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January 2008 Luncheon Speaker
Dr. Melvin N. Johnson
President, Tennessee State University

Melvin N. Johnson began his tenure as the seventh president of Tennessee State University on June 1, 2005.

Johnson served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and tenured professor of economics at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). Prior his appointment at WSSU, Johnson served in senior academic roles at North Carolina A&T State University. Additionally, he was a lecturer on business and economic policy for the University of Maryland, European Division, in Germany. He taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy and completed a distinguished military career as a lieutenant colonel.

He received his undergraduate degree in economics from North Carolina A&T State University and earned the Master of Arts in economics from Ball State University. He received his M.B.A. and D.B.A. in business economics and public policy from Indiana University. He has pursued postdoctoral studies at the Institute for Education Management (IEM), Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE), and The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents (NPS) at Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge.

Johnson has been a Kellogg Leadership Fellow (National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education), Senior Fellow of Future Focus 2020 (Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University), a Millennium Leadership Institute Protégé (American Association of State Colleges and Universities), Nissan Fellow (UCLA), and an American Banking Association Ayres Fellow (Stonier Graduate School of Banking, University of Delaware). He completed the New President’s Academy (AASCU) and completed the Executive Leadership Summit (Hampton University).  He has also completed Leadership Nashville (2005-06), Leadership Winston-Salem, and the Triad Leadership Network. Aside from his fellowships, his honors include The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key Honor Society; Kappa Delta PI Honor Society, Education; Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society; Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society, Business and Management; Omicron Delta Epsilon, International Honor Society in Economics; Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and Outstanding Young Men of America.

Nationally, Johnson serves on the Educational Testing Service Steering Committee of Princeton, New Jersey, whose aim is to close the achievement gap.  Locally, Johnson's board appointments include the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (Executive Committee) Board of Governors;  Nashville Conventions and Visitor’s Bureau, Boy Scouts of America  Board of Directors (Old Hickory Council); Nashville Alliance for Public Education Board of Directors; Action on Nashville’s Agenda Steering Committee; North Nashville Community Development Corporation Board of Directors; The Frist Center for the Visual Arts Board of Trustees; Tennessee Institute of Public Health Board of Directors and he co-chairs the Nashville Higher Education Advisory Council.

He has provided leadership to ensure that remaining university obligations under the court-ordered Geier Consent Decree have been met, resulting in the historic settlement of the 38-year-old court case.  Tennessee State University will benefit from enhanced and continued funding of an endowment, scholarships, academic programs and facility enhancements.  Additionally, he is providing leadership to organize the Tennessee Campus Compact to promote service learning and civic engagement statewide in all public and private higher education institutions.

He has served on the Board of Advisors for the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE), Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge; Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Baptist Hospitals, Inc.; and the North Carolina Banking Commission.

Additional civic affiliations include Rotary International (Downtown Nashville), 100 Black Men of America (Nashville), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Life Member), Sigma Pi Phi Boule (Chi), and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Tau Lambda).

Dr. Johnson received the "Lifelong Excellence and Leadership in Higher Education" award from the Northeast Business and Economics Association at Yeshiva University (N.Y.); The Leadership Award in Education from the Trumpet Awards Foundation (2007); The Leadership Award from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc (Tau Lambda, 2006) and was commissioned by the Kentucky Legislature as a Kentucky Colonel.  He has been recently selected as one of Nashville’s Top 50 Business and Community Leaders.

He and First Lady Dr. Marcy Dingle Johnson, have adult twin daughters, DeAndra J. Cullen (husband, Gary R. Cullen) and Monet J. Bloodworth (husband, Dr. Leotis Bloodworth, Jr.) and one adult son Melvin Roschaun Johnson (wife, Phyllis C. Johnson). The Johnsons are the proud grandparents of Briana, Jailyn and Lauryn Bloodworth, Capria, Brandon and Alaira Cullen and Schaun Christopher Johnson. 

Last Modified:  10/01/2008