DeKalb Advisory Committee Meeting with ChaQuias Miller-Thornton, City of Stone Mountain

Join the Council for Quality Growth's DeKalb Advisory Meeting featuring ChaQuias Miller-Thornton, City Manager, City of Stone Mountain. 
ChaQuias Miller-Thornton is the City Manager of the City of Stone Mountain, Georgia. In her capacity as City Manager, she serves as the Chief Executive/Chief Administrative Officer for the local government agency and has served the City since 2014.  Prior to beginning employment with Stone Mountain, Ms. Thornton served another Georgia city, where she worked to implement sound administrative and financial management as City Clerk Administrator/CFO. 

With over 21 years of local government experience, Ms. Thornton specializes in public finance management and public leadership, with a foundational knowledge of utility operations.  She is particularly proud of her management of a multi-million dollar project that extended natural gas lines to a new hospital within an underserved rural area of Georgia.  The project received an award from the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia as Most Innovative Project.  Having joined Stone Mountain immediately following the unfortunate financial distress of the small Metro-Atlanta area city, she worked to alleviate the city’s need for borrowing to maintain operating capital.  Under her leadership, the Stone Mountain’s general fund reserve has grown 13.2 percent and the general fund obligation to other funds has been reduced dramatically.

ChaQuias holds degrees in Business Administration and Biblical Studies from Belhaven University, Mississippi.  She has attained national accreditation as a Certified Public Manager and is a member of the American Academy of Certified Public Managers.  She has achieved and currently maintains Level II Finance Officer Certification through the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG). Mrs. Thornton presently serves on the GMA Federal Policy Council and GMA’s Municipal Advisory Council.  A desire for continued public service after local government Administration, has prompted ChaQuias to begin studying for the LSAT to enter law school.  She hopes to one day become an attorney that services Municipal clients only.

ChaQuias is married to Edward Thornton and the two are the proud parents of five children.  ChaQuias loves spending time with her family and working in several ministries within her church where she serves as an Associate Minister.  She is passionate about servant leadership and considers it a pleasure to service others.