DeKalb commissioners appoint Cornell McBride Jr. to three county authorities

At a meeting of the DeKalb County Planning, Economic Development and Community Services (PECS) Committee, commissioners approved the appointment of Cornell McBride Jr. to Post 2 on the Development Authority of DeKalb County, Post 2 of the Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Authority and Post 2 of the Private Hospital Authority.

McBride introduced himself as the president of McBride Research Laboratories and the founder of the Design Essentials brand, which he said his company launched in 1990 and has sold through professional salons and national retailers. He described his approach to economic development as marketing the county as a product and ensuring workforce and training resources match what businesses need. "When you're on a board like this... you have to kind of understand what is the value proposition of the product," McBride said, adding that stakeholder engagement and assessing local demand would guide recruitment decisions.

Committee members asked about priorities and community feedback tools. McBride said recruiting complementary industries and studying target areas would guide site- and sector-specific outreach. He also said community input is important to align new development with neighborhood desires.

Following the interview, a motion to approve McBride's appointment was made, seconded and carried by voice vote.

The appointments place McBride on three authorities that advise on economic development and health-care related facilities in DeKalb County. No roll-call vote or individual vote tallies were read into the record; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.