Commissioner Darnell represents District 5 which includes Northwest Atlanta, Southwest Atlanta and portions of unincorporated South Fulton County. In January 2011, she was elected Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners by unanimous vote.

Commissioner Darnell earned the Bachelor of Arts degree (piano) at Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee where she was initiated into Alpha Beta Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  She earned the Master of Arts degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY where she was initiated into Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society.  Commissioner Darnell received the Juris Doctor degree from the Howard University School of Law.

She believes that the essential purpose of government is to serve people– and that if you serve people, “the songs will come by themselves and of themselves.” A product of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) parsonage, Commissioner Darnell is the daughter of Dr. Milner L. Darnell (deceased), President of the Phillips School of Theology, ITC, Atlanta and Mrs. Harriett G. Darnell (deceased).

The architect of Fulton County’s Code of Ethics and “Common Ground Program to Reduce Health Disparities” legislation, Commissioner Darnell has given highest priority to projects related to maintaining the “sustainable community” - economically strong, environmentally safe, with “liberty and justice for all.”

She is the recipient of over 200 awards for humanitarian service to the Atlanta/Fulton County Community including the Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), Atlanta, Georgia.