Cobb County Manager named Chamber’s ‘Woman of Distinction’

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The Cobb Chamber’s Cobb Executive Women (CEW) today named the winner of the 2026 Woman of Distinction Award at the Chamber’s September Marquee Monday event: Dr. Jackie McMorris, County Manager, Cobb County Government. Throughout her career, McMorris has demonstrated a commitment to public service, collaborative leadership and strengthening the community she serves.

The Woman of Distinction award is given annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional endeavors, community involvement and social responsibility.

As County Manager, Dr. Jackie McMorris leads one of Georgia’s largest local governments, overseeing a $1.3 billion budget, 34 County departments and approximately 5,100 employees. Her career in public service spans more than 27 years and includes a series of groundbreaking leadership roles. After serving in leadership positions in Cherokee County and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, McMorris joined Cobb County Government in 2013. She went on to become Cobb’s first Deputy County Manager and, in March 2020, became the first African American woman to serve as County Manager.

McMorris assumed the role at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping lead Cobb County through its response while ensuring essential services continued for residents. Working alongside the Cobb Board of Commissioners, she helped develop a strategy that provided approximately $50 million in relief funding to local small businesses and nonprofit organizations during the height of the crisis.

Her leadership has also helped shape some of Cobb County’s most significant economic and community initiatives, from the continued success of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta to coordinating the complex, multi-agency efforts surrounding the 2021 World Series and championship parade.

McMorris’ commitment to the Cobb community extends beyond her role in county government. A graduate of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2015, she has dedicated significant time to mentoring and developing the next generation of leaders. Through her involvement with Mentoring for Leadership in Marietta, she has mentored students, helped bring resources and awareness to the organization and personally invested in its mission.

She has also played a key role in creating resources for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Her leadership helped establish the Cobb Family Advocacy Center, the first of its kind in Georgia, bringing together critical services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, and human trafficking.

McMorris is actively involved in a variety of community causes, including partnering with North Georgia Habitat for Humanity on homebuilding projects and supporting Cobb County’s Angel Tree Program. In 2023, she participated in Dancing with the Stars of Marietta to help raise funds for local causes.

Developing others is also central to McMorris’ leadership. As a certified John Maxwell trainer, speaker and coach, she prioritizes professional development, team building and transformational leadership. She mentors young women, speaks to youth and community groups, and uses her experience to help develop future leaders.

Her service and leadership have earned recognition throughout Cobb County and beyond. McMorris was named LiveSafe Resources’ Woman of the Year in 2022, became a Credentialed County Manager through the International County Management Association in 2023 and received the Cobb Chamber’s Mack Henderson Public Service Award in 2025.

Cobb Executive Women is proudly supported by Yearlong Presenting Sponsor, Northside Hospital. Thank you to Award Sponsor, S.A. White Oil Company. For more information about Cobb Executive Women or the Woman of Distinction Award, contact Rebecca Chadwick at [email protected] or 770-859-2368.

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