Sam Massell to Deliver State of Buckhead Address

From Patch Reports

President and former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell will deliver his annual State of Buckhead address Thursday morning, appearing at the Buckhead Business Association's weekly breakfast meeting.

“It is a true honor that Mayor Massell continues to choose the Buckhead Business Association breakfast as the venue for his annual State of Buckhead address,” said BBA President Catherine Cattles. “Massell’s ongoing support of the Buckhead community is unrivaled, and we look forward to hearing his perspective on the future of Buckhead in 2012 and beyond.”

The BBA meets each Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the City Club of Buckhead. Tickets are $10 for BBA members and $20 for visitors and guests.  Validated self-parking is available for all attendees. For more information, see the BBA website at www.buckheadbusiness.org.

A life-long resident of Atlanta and known as the "mayor of Buckhead," Massell has had successful careers in real estate brokerage, elected office, the field of tourism and association management, the BBA said.

Massell spent 20 years as a Realtor, rising to vice president of Allan-Grayson Realty Co., then one of the city’s largest commercial brokerage firms. During that time, he was elected a charter member of the Atlanta Real Estate Board Million Dollar Club and honored three times by the Georgia Association of Real Estate Boards for the “Outstanding Transaction of the Year.”

He served 22 years in elected office, including eight years as president of Atlanta’s Board of Aldermen (now City Council) and four years as mayor of Atlanta. While Massell was mayor, he was named president of the 15,000-member National League of Cities. He served a four-year term on the board of MARTA and was a member of the board of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.

Among other achievements, Massell’s administration is credited with establishing MARTA, developing the the Omni Coliseum, and providing the Central City Woodruff Park at Five Points — all accomplished without calling on ad valorem taxes. He pioneered minority opportunities in Atlanta city government as the first mayor to appoint a female to City Council and to appoint African-Americans to lead city departments.

In addition to his work with the Buckhead Coalition, Massell serves on numerous boards, including the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Atlanta Historical Society, and Atlanta Speech School. He is a member of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau “Hospitality Hall of Fame”; Georgia Trend Magazine “Most Influential Georgians Hall of Fame”; International Civil Rights “Walk of Fame”; and Georgia State University Robinson College “Business Hall of Fame.”

Upcoming speakers include Dr. Beverly Scott, MARTA CEO and general manager, Feb. 23; Marilyn Midyette, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, March 1; and Ed Baker, publisher of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, March 8.