DR. LARRY D. JOHNSON

2019 NCSD NATIONAL CONFERENCE Keynote Speacker

Dr. Larry D. Johnson, Jr. became the sixth President of Phoenix College (PC), A Maricopa Community College, July 1, 2018. He is the first African-American person to hold this position in 99 years. The Maricopa Community College District serves [annually] more than 200,000 students. Phoenix College serves approximately 17,000 students annually.

Dr. Johnson has worked and served in higher education for more than 15 years. He began his career as a faculty member at Tallahassee Community College where he taught developmental reading and English courses. Dr. Johnson has also served in a number of leadership roles to include: Campus Provost & Chief Academic Officer, Associate Dean, Division Chair, and Student Concerns Officer.

Prior to joining PC, Johnson served as the Campus Provost & Chief Academic Officer at St. Louis Community College STLCC-Forest Park campus. As Provost, he was the chief administrative and academic officer of the Campus, which provided educational opportunities to approximately 8,000 students. Under his leadership, the Campus experienced enrollment growth, increased community engagement, and welcomed the inaugural Early College Academy—a partnership with the St. Louis Public School District.
Dr. Johnson is committed to service to higher education, as exemplified in his active participation on local and national boards. Most recently, he was appointed to a three-year term on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on College Readiness. Additionally, Dr. Johnson is a member of the President’s Round Table (PRT) and the National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA), to name a few.
Dr. Johnson received his baccalaureate degree in English literature from Florida A&M University. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Humanities (with an emphasis in Medieval to Baroque Studies) and an institutional research certificate, from Florida State University. He also completed a Doctor of Arts degree in Humanities (with a concentration in English literature) from Clark Atlanta University.

Dr. Johnson’s most profound accomplishment is his autobiography, Memoirs of a Young Black Scholar: Surviving and Coping with Loss. He maintains that his purpose in life is to give a voice to the voiceless, in keeping with the words articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’”