Deron King named new Dougherty County administrator

ALBANY — Dougherty County officials voted 4-2 Monday to name Deron King the new county administrator, filling the position held on an interim basis by Barry Brooks since the county fired former administrator Michael McCoy.

County officials said they looked deeply at the circumstances that led to King’s recent dismissal as city manager of East Point after a phishing scam ended up costing the city more than $700,000.

“What happened there — a cybercrime — could happen to anyone,” Commissioner Gloria Gaines said Tuesday. “And when it does happen, it’s difficult to lay at one person’s feet. This is the kind of thing that’s happening all over the country given the current environment.”

Commissioner Russell Gray said the cybercrime that cost the city of East Point a substantial amount of money was not something that he considered a huge detriment in considering King but that King’s reaction to the circumstances was a concern.

“Look, those kind of cybersecurity issues happen everywhere; it happened to us,” he said. “My primary concern is that he didn’t disclose the issue to the city council there for two years.”

King’s career in government has included stints as city manager of the Georgia cities of Waycross, Forsyth, Stone Mountain and East Point. The Dougherty commission’s decision came after a 4-2 vote, with one abstention, during the board’s regular meeting Monday.

King has more than 17 years of local government experience in his career. Dougherty officials said in a news release that he was noted for his background in urban planning. He played a role in establishing East Point’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Empowerment, a department dedicated to addressing homelessness and providing housing and utility payment assistance to residents in need.

“I am concerned about the adjustment he will need to make in Dougherty County,” Gray said. “One of his strengths is in urban planning, so he will have to step out of that city role and focus on the entire county.”

The new administrator’s career, Dougherty officials said after voting to approve him as day-to-day leader of the county government, demonstrates his versatility in local government across diverse communities. His professional accomplishments are underscored by his status as a credentialed manager by the International City/County Management Association, a recognition reserved for experienced local government executives, they added.

“I do feel good about hiring Mr. King, and I’m optimistic that he can help us to become a 21st-century community,” Gaines said. “Because what we’re doing now is not succeeding. We’re still seeing a decline in population. Mr. King helped bring important changes to East Point, helped attract new employers. It’s important that we find new economic generators.”

King was reportedly fired by the city of East Point after a phishing scam cost the city more than $700,000. East Point Mayor Pro Tem Karen Rene called the scam “a serious breach of trust” after that board voted to release King, saying, “We cannot and will not tolerate any action that puts our city’s financial security at risk.”

An audit report presented to the East Point City Council reportedly showed the city had lost $1,219,287 in an email scam in 2021. According to the report, scammers hacked city employees’ email accounts through a phishing email. The hackers then reportedly sent four fake invoices from city email addresses asking for the funds to be wired to a fake company.

King said staff didn’t tell the council about the scam because it was under investigation by the FBI and they weren’t sure how much they could share.

The new county administrator holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Iowa and a Master’s in Public Administration degree from Clark Atlanta University. He is expected to assume his new role Sept. 16.