DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is set to have a new chief executive officer in charge after Lorraine Cochran-Johnson recently won the Democratic runoff and faces no Republican challenger in November.
'Change' is a word often used by Cochran-Johnson, who served as a county commissioner before being elected. She's now notably poised to be the first Black woman to serve as the county's CEO, with longtime CEO Michael Thurmond set to finish his tenure.
She sat down with 11Alive to give a preview of what's to come, eager to embark on her new journey before her official start date, January 2.
"I'm very excited to, in some ways, break glass ceilings, be the first, but also most importantly to be that candidate that people see as an agent of change," Cochran-Johnson said.
Cochran-Johnson indicates she plans to build on outgoing CEO Michael Thurmond and her fellow commissioners' foundation yet also believes DeKalb "is at a crossroads."
"Right now, we face, of course, issues with a lack of housing. We need to move forward on high-capacity transit and economic development," she said.
She added that the work will look different for various neighborhoods of the county to further her revitalization goals.
"If you're in the Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Chamblee area, as well as Doraville, you're seeing incredible growth - and Tucker," she continued. "But once you cross south of Memorial Drive, that's where we as a county need to place a great deal of emphasis."
Cochran-Johnson envisions public/private partnerships, increased emphasis on code enforcement, and a chief development officer for her team.
"The number one responsibility of an elected official is public safety," she shared.
She also plans to push for further salary increases and other incentives, such as housing programs, to help with recruitment and retention efforts for local police.
She hopes such efforts will also translate to more resources for community policing and wellness check initiatives. However, she recognizes the inequalities in some areas that need to be addressed to tackle crime further.
"Number one factor that affects violence is economics," she shared. "So what we have to do is work with the school system. There should be no child that graduates that doesn't have a post-secondary education plan."
Cochran-Johnson also looks to address the county's 911 and ambulance response times. She and her team plan to contact those on the frontlines delivering county services to identify any deficiencies that need to be addressed.
To those who voted for her in the primary and runoff—and those who voted for her opponents—she affirms that she's "a doer" committed to doing the work needed while representing all of the county's residents.
"At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, and that is the progression of DeKalb County," she said.