More than 150 of Atlanta’s most influential city, state, federal, and international leaders gathered on November 18 for the 2025 4th Annual Atlanta City Council and State Delegation Legislative Reception, an increasingly pivotal convening that has become a cornerstone of pre-session alignment ahead of the Georgia General Assembly.

Hosted by Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, Senator Nan Orrock, and Representative Inga Willis, and presented by Atlantic South Group President and CEO Antwan T. Lang, the annual reception continues to serve as a strategic bridge between municipal and state leadership at a time when intergovernmental cooperation is more critical than ever.

Now in its fourth year, the reception has quietly evolved into one of Atlanta’s most effective relationship-driven policy forums. What many attendees may not realize is that the gathering itself was not created by a public institution, but rather by the vision of a young Atlanta-based business and civic leader who saw a structural gap and moved to fill it.

Lang, 31, founded the reception in the aftermath of the Buckhead de-annexation effort, recognizing that Atlanta needed a consistent, neutral, annual space where city and state leaders could build trust outside of the pressures of legislation and headlines. Since then, the forum he organized has grown into a respected gathering attended by elected leaders, senior staff, business executives, nonprofit partners, and members of the international diplomatic community.

This year’s event welcomed Consul Generals and Honorary Consuls representing Japan, France, Liberia, Guyana, Taiwan, Canada, and other nations, as well as representatives from the offices of both U.S. Senators, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Georgia Secretary of State. Mayor Andre Dickens also attended, emphasizing the importance of sustained cooperation between the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia to protect the city’s long-term interests.

Among the key priorities discussed were the protection of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the future of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and the need for alternative funding strategies in light of ongoing and potential federal funding cuts. Leaders also underscored the importance of maintaining consistent, working relationships between city and state government as Atlanta continues to grow in economic and geopolitical importance.

“This reception creates space for leaders to come together, ask real questions, and work toward real solutions for the City of Atlanta,” said Representative Inga Willis, Chair of the Atlanta House Delegation. “Protecting our city’s assets, stabilizing funding, and maintaining strong relationships between state and local government will remain our shared focus.”

“The work ahead will require continued cooperation, honest dialogue, and a commitment to serving the people of Atlanta with integrity,” said Senator Nan Orrock, Chair of the Atlanta Senate Delegation. “This forum allows us to begin that work together before the legislative session even starts.”

During the program, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office presented Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman with the Outstanding Georgia Citizen’s Award, recognizing his service and leadership. The ceremony also served as a symbolic transition, as Shipman prepares to conclude his term and Council President-Elect Marci Overstreet is set to assume leadership in January.

While the evening centered on public policy and governance, many attendees respectfully admonished and acknowledged the role Lang has played in designing, coordinating, and sustaining the forum over four consecutive years. What began as a modest effort to support collaboration during a politically sensitive moment has matured into a respected annual institution within Atlanta’s civic ecosystem.

Colleagues describe Lang’s approach as relentlessly relationship-driven, noting that he has built the reception not on spectacle, but on trust, continuity, and an uncommon ability to bring competitive interests into the same room with shared purpose. As Atlanta continues to navigate infrastructure expansion, public safety, economic development, and shifting funding realities, the annual legislative reception he created now operates as a stable connective thread between levels of government.

In a city known for outsized personalities and visible power, Lang’s influence has grown quietly through consistency, design, and results. As one attendee noted, “You look around the room and realize nearly every major decision-maker in Atlanta is here—and he built the room.”

Now entering its fifth year of planning, the Atlanta City Council and State Delegation Legislative Reception stands not only as a successful intergovernmental convening, but as a case study in how next-generation civic leadership is being forged in Atlanta—not through titles alone, but through initiative, credibility, and the long work of bringing people together.