By Caleb Groves

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners renamed the Cobb government building after the late County Manager David Hankerson.

Hankerson was Cobb’s longest-serving county manager.

He was Cobb’s first Black manager and was one of the longest-serving county managers in Georgia.

On Jan. 25, 2024, Hankerson passed away with his wife and children at his bedside at the age of 77.

To honor Hankerson, the BOC renamed the Cobb County Building at 100 Cherokee St. the David Hankerson Building, in a 5-0 vote of approval, with applause from attendees.

Hankerson began his career in Cobb government in 1984 as the community development manager. In 1993, he was appointed county manager. Notably, he aided in a number of large projects, such as the East-West Connector and the Atlanta Braves Stadium deal.

He served on numerous civic and service boards and won many awards across his career, and in 2017, Hankerson retired as county manager.

“He is missed, yet he will always serve as our inspiration,” Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.

In admiration for the late county manager, Mike Plant, Braves Development Company CEO, gifted the county a Braves jersey signed by Braves team members, with ‘Hankerson’ on the back and the number 24, for the number of years Hankerson served the county.

Plant reflected on working with Hankerson’s “calm” and collected attitude, “nothing I ever saw that rattled him.” while negotiating deals for the Braves stadium.

“Every day we had an issue, he would always be on the phone with us and say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got it. I’ll get back to you quickly,’” Plant said.

“When I look back at it, that’s why we’re successful, because of his contributions, and they don’t go unnoticed by our organization,” Plant said.

“They’ll never be anybody like Mr. H. He was dearly loved, fair, honest, full of character and integrity,” Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said.