Signature Luncheon: Lorraine Cochran - Johnson CEO Dekalb County

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Celebrating Black History Month with DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson

Join the Brookhaven Chamber for a special luncheon in recognition of Black History Month featuring DeKalb County CEO, the Honorable Lorraine Cochran-Johnson.

Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is the first African American woman to be elected as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DeKalb County, Georgia. She is the second woman to ever hold this position. On June 18, 2024, Lorraine received a decisive vote of confidence from citizens to reimagine and reform DeKalb County government. Lorraine brings a wealth of experience in media, communications, economic development, and community activism to DeKalb County.

Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is the first African American woman to be elected as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DeKalb County, Georgia. She is the second woman to ever hold this position. On June 18, 2024, Lorraine received a decisive vote of confidence from citizens to reimagine and reform DeKalb County government.

Prior to committing to public service, Lorraine excelled for over a decade in print media, mass communications, and management. She is proud to have served as the general manager of the Atlanta Daily World Newspaper and Associate Publisher of Who?s Who in Black Atlanta and VP of Business Development for RTM Properties - AtlantaDailyWorld.com and Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine.

As an entrepreneur, Lorraine is founding member of United Front Media, a premiere film and visual media company specializing in content development where she produced commercials for the City of Atlanta, MARTA, KIA and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

In her role as the Commissioner of Super District 7 in DeKalb County, Lorraine allocated over $6 Million in discretionary funding to non-profit and community-based organizations to meet the needs of constituents. As the Chair of Public Works and Infrastructure (PWI), she saved DeKalb residents over $92 million through mandatory audit and contract reviews and successfully oversaw the distribution of more than $1.4 billion in funds associated with water, roads, and infrastructure, the largest by a commissioner as committee chair in the history of DeKalb County.

Lorraine has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, National Public Radio and in the New York Times for sponsorship of the Small Box Store legislation that requires a mandatory distance between dollar stores to stop its proliferation and negative impacts. She also sponsored the DeKalb Video Surveillance System legislation that requires mandatory video surveillance at gas and service stations to increase public safety. Both pieces of legislation have been adopted by several municipalities as model legislation on a national level.

Lorraine was awarded the 2023 Elected Official of the Year by the American Public Works Association and the 2023 Champion of Housing by Georgia ACT. She also received The Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden in 2023.

Lorraine is the wife of U.S.A.F. Ret. Pilot Lt. Colonel William H. Johnson III and the niece to her beloved aunt, Annie Page. She is the proud mother of Agnes Scott College graduate Zion Cochran, a Chihuahua named Chico, and Jasper, a Piebald Tuxedo cat. She values God, family, and community more than anything else and is committed to doing her part to materialize a better community and world through selfless public service and care for all people.