Growth will be making a gift in Cathy’s honor to causes supporting Atlanta’s Westside communities.
An esteemed group of Tribute Co-Chairs have assembled to pay tribute to Cathy for his demonstration of the “Four Pillars” of leadership – Quality, Responsibility, Vision and Integrity. The complete list of Tribute Co-Chairs include:
Frank Blake, Former Chairman and CEO, The Home Depot
Ted Blum, Managing Shareholder-Atlanta, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Paul Bowers, Chairman, President and CEO, Georgia Power Company
Rodney Bullard, Vice President, Community Affairs at Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Vince Dooley, Former Head Coach and Athletic Director, University of Georgia
Larry Gellerstedt, President and CEO, Cousins Properties
Jack Harris, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Georgia
Virginia Hepner, President and CEO, Woodruff Arts Center
Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor, City of Atlanta
H. Jerome Russell, President, H.J. Russell & Company
John Stephenson, Jr., President and CEO, College Football Hall of Fame
Dr. Charles Wilmer, M.D., Chief of Patient Outreach, Piedmont Heart Institute
“Dan is a true servant leader,” said Council for Quality Growth President and CEO Michael Paris. “His unwavering commitment to company values and serving the community makes him the ideal recipient of the Four Pillar Award this year. In all he does, Dan represents Quality, Responsibility, Vision and Integrity, and we are so honored to be recognizing him this fall for what he has done for not just the Atlanta region, but the state and country as well.”
Cathy is involved in a number of local organizations, including the Metro Atlanta Chamber, City of Refuge, Junior Achievement of Georgia, the College Football Hall of Fame, Morehouse College, Global Teen Challenge and Eagle Ranch.
The Council is proud to honor Dan Cathy with its Four Pillar Tribute and invites you to celebrate on October 1. For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit http://www.fourpillartribute.com.
About the Four Pillar Tribute:
The Four Pillar Award & Tribute is a unique honor that celebrates the recipient’s significant contributions to economic development and the region’s quality of life. This prestigious award is unparalleled in the Atlanta region and has come to be known as the highest honor bestowed for the aforementioned contributions.
Past recipients of the Council’s Four Pillar award include:
1990 Steve Reynolds
1991 Wayne Shackelford
1992 J.W. Benefield
1993 D. Scott Hudgens
1994 Wayne H. Mason
1995 Virgil R. Williams
1996 Paul A. Duke
1997 Jim Cowart
1998 J.D. Caswell
1999 A. Ray Weeks
2000 Richard L. Tucker
2001 Louise Radloff
2002 George Busbee
2003 F. Wayne Hill
2004 Charlie Brown
2005 Senator Johnny Isakson
2006 John Wieland
2007 John A. Williams
2008 Tom Cousins
2009 Mayor Shirley Franklin
2010 Arthur M. Blank
2011 R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr.
2012 Sam Massell
2013 John Portman
2014 Steve Selig