Dunwoody District 1 Council Member Catherine Lautenbacher has declared her intention to run for reelection.
In an interview with Rough Draft Atlanta, Lautenbacher, who was elected in 2021, said she is will run for her second and final term.
“I have a good rapport with my city council members and mayor [Lynn Deutsch],” she said. “It’s a good working group and I want to do one more term.”
Lautenbacher, a retired U.S. Air Force captain, is the former program director of Leadership Sandy Springs. She also served as past president of the Community Assistance Center.
A longtime resident of Mill Glen subdivision, Lautenbacher graduated from Boston University with a degree in aerospace engineering and earned an MBA from University of North Carolina – Charlotte. She and her husband, Conrad, have two children.
During her first term on the council, Lautenbacher said she focused on “being available to the people of Dunwoody and working to solve problems.”
She established a group called Dunwoody Nonprofit Roundtable that brings area non-profits together regularly to connect and collaborate. She was instrumental in helping Dunwoody residents tie into DeKalb’s water system, after previously operating on a septic tank.
Lautenbacher has also worked to answer citizen’s requests for pedestrian crossing installations and other walkability initiatives.
When District 1 Dunwoody City Council member Pam Tallmadge decided in 2021 not to run for reelection, she endorsed Lautenbacher, saying that she felt the longtime community volunteer and activist would represent Dunwoody and the district well.
Lautenbacher ran against former city council member Terry Nall that November, beating him 53 percent to 46 percent in a low-turnout vote.
Former Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis, who served from 2011 to 2015, endorsed Lautenbacher.
“I’ve known Catherine for many years,” Davis said. “She’s smart, thoughtful and dedicated to Dunwoody. I endorse her candidacy for city council without hesitation.”
Lautenbacher is the first incumbent to declare her intentions for the Nov. 4 election. Three seats are open in Dunwoody, Post 1 (District 1), held by Lautenbacher, Post 2 (District 2), held by Rob Price, and Post 3 (District 3), currently held by Tom Lambert.
One person, Zach Humphries, announced his intention to run for the Post 1 seat, but withdrew his candidacy shortly after. David Ziskind announced on June 3 his intention to run for Dunwoody City Council Post 2.
Qualifying takes place at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., in the city clerk’s office, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, and ending at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
More information about Lautenbacher’s campaign can be found here.