Lorraine Cochran-Johnson made history by becoming the first Black woman to be elected DeKalb CEO after she defeated Larry Johnson in the June 18 run-off election.
Cochran-Johnson will take office in January 2025, replacing current CEO Mike Thurmond.
“Ever since I started in DeKalb, I’ve been underestimated,” Cochran-Johnson told her supporters following the victory. “You have given me an opportunity, and I promise I’ll make you proud.”
Cochran-Johnson’s journey into politics was not linear. She was once a leading figure in Atlanta media, working at publications such as Creative Loafing and serving as general manager of Atlanta Daily World.
But after being impacted personally by crime, she knew that it was time for a change.
“It was in 2018, I can remember I was late for the paper that day,” Cochran-Johnson said during an exclusive interview with ADW. “My car had been stolen just yards from in front of my home. And for people who are familiar with DeKalb County, I live in what is considered a premier community. We’ve been featured with Henry Louis Gates because the community is a symbol of wealth. And also I’ll say StoneCrest, Georgia is the largest pocket of African American wealth in the United States, second only to Prince George’s County, Maryland. So that day, it was just startling for me to feel so violated and to realize that it doesn’t matter where you live, you can face adverse situations.”
In an exclusive interview with ADW, Cochran-Johnson shared her vision as DeKalb CEO.
“I’ve saved DeKalb County taxpayers $92 million, using mandatory audits of contracts, so I say to people that when it comes to voting, we’re not all the same,” Cochran-Johnson said. “The worst thing a person can do is show up and touch the screen. You truly need to know the candidates because of voting has consequences, and those consequences manifest in our community. So I’m urging everyone to go to the polls and vote because this race for the county in particular is critical because we’re really at a crossroads. When we sit here and talk about the conditions that we see in South DeKalb and what North DeKalb looks like, we need a leader who has the capacity to change what we see and who has the vision to do it. I’m very thankful to have incredible relationships. Through Operation Hope and John Hope Bryant, we have issued over $22 million dollars in First Time Home Loans, and we provide 100% downpayment assistance up to a quarter million dollars so that we create home ownership. Because I understand that 80% of the average African Americans wealth is directly linked to homeownership. So when we don’t own homes, we have no wealth. And in order for us to create the communities that we know are possible, it’s time that we own more. It’s time that we do more. So we ask voters to really look at the record. And at the end of the day, sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.”
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