DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has appointed Devon Hudson to the MARTA Board of Directors. Hudson is the owner of Devon Hudson State Farm Agency and principal of Hudson Holding Company, a real estate construction and management firm active in South DeKalb.
“I am pleased to appoint an exceptionally qualified leader who shares my commitment to strengthening and expanding transit,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “In the upcoming year, DeKalb will take significant steps to advance mass transit as we prepare for the region’s future. This appointee brings both technical expertise and dedication to public service that will help drive that progress.”
Hudson has developed several retail and commercial properties in South DeKalb, including Trinity Office Park. He is currently leading a mixed-use project aimed at revitalizing the area’s economic landscape. Hudson holds a BS in Finance and Computer Science from Illinois State University and is an alumnus of Leadership DeKalb (Class of 1993). His community involvement includes leadership roles with ROOTS Adoption Agency, Boy Scouts of America’s Soapstone Ridge District, and 100 Black Men of Atlanta.
He has received recognition such as the Outstanding Minority Business Award from the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs and the Outstanding Young People of Atlanta Award. As a State Farm Honor Agent and multi-year Millionaire Club Qualifier, he has demonstrated both business achievement and community engagement.
This appointment comes as DeKalb County updates its Master Transit Plan (MTP), last completed in 2018. The Atlanta Regional Commission has contributed $500,000 toward this update to support regional collaboration on transit planning. The county is also involved in major transportation projects including the Georgia Department of Transportation’s $900 million I-285/I-20 Interchange Project and the $11 billion Top-End Express Lanes Project.
“DeKalb is at the forefront of regional mobility,” said Cochran-Johnson. “By updating our Master Transit Plan and ensuring strong representation on the MARTA Board, we’re taking deliberate steps to build a connected, equitable transit network that moves both people and opportunity forward.”
In related developments within DeKalb County schools, enrollment dropped by 2.2% during the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous year according to data from the Georgia Department of Education. Total student enrollment was reported at 98,287 for that period (source). White students made up 14% of this total, making them the third most represented ethnic group in county schools (source).
