Johnson’s Accolades Reflect Leadership in Action

Ronald Johnson has held many titles in his career — major general, professor, and vice president, to name a few. Most recently, Georgia Tech's senior vice president of Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff was named the Black Engineer of the Year by U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine. He was honored at the Black Engineer of the Year STEM Conference in February.   

Johnson's career as an engineer began following his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and includes 32 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, from which he retired in 2008 after attaining the rank of major general while serving as the second-highest-ranking senior engineer staff officer in the U.S. Army. Earlier, General Johnson served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Installation Management Agency, responsible for managing all 181 Army installations worldwide. 

From lifetime achievement awards to Distinguished Service medals, he has received numerous accolades, but being selected as the 39th Black Engineer of the Year caught him off guard.   

"I've been attending the conference for over 20 years, and I'd heard the stories and accomplishments of the past honorees and thought to myself, 'They were special.' So when I got the call, I had to call them back after I composed myself. I was shocked, but incredibly happy and proud to receive the award," he said.   

Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Johnson was self-motivated to excel both in the classroom and the community, seeking to escape what at times felt like a predetermined path. This latest honor is one he hopes to use to empower the next generation of students, especially those who may not have previously considered Georgia Tech.  

"Where I came from, no one ever talked to me about being an engineer," he said. "In a city like Atlanta and other communities in Georgia, kids should look to us as their school. It's so important to bring them to campus from an early age to show them that they can get the highest-quality education right here and achieve great things."  

Elevated to his current role in 2024, Johnson drives strategic priorities across the Institute, which include expanding access and removing barriers for financially vulnerable students and those traditionally underrepresented at Georgia Tech.  

To accomplish this, he hopes to build upon the successes of partnerships with Atlanta Public Schools, summer camps, and a computer science initiative that reaches rural communities throughout the state.   

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Johnson has approached each leadership role he has taken on — commanding a battalion, brigade, and a division, overseeing thousands of soldiers and civilians in the USACE, or even serving as the National Basketball Association's first senior vice president of referee operations — with a willingness to learn and to empower the people around him.   

"Just like military organizations, higher education institutions are very complex, so you have to trust your people, get out of the way, and provide them with the resources they need to be successful.”   

Johnson's military training taught him to assess situations quickly and mobilize at a moment's notice. This was an asset when he led the Institute's recent search for a new athletic director amid a changing landscape in college athletics.   

With experience leading an $18 billion rebuilding effort in Iraq and revitalization efforts following Hurricane Katrina, his expertise has been sought off campus as well. In 2024, he was appointed to the City of Atlanta working group seeking solutions for Atlanta's aging infrastructure after several water main breaks led to widespread boil water advisories across the city.   

The desire to learn has always led Johnson to pursue new challenges. Having already completed a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and mathematics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1976), a master’s degree in operations research from Georgia Tech (1985), and a master’s in strategic planning from the School of Advanced Military Studies (1990), Johnson earned an Ed.D. in higher education management and leadership from the University of Georgia in 2023.   

While his title has changed since arriving at Tech in 2013, sharing his experience with students remains a passion for Johnson, a professor of the practice in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He is an emeritus trustee for the Georgia Tech Foundation, served as a Georgia Tech Alumni Association trustee from 2015 to 2018, and has created an endowment for three undergraduate scholarships. Prior to joining the Institute, Johnson served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board from 2005 to 2008 and spoke at Commencement in 2009.  

Proud to represent himself and the Institute as the 2025 Black Engineer of the Year, Johnson is motivated to make a difference and says he will always "walk my talk" to do so.