Atlanta, GA – March 31, 2026 — Emory University’s Goizueta Business School announced that Joel Murphy, a nationally respected real estate CEO and board director, has been appointed the inaugural Executive Director of the BL Harbert Real Estate Center and Goizueta Distinguished Industry Chair in Real Estate. This milestone appointment was made possible through Emory alumni support to create an endowed industry chair.
Murphy brings more than 35 years of experience in real estate investment, development, capital strategy, governance, and executive leadership. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Murphy Capital & Advisory Group LLC, a firm that actively invests in private enterprises in various evolutionary stages, as well as consults with and advises private real estate and other sector companies with respect to capital strategies, investment approaches, leadership development, and value creation opportunities.
“Joel is a transformational leader with strategic vision, operational discipline, and deep industry relationships,” said Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “He has built and led complex real estate enterprises at the highest level, delivered extraordinary shareholder value, and demonstrated principled leadership throughout his career. As the inaugural Executive Director of the BL Harbert Real Estate Center, Joel will elevate our engagement with the industry, expand opportunities for our students, and strengthen Goizueta’s position as a preeminent destination for real estate education in one of the nation’s most dynamic markets.”
Formerly, as Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Preferred Apartment Communities (NYSE:APTS) (“PAC”), Murphy evolved and led the growth and recapitalization strategy for PAC to become the #1 public real estate investment trust in the U.S. in total shareholder return from 2020-2022. With a focus on owning, operating, and investing in high-quality apartment communities and grocery anchored retail centers in first-ring suburban Sunbelt markets, the strategy ultimately led to the $5.8 billion sale of PAC to Blackstone in June 2022. Murphy founded New Market Properties in 2014, a private enterprise actively engaged in the grocery anchored retail space, grew it to $1.3 billion in asset value, and merged it into PAC in 2020 prior to becoming PAC CEO and Board Chair.
Prior to founding New Market, Murphy was President of the Retail Division of Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ), where he oversaw the development, scaling, and operation of Cousins’ $1.2 billion retail portfolio, including the open-air specialty centers known as The Avenue.
Murphy served as the Chair of the Westminster Board of Trustees from 2018-2022 and currently sits on the Boards of The Orvis Company and Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD) and is a member of The Buckhead Coalition, The Atlanta Rotary Club, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is also a former Trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Murphy’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the BL Harbert Real Estate Center as Goizueta continues to expand its engagement with the real estate industry. Established through transformational support from Goizueta alumnus and industry leader Billy Harbert 09MBA, the center serves as a collaborative hub connecting students, faculty, alumni, and industry leaders to promote practical applied learning and real-life job skills.
“Real estate is at a true inflection point, and the industry is evolving toward leaders who can think broadly across capital, operations, and long-term value creation,” said Harbert. “There is a growing demand for talent that is not only technically strong, but prepared to lead in a more complex and dynamic environment. This center is designed to develop that next generation. With Joel’s experience and leadership, I am confident it will become a powerful bridge between the classroom and the real world.”
The center builds on Goizueta’s strong foundation in real estate by expanding experiential learning opportunities, strengthening industry engagement, and supporting career pathways for students pursuing roles across the real estate sector. Through industry partnerships, events, mentorship, and applied learning opportunities, the Center brings leading real estate professionals to campus to engage with students and faculty on current market trends, transactions, and emerging challenges shaping the industry. This April, the Center will host the 5th annual Emory Goizueta Real Estate Conference, convening senior investors, developers, and C-suite leaders to explore the forces shaping the future of commercial real estate.
Leveraging Atlanta’s position as one of the nation’s most dynamic real estate markets and the school’s deep alumni network, the center provides students with hands-on exposure to the real estate ecosystem while preparing them with the analytical, strategic, and relationship-building skills needed to lead in the field.
As Executive Director, Murphy will set the strategic vision for the center, deepen relationships with major industry participants, collaborate closely with faculty to ensure curriculum relevance, support student career placement, and lead high-profile conferences and external events.
“This is an exciting and rapidly evolving time for real estate, as technology, capital flows, and demographic shifts redefine how and where we live, work, and invest. The BL Harbert Real Estate Center has a tremendous opportunity to be at the forefront of that evolution,” said Murphy. “I am excited to expand the center’s reach – connecting students, industry leaders, and ideas from across the country – to drive innovation and prepare future leaders for an increasingly complex landscape. At its core, this role is about investing in people. The opportunity to mentor and develop the next generation of real estate leaders – while drawing on the experience of an engaged alumni and industry network – is incredibly meaningful to me. I look forward to helping students gain both the practical skills and the perspective needed to lead with integrity and vision.”
To learn more about the BL Harbert Real Estate Center, visit: https://goizueta.emory.edu/faculty/harbert-real-estate-center.
To learn more about the 5th annual Emory Goizueta Real Estate conference, visit: https://goizueta.emory.edu/faculty/harbert-real-estate-center/events.
About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School
Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with an undergraduate degree program, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master in Management, Master in Business for Veterans, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.
