The DeKalb County Development Authority has a new leader: Judy Turner was elected chairman by her colleagues on the quasi-governmental agency, a spokesperson for county CEO Burrell Ellis said Thursday.

Her selection at a special meeting Wednesday followed the resignation this week of former Chairman Eugene Walker. He quit the board, citing controversy over his support for tax breaks to developer Sembler Co.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez