DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — For eight years, one man has led DeKalb County through crisis after crisis.
Now, restricted by term limits, CEO Michael Thurmond is looking toward what’s next as two people head into a runoff for his seat.
11Alive has been following Thurmond since his days in the legislature in 1986, then as State Labor Commissioner in the late 90s, then as DeKalb County Superintendent when he dropped out of a Senate bid to rebuild schools and navigate children and school buses through the historic ice storm of 2014.
We continued to follow his journey when voters elected him CEO of DeKalb County in 2016.
Thurmond has been widely regarded as one of the most popular elected Democrats in the state for his unique style of building bridges and finding solutions.
“Someone told me, ‘You know, disasters follow you around. Wherever you go, there’s always some crisis,’” Thurmond said.
Thurmond successfully reined in an assortment of issues in DeKalb County’s troubled school system, bringing it back from the verge of losing its accreditation.
He rounded out the county’s budget, tackled blight, crime and water infrastructure issues, and, unlike his two CEO predecessors, Thurmond spent no time facing criminal charges.
In a one-on-one interview, he told 11Alive how he has managed to improve so many challenging issues.
“You’re a fixer. You seem to leave everything you touch better than you found it. How do you do that?” we asked.
“Build consensus. It’s all about people,” Thurmond replied.
No matter what his title has been, Thurmond says his leadership style has remained the same.
“To be transparent, to speak honestly, and then to have the courage to build bridges and open lines of communication,” he said.
After eight years as CEO, term limits are not the only factor keeping Thurmond from another four years in his seat. He says he wouldn’t run again even if he could.
“I feel like there is a time for every season and a season for every time. I’ve loved it. I’ve enjoyed it, but my season is coming to a close, and I just want to be able to look back and say we tried. We succeeded in some, we failed in others, but DeKalb, I believe, is a better place today,” Thurmond said.
As for what’s next? Thurmond hinted at another run for elected office, but said he’s focused on finishing the job as CEO and then taking some time for himself.
During his final State of the County address as he was acknowledging people in the room, he joked that no one could stop him from his laundry list of names because he wasn’t running for any elected office.
Then he paused and said, “I ain’t gonna say don’t vote for me. I might need your vote.” The room erupted in laughter.
“What might people be voting for you next?” we asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
“A lot of people would like to see you in the governor’s office. Any response to what people are asking for?” we questioned.
“I’m encouraged by that. Thank you for those who feel that way, but we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. I just want to finish this job strong,” Thurmond said.
Thurmond still has seven months as CEO before either Larry Johnson or Lorraine Cochran-Johnson fill his empty seat.
Before he leaves office, Thurmond says he’ll start rehabilitating and refurbishing the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant, the county’s only source of fresh water.
He calls that priority number one and says it’s likely the top issue the next CEO will face.
“That is the biggest challenge in the immediate future that (DeKalb County) will face,” he said. “We have to continue investing and improving the water and sewer system infrastructure. We’ve made tremendous strides with reducing sewer spills and rebuilding the water distribution system. Scott Candler is the only water treatment facility in DeKalb County. We have one source of fresh water and it’s some 80 years old. Major portions of it have not been replaced in nearly eight decades.”
After two terms, he has some advice for whoever succeeds him as leader of one of the most diverse counties in the United States.
“You must have advanced political skills in order to win the race, but once elected, 90% of the job has nothing to do with partisan politics. It’s about running a government. You’ve got to make sure that the garbage is picked up, the traffic lights are working, that people are safe. It’s about picking up the litter and mowing the right-of-ways, and making sure clean fresh water comes out of the tap when people turn it on,” he said. “So if you desire to be just a politician, being CEO is not the job for you.
When someone new takes over at the beginning of 2025, Thurmond says his first act of business is getting some rest.
“If you can avoid it, never make important decisions when you’re tired. I will admit that being in a leadership position during the pandemic was the most challenging thing I faced,” he said. “I love politics, but it doesn’t define who I am. If I get another shot, I’ll run. I might win. I might lose. I don’t know, but holding public office won’t define my happiness or lack thereof.”
You can watch 11Alive's full interview with Thurmond below: