DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson praises staff, urges 'reimagine DeKalb'

Lorraine Cochran Johnson, chief executive officer of DeKalb County, opened a staff address by thanking the county’s employees and urging them to join her in a shared effort to "reimagine DeKalb." Johnson said her administration’s guiding purpose is service to the county’s residents and workforce.

Johnson told employees she values their work across county departments and highlighted the size of the workforce: "Across our 6,600 employees, from roads and sanitation to HR, finance, public safety, and more," she said, adding, "You are the heartbeat of this government." She framed the county workforce as central to delivering services and expressed pride in staff performance.

Johnson described the county's work as more than jobs and called it a mission: "This isn't just a job. This is a mission. Every problem you solve, every person you help, it all matters." She concluded her remarks with an appeal for collective effort: "Let's reimagine DeKalb together." The address was a message of appreciation and a call for continued teamwork rather than a presentation of new policy or formal actions.