Burrell Ellis was elected Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County, Georgia on November 4, 2008. He assumed office on January 5, 2009.

As DeKalb County’s Chief Executive, Burrell is responsible for administering the County’s $1.2 billion annual budget, managing its 7,500 employees and delivering services to its 730,000 residents.

Prior to becoming CEO, Burrell served in the legislative branch of county government for eight years as a DeKalb County Commissioner. During his tenure on the Commission, he served five terms as its Presiding Officer where he led the Board through its most extensive reorganization ever, ensuring openness and transparency in the legislative process. His legislative accomplishments include authoring the county’s Local Small Business Enterprise Ordinance and championing Georgia’s first comprehensive Clean Indoor Air Ordinance to protect the health of tens of thousands from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

CEO Ellis was previously a partner at the national law firm of EpsteinBeckerGreen, where he practiced in the firm’s Real Estate Group. He used his extensive experience to represent clients in connection with the acquisition, disposition and development of residential, office, retail, resort, and mixed-use projects. 

CEO Ellis has taught courses in negotiation and collaborative problem solving at Georgia State University College of Law. He has been a frequent panelist and lecturer on smart growth and urban development issues. He is actively involved with the National Association of Counties (NACo), and currently serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee as the South Regional Representative. NACo provides essential services to the nation’s 3,068 counties and assists them in advancing issues important to the citizens they serve before the federal government. CEO Ellis recently completed two terms as Chair of NACo’s Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC), a bipartisan coalition of elected county officials representing the interests of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan communities on Capitol Hill and before the White House.

CEO Ellis is an Ivy League graduate, holding a degree in economics and finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While at the University of Texas, one of our nation’s largest and most prestigious law schools, he was elected student body president.

His community involvement is extensive, and his volunteer activities have included leadership roles in 100 Black Men of America, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, his church, and the Democratic Party. Georgia Trend Magazine recently named him as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians, and the Atlanta Business League named him as one of its Men of Influence. In 2009, the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence honored CEO Ellis as its Champion for Change for his commitment to end domestic violence, an issue he has championed for years. 

Burrell is especially proud of being a husband and the father of two young children, Victoria and Burrell III. He and his wife, Philippa, live in Stone Mountain and attend St. Philip AME Church.