As president of Cuyahoga Community College, Dr. Alex Johnson focuses on strengthening the college’s 50-year mission of providing high-quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services. Since becoming president in July 2013, he has promoted access, equity, success and completion for the nearly 60,000 credit and non-credit students who attend Tri-C’s four campuses and other locations throughout Cleveland
and its suburbs each year.
Dr. Johnson currently serves locally on the boards of the United Way of Greater Cleveland, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, IdeaStream, PlayHouseSquare, MAGNET, Team NEO and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.
Nationally, he is a member of the boards of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI). Most recently he has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Dr. Johnson has served in numerous capacities with the American Association for Community Colleges (AACC) including being a member of the board and executive committee; chair of the Committee on Community College Advancement; member of the Voluntary Framework on Accountability Steering Committee; member of the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges and co-chair of the Implementation Committee for the Commission’s report Reclaiming the American Dream.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including The Frank G. Jackson Visionary Award, The Pittsburgh Business Times CEO of the Year, and the Simon Green Atkins Distinguished Alumnus Award from Winston-Salem State University.
Prior to coming to Ohio’s largest community college, Dr. Johnson served as president of the Community College of Allegheny County, a multi-campus college in and around Pittsburgh. He served a two-year term as president of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges and was on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Postsecondary Education. He was previously chancellor of Delgado Community College in New Orleans and president of Tri-C’s Metropolitan Campus.
Dr. Johnson earned a doctorate from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from Lehman College and a bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University, and two honorary degrees.