DeKalb CEO Fills Key Positions

DECATUR, Ga.— DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announces the hiring of an intergovernmental affairs manager, chief communications officer, external affairs manager and policy analyst.

Delores Crowell has joined the CEO’s office as intergovernmental affairs manager. Crowell is responsible for advancing the county’s efforts with federal, state and local officials and acting as a liaison between the CEO and Board of Commissioners.

Crowell served as the regional director for external affairs at AT&T Georgia for 15 of her 27 years with the company. She served in various roles with AT&T in the marketing, diversity, sales and corporate communications offices. Crowell received her Bachelor of Science degree from the State University College of New York at Buffalo and is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute, Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership DeKalb and Leadership Rockdale.

Quinn Hudson was recently appointed DeKalb County’s chief communications officer.

Previously, he was the director of communications for DeKalb County School District. Hudson has more than 30 years of professional experience in corporate communications, issues management, crisis communications, public affairs and community relations. A longtime resident of DeKalb County, he is a member of Decatur First United Methodist Church. Hudson resides in north Decatur with his wife, Millie, who is director of development for Wesleyan College. They have three daughters, a son and three grandchildren.

Meredith Lilly is CEO Thurmond’s external affairs manager, focusing on constituent services and community-based engagement.  

Previously, Lilly was appointed by President Barack Obama as the senior advisor to the regional administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration. An attorney and political strategist,  Lilly started her political career in 2007 with the Obama for America campaign, in which she served as a regional political director, managing multiple campaign offices in several states. Lilly is a graduate of Talladega College and Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Jeremiah Olney joins CEO Thurmond’s staff as a policy analyst. In this role, Olney will be responsible for analyzing federal, state and local legislation, making recommendations to the CEO and ensuring that all policy decisions benefit DeKalb’s citizens.

Previously, Olney served as deputy director of communications for the Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus. Olney graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in international affairs.

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