John Park has been sworn in as the mayor of Brookhaven, marking a significant milestone as the state’s first Asian-American mayor. The ceremony, held at Brookhaven City Hall on January 8, 2024, was attended by over 100 people, including State Rep. Esther Panitch, State Sen. Sally Harrell, and DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears.
Park, born in South Korea, immigrated to the United States at the age of six and grew up in Decatur, Georgia. A long-serving member of the Brookhaven City Council since 2014, he has been a pivotal figure in local governance. His election as mayor follows a successful tenure as a City Council District 2 representative, where he was re-elected twice.
During his campaign, Park focused on creating a safer, greener Brookhaven with enhanced public spaces and improved public safety, while also managing to reduce homeowners’ property taxes. His election as mayor followed a runoff on December 5, where he received 59% of the vote against opponent Lauren Kiefer.
In his speech, Park emphasized his dedication to serving all residents of Brookhaven, stating, “We’re going to do great things together… I’ll be a mayor for ALL of Brookhaven, especially those that didn’t vote for me.” He outlined his goals for the city, including hiring a citizen advocate to increase customer service, bringing the Public Works director in-house to focus on multimodal connectivity, and improving the city’s stormwater infrastructure.
