About

Brian K. Johnson, Ed.D.

Dr. Johnson is CEO of BAJA, Inc, a Ghana-based company specializing in gold-mining, agriculture, healthcare, education and entertainment.  He is also Chairman of the Board of Sesi-Edem, a gold-mining company in Accra, Ghana. For 10 years and counting, Johnson has served in the Education Policy Center as a Senior Fellow at the University of Alabama and as a national board member for the Congressional Award Foundation (a youth advocacy program, the only sanctioned charity of the US Congress.) Johnson is on the board of the Phoenix Theatre Company, Gamma Mu Educational Services, and the executive committee of Homebuilders Institute.


Dr. Brian K. Johnson was the first African American president of Montgomery College in Maryland.  His prior executive assignments were at Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA) and Maricopa Community Colleges (Mesa, AZ.).  Johnson has completed numerous executive leadership programs including Harvard University's New Presidents Academy, Harvard's Institute for the Management of Lifelong Learning, the Pennsylvania Educational Policy Fellowship Program, Leadership Pittsburgh and Leadership Montgomery.   He earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University (NAU), an M.A. Ed from NAU in counseling and human relations, and a BA in psychology from Ottawa University.  He is a Lifetime member of the NAACP, a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of America, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (the Boule').


Dr. Brian K. Johnson, II

Dr. Brian K. Johnson, II is the Executive Director of K-12 Initiatives for Advance Higher Ed. He is an educator and counselor, working with individuals and families from various backgrounds via behavioral health and educational services. He is an ardent mentor who works with young adults towards their formation through social-emotional learning, therapy services, and academic support.

Dr. Johnson currently works as the Assistant Dean of Students, Freshman Advisor, and Black Student Union moderator at Brophy College Preparatory, a private Jesuit, Catholic school in Phoenix, AZ. He formerly served as a Social Worker/School Counselor for the Madison School District. Prior to working in educational leadership, Dr. Johnson served as a Director of Outreach and Social Services; a Therapist and Counselor (several years); and a Clinical Facilitator working in trauma-informed care.

He is the founder of My Mentor AZ, LLC (2018-Present) an organization that provides mentorship and life skills for at-risk youth; a member of the 100 Black Men of Phoenix (Leadership Institute Inductee); and a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Dr. Johnson earned his EdD with an Emphasis in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University; his Master's in Psychology from the University of Phoenix; and his Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Arizona. He has an Arizona State Administrative/Principal Certification, and a School Counselor Certification.