Lee May through the years

Metro Atlanta

Lee May through the years

July 16, 2013: Gov. Deal has tapped Lee May as next DeKalb CEO.

Newly appointed DeKalb County CEO Lee May during an exclusive interview with the AJC and Channel 2 Action News at the Manuel J. Maloof Center in Decatur on July 17, 2013. May was sworn in as acting CEO late Tuesday, just an hour after Gov. Nathan Deal announced he was suspending Burrell Ellis from office as he fights 14 felony charges.

Newly appointed DeKalb County CEO Lee May during an exclusive interview with the AJC and Channel 2 Action News at the Manuel J. Maloof Center in Decatur on July 17, 2013. May was sworn in as acting CEO late Tuesday, just an hour after Gov. Nathan Deal announced he was suspending Burrell Ellis from office as he fights 14 felony charges.

Newly appointed DeKalb County CEO Lee May during an exclusive interview with the AJC and Channel 2 Action News at the Manuel J. Maloof Center in Decatur on July 17, 2013. May was sworn in as acting CEO late Tuesday, just an hour after Gov. Nathan Deal announced he was suspending Burrell Ellis from office as he fights 14 felony charges.

New DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May takes the oath of office from Probate Judge Jeryl Rosh after Gov. Nathan Deal suspended Burrell Ellis and named May to fill in July 16, 2013. May's wife Robin is at right.

New DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May looks over the oath with Probate Judge Jeryl Rosh before being sworn in July 16, 2013. Gov. Nathan Deal named May after suspending Burrell Ellis, who is under a 15-count indictment.

New DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May talks to members of the media after being sworn in July 16, 2013, in Decatur. Gov. Nathan Deal named May interim CEO after suspending Burrell Ellis, who is under a 15-count indictment.

Gov. Nathan Deal announces his appointment of DeKalb Commission Chair Lee May to fill in for suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis during a press conference in the governor's office July 16, 2013.

Jeff Dickerson speaks on behalf of suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis following a press conference July 16, 2013, where Gov. Nathan Deal named Lee May as interim DeKalb CEO.

Gov. Nathan Deal announces his appointment of DeKalb Commission Chair Lee May to fill in for suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis during a press conference in the governor's office July 16, 2013.

New DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May talks to members of the media after being sworn in July 16, 2013, in Decatur. Gov. Nathan Deal named May interim CEO after suspending Burrell Ellis, who is under a 15-count indictment.

New DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May talks to members of the media after being sworn in July 16, 2013, in Decatur. Gov. Nathan Deal named May interim CEO after suspending Burrell Ellis, who is under a 15-count indictment.

April 23, 2013: DeKalb County Commissioners Larry Johnson (left), Lee May and Sharon Barnes Sutton listen as R.B. Williams presents his case. DeKalb County employees in the Wastewater Management and Sanitation departments brought their cases for a raise rather than a bonus before the DeKalb County Commission.

March 20, 2013: DeKalb County commission presiding officer Lee May speaks. DeKalb County resident Sharon Cabey got the keys for her new home in a ceremony that day. Cabey is the first homebuyer to purchase a new property built by APD Solutions in the Piedmont Pointe subdivision in Lithonia. DeKalb's $18 million in Neighborhood Stabilization program federal funds aimed at filling abandoned properties left by the housing burst is being spent with a local company that is matching qualified homeowners with distressed properties.

Jan. 29, 2013: DeKalb County Commission presiding officer Lee May introduces CEO Burrell Ellis before he delivers the 2013 State of the County Address at the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center.

Sept. 1, 2012: Commissioner Lee May chats with a resident during the monthly breakfast community events and programs at Chapel Hill Middle School in Decatur.

Aug. 11, 2011: DeKalb Commissioner Lee May, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and DeKalb Co. CEO Burrell Ellis chat. The Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable for the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 came together to discuss transit projects across the region at the Atlanta Regional Commission. Twenty minutes were set aside for public comment, as well as moving the meeting to Monday to further address the $6.56 billion working list.

March 28, 2006: Lee May is one of the early candidates seeking to sit on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners District 5. A midterm election is coming up and Lee, along with the other candidates, could change the landscape of DeKalb politics.

May 12, 2005: Lee May, a graduate of the entrepreneurship program at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, has purchased the Spotlight Theater in Lithonia and is renovating it with plans to turn it into a theater/cafe.

May 12, 2005: Lee May, a graduate of the entrepreneurship program at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, has purchased the Spotlight Theater in Lithonia and is renovating it with plans to turn it into a theater/cafe.

Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May said he hopes to find consensus about how to fix DeKalb’s problems.

Gov. Nathan Deal announces his appointment of DeKalb Commission Chair Lee May to fill in for suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis during a press conference in the governor's office July 16, 2013.

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Newly appointed DeKalb County CEO Lee May during an exclusive interview with the AJC and Channel 2 Action News at the Manuel J. Maloof Center in Decatur on July 17, 2013. May was sworn in as acting CEO late Tuesday, just an hour after Gov. Nathan Deal announced he was suspending Burrell Ellis from office as he fights 14 felony charges.

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