DeKalb is the only county government in metropolitan Atlanta to have a Chief Executive Officer in addition to the Board of Commissioners.

The Reorganization Act of 1985 provides that the Board, comprised of one Commissioner for each of the county's five Districts and two Super Districts, set policy and appropriate funding for the county operations, and that the CEO, elected countywide, administers the day-to-day operations of the county government and manages its 7,000 employees. The CEO, limited to two consecutive four-year terms, presides over the twice-monthly meetings of the Board, but can only vote on business items in the event of a tie.

Vernon Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County, Georgia, overseeing a $2.6 billion budget in the state's second most populous county.

Elected countywide, Jones is the youngest person ever elected to the position. He manages 7,000 employees and directs the day-to-day county operations and presides over the twice-monthly meetings of the Board of Commissioners.

DeKalb County is among a select group of 37 counties out of nearly 4,000 to hold a AAA bond credit rating from Moody's, a distinction earned during Jones's initial year in office. Additionally, during his first 90 days in office, Jones spearheaded a skillful campaign that resulted in the countywide passage of a $125 million bond issue to buy land, greenspace and natural areas for DeKalb citizens.

Other major achievements include the adoption of a progressive ethics bill that deals with potential conflicts of interest of all senior executives, a comprehensive series of quality improvements for residential building standards, institution of mandated customer service training for all county employees and adoption of a five-year plan to manage and improve services for senior citizens in DeKalb County.

Prior to his election as CEO, Jones served eight years in the Georgia General Assembly as a State Representative from DeKalb County. During his tenure, he held positions on the powerful Appropriations and Insurance committees, and he also served as secretary of the Health and Ecology Committee and chairman of the Health Professions Subcommittee.

Jones completed the Executive Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He serves as a member of the boards of the DeKalb Board of Health, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the DeKalb Library Board, the DeKalb Pension Board, the Board of Visitors for Emory University and the Board of Visitors at North Carolina Central University.

A native of North Carolina, Jones graduated from North Carolina Central in Durham, N.C., earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. He has formerly held leadership positions at MCI WorldCom and BellSouth Cellular. While with BellSouth, Jones was part of the information technology team that built a cellular system in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Links

http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us