On August 9, 2024, the Council for Quality Growth, through the Quality Growth Institute, will host its 4^th annual The INTERSECTION Quality Development Conference at the City Springs Studio Theatre in Sandy Springs. Each year, The INTERSECTION convenes public policy and private investment leaders to discuss the most pressing issues facing our Atlanta region. The 2024 theme “Building a Strong Foundation” will continue the affordable housing conversations presented last year by exploring the intersection of housing and infrastructure. Doug Hooker, former Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the conference and guide this in-depth discussion. 

With 89 local governments now in our metro Atlanta region, housing remains a critical issue in every community. It is high-quality and sustainable infrastructure that makes development work, and as a region and state, we must prioritize this investment to support the expected population growth and ensure housing continues to be built. The 4^th Annual INTERSECTION Conference will explore where these two important topics meet and look at housing as the critical piece of infrastructure that it is. 

A packed agenda features 15 speakers, including a keynote, local Mayors and County Chairs, project case studies, diverse panelists, and topic experts. The half day event features a variety of industry-leading organizations across metro Atlanta and the U.S. Mayor Knox White of Greenville, South Carolina will deliver the keynote address, followed by national housing innovation content from the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank, and Clayton, a leading builder of single-family attainable housing. Other featured content includes a bus rapid transit success story as told by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, a panel of local Atlanta region Mayors, a case study on the 2 Peachtree office-to-residential conversion, a transit expansion conversation between Cobb and Gwinnett County Chairwomen, and much more. 

The Council for Quality Growth works at “the intersection” of public policy and private investment, and The INTERSECTION Conference is an educational event with content tailored to both sides of development. The keynotes, speakers, and panelists featured on August 9 will provide new and relevant ideas, realistic best practices, outside perspectives, and innovative solutions for both the public and private sector professionals to take back to their own projects in their own municipalities. 

“The INTERSECTION is a perfect example of the Council’s commitment to fostering collaboration among private and public sectors in the Atlanta region,” said Sally Riker, 2024 Chair of the Council for Quality Growth. “By convening these experts and sharing ideas, we find tangible solutions to the unique challenges in our communities and set our future generations up for success.” 

Over 350 are expected in the Studio Theater at City Springs. The INTERSECTION Conference attracts a wide array of attendees representing various sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, economic development, government, and community organizations. The event aims to further fulfill the mission of the Council for Quality Growth, promoting balanced and responsible growth by advocating for its members, educating an industry of leaders on these critical issues, sharing information, and fostering strategic partnerships.

The INTERSECTION Conference is a product the Quality Growth Institute, the education arm of the Council for Quality Growth and an established 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the state of Georgia. Through the Quality Growth Institute, conference attendees are eligible to receive 4.0 credit hours towards occupational licensing, including Continuing Education (CE) real estate credit hours approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission, Certification Maintenance (CM) AICP planning credit hours approved by the Georgia Planning Association, and Professional Development Hour (PDH) engineering credits.

A full agenda of content and speakers can be found at www.councilforqualitygrowth.org/INTERSECTION. Registration is now open, and sponsorships are available for this event at the website above. Tickets are required for all guests. Admission is free for elected officials. Media is invited to attend and should RSVP to Kathryn Jones at [email protected]. 

WHAT:              The INTERSECTION Quality Development Conference

                             Building a Strong Foundation: Where Housing & Infrastructure Meet

WHEN:             August 9, 2024

7:30 AM – 12:30 PM 

WHERE:           City Springs Studio Theatre

1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 

WHO:                Public Policy and Private Investment Leaders 

                             Master of Ceremonies: Doug Hooker, former Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Commission 

Keynote Speaker: Mayor Knox White, City of Greenville, South Carolina 

Featured Speakers/Panelists:

• Mayor Beverly Burks, City of Clarkston

• Mayor Michael Caldwell, City of Woodstock, Vice Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission

• Ramsey Cohen, Vice President of National Sales, Clayton

• Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, Cobb County

• Maribeth Feke, Director of Programming & Planning, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

• Ann Hanlon, Executive Director, Perimeter CIDs

• Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, Gwinnett County

• Mayor Rusty Paul, City of Sandy Springs

• Egbert Perry, Chairman, The Integral Group

• Tobias Peter, Senior Fellow & Co-Director, Housing Center, American Enterprise Institute

• Anna Roach, Executive Director & CEO, Atlanta Regional Commission

• Mayor Vince Williams, City of Union City

• Kyle Wingfield, President & CEO, Georgia Public Policy Foundation

Tickets are required for guests and are available at www.councilforqualitygrowth.org/INTERSECTION.

• $95 | Members

• $115 | Non-Members

• FREE | Elected Officials (RSVP to Joseph Santoro)

• FREE | Press/Media (RSVP to Kathryn Jones)