Meet Lorraine
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is originally from Greenville, Alabama, and a twenty-five-year DeKalb County, Georgia resident. Lorraine attended Troy University where she received a B.S. degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice; an M.S. in The Administration of Criminal Justice and received an M.P.A. in Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development and Grant Writing from Auburn University before attending John Marshall Law School. Lorraine holds a business certificate from Harvard University in Delivering Public Services: Efficiency, Equity and Quality. Lorraine has over two decades of
experience in print media, mass communications, and management.
Lorraine spent two decades in print media and founded Salons Unlimited Magazine, a publication that started with 5,000 print issues in Atlanta and grew to a 56,000 circulation in 31 U.S. cities in three years before being sold in 2010. In 2015, Lorraine joined Real Times Media as the General Manager of the Atlanta Daily World Newspaper and Associate Publisher of Who’s Who In Black Atlanta. She was the VP of Business Development for RTM Properties – AtlantaDailyWorld.com and Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, before resigning to pursue public service full-time during her 2018 campaign.
Lorraine successfully unseated an incumbent to become the DeKalb County Commissioner of Super District 7 in 2018 and served until 2024. As a Commissioner, Lorraine successfully allocated over $1.4 billion in revenue as Chair of Public Works and Infrastructure Committee – the highest dollar amount overseen in the history of DeKalb County by a standing committee leader and required mandatory audit of all contracts above $3 million resulting in $92 million in revenue savings to DeKalb County taxpayers.
She was the 2023 Elected Official of the Year by the American Public Works Association; the 2023 Champion of Housing by Georgia ACT; and is a recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden in 2024. Lorraine received the John R. Lewis and H.J. Russell Getting in Good Trouble Award in 20205.
Lorraine made history on June 18, 2024, when she became the first Black woman elected CEO in DeKalb County. She oversees a $1.8 billion budget and during her first 45 days passed a 10-year 10 percent water rate increase that will generate $4.7 billion in revenue to revitalize aging water infrastructure. This investment is the largest infrastructure investment in DeKalb County history. She has funded a $2 million Real Time Crime Center and successfully sphere headed an $18 million 6-year investment in crime prevention technology that includes a Drone First Responder Program to reduce crime, after the reallocation $10 million in funds to make DeKalb County police officers among the highest paid in the State of Georgia. She has invested over $30 million in rapid housing, the unhoused, and rental assistance programs since taking office in 2025.
She is the founder and visionary of EMBARC Youth Farm, a $10 million urban farming project incorporating hydroponics, greenhouse growing, bee farming, a hen house, and entrepreneurship activities to connect youth and community to nature and ensure healthy living.