John A. Williams was born and educated in Atlanta. Following graduation from the city's public school system, he entered the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S. in Industrial Management. Mr. Williams has directed and coordinated the development, construction and management of real estate developments since 1966. Mr. Williams founded Post Properties. He currently is chief executive officer of Williams Realty Advisors. He also holds interests in various other entities involving the acquisition, development, building, holding, leasing, managing, operating and exchanging of real properties and enterprises.

Among the 38 awards, honors and medals Mr. Wililams has received over his 30 years of success in the industry include being named Entrepreneur of the Year by both Stanford Business School and Ernst & Young in 1990 and 1988, respectively. Has has been given the Wall Street Transcript  CEO Award for Commercial Real Estate in 1995, along with being named CEO of the Year by Financial World in 1996. Mr. Williams was listed on National Real Estate Investor's list of the 20^th Century's Most Influential Developers, along with Atlanta Business Chronicle's award for Atlanta Residential Developer of the Decade, for the 1990s; this achievement was followed by Harvard Business School extending its Community Leadership Award to Mr. Williams in 2000. He has received numerous honors and awards from Cobb County, Georgia, including the Mack Henderson Public Service Award in 2005. Mr. Williams recently was inducted into the Multi-Housing News Hall of Fame: First Class in 2004 and given the Four Pillar Award in 2007 by the Council for Quality Growth. John Wiliams is and always has been very active in varied philanthropic activities, outreaches, and organizations in Georgia and around the world.

Mr. Williams currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Falcons, of which he also is a minority owner. He serves on the Advisory Board of Georgian Bancorporation and FCA Venture Partners IV. He previously has served on the boards of Riverside Bancshares, where he was the largest shareholder; the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority; the Atlanta Regional Commission and Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau; Post Secondary/Vocational Education. Plus, he has served on the Executive Committee of the National Apartment Association; the Board of Directors of NationsBank and Barnett Banks; the Board of Directors of Crawford & Company; and the Board of Directors of Post Properties. He is the founder and past chairman of the Cumberland Community Improvement District. He served as president of the Homebuilder Association of Metropolitan Atlanta; chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the Metro Business Forum; chairman of the Regional Business Coalition; chairman of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority; and chairman of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, serving two terms.