Cornell Madison
Marine Veteran and Clayton County Sheriff Candidate Earns Four-Year Leadership Role at Jonesboro, Georgia Post
JONESBORO, GA, June 22, 2025 – Cornell “CJ” Madison, a decorated Marine Corps veteran and seasoned law enforcement executive, has been elected to the Executive Board of American Legion Post 258 in Jonesboro, Georgia. The four-year term takes effect immediately, placing Madison in a formal leadership role serving fellow veterans in Clayton County.
It’s a fitting development for someone who has spent decades doing exactly this kind of work. Not chasing titles, but stepping into rooms where decisions get made and making sure the right voices are heard.
Cornell Madison‘s professional record is substantial. He has served as a Police Officer, Special Agent, Deputy Sheriff and Assistant Chief of Police across Georgia and beyond. He earned the Georgia Governor’s Safety Award, the Joseph Whitehead Jr. Award, and a range of commendations throughout his career — including recognition in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he pulled 13 people from floodwaters during a catastrophic 1999 flood. A proud Marine, he is also the recipient of the Naval and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
Post 258 gets a board member with that kind of track record. Veterans in Clayton County get an advocate who knows what the stakes look like up close.
Madison’s vision for his Executive Board tenure centers on three priorities: driving growth and engagement through new initiatives, cultivating an inclusive and respectful environment for all members, and developing strategies to expand membership and strengthen the Post’s foothold in the community. That last piece matters more than it might seem — Post 258’s long-term strength depends on its numbers, and Madison has spent his career building institutions that actually hold together.
Beyond the Post, Cornell Madison remains deeply embedded in Clayton County civic life. He volunteers with the American Red Cross, supports Marine Toys for Tots, and has served on both the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board and the Visitors and Tourism Advisory Board. Following the tragic loss of his young son Elijah to drowning in 2001, Madison became a committed child water safety advocate, partnering with organizations like the Hope Floats Foundation to prevent similar tragedies from devastating other families.
Madison is also a candidate for Clayton County Sheriff in the 2028 election, running on a platform of accountability, public safety reform and restoring professionalism to the office. His memberships in the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives reflect a career spent not just practicing law enforcement but actively shaping what it looks like at the policy level.
The election to the American Legion Post 258 Executive Board is one more chapter in that story. Stronger Together. Better Tomorrow.