DeKalb County voters are urged to attend the upcoming Chief Executive Officer debate on April 18, at 7 p.m. at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
The DeKalb Matters debate will feature all qualified candidates vying to be the next CEO of DeKalb County. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV, and V-103 will serve as official media partners and panel representatives for the debate.
“DeKalb County is a thriving force in Metro Atlanta. The next CEO will be tasked with building on the momentum of the last decade by ensuring that we make continued progress in economic growth and development as well as the various quality-of-life issues facing our families,” said New Birth Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant. “This debate is a critical conversation on the future of DeKalb and who is best prepared to lead us forward.”
The DeKalb CEO is at the helm of a $1.74B budget and a county government that has 6,834 full-time positions. DeKalb has the third largest public school system in the state, educating 99,000 (K-12) students speaking over 185 languages and representing over 160 nations.
During the debate, candidates Steve Bradshaw, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Larry Johnson will discuss their respective vision for the county. Candidates will answer a series of questions from panelists as well as virtual community members. V-103 morning news anchor Dr. Maria Boynton, WBS-TV anchor and investigative reporter Sophia Choi, AJC DeKalb local reporter Sara Gregory will serve as the panelists for the debate with AJC senior editor Mike Jordan serving as the debate’s moderator.
The debate will be streamed live on WSBTV.com, AJC.com and on New Birth’s YouTube page. New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is located at 6400 Woodrow Rd. in Stonecrest. Seating is limited. Members of the public interested in attending the DeKalb Matters CEO debate in person should register here.