Dr. Lea Johnson

Plainfield Central High School Class of 1968

Education and Humanities

Dr. Lea Johnson, president of Maria College of Albany, New York. Johnson is nominated in the Education and Humanities category.

Johnson comes by her education career through her mother, Elinor Nemanich who taught English at Indian Trail Middle School. She graduated from Lewis University with a degree in psychology, and later earned degrees in public relations, nursing and higher education management.

Maria College named Johnson as its president in May 2012. She is only the fourth president and the first lay president in the school’s 57-year history. Johnson has earned praise for her spirit of transparency and open communication style. She has led the development of seven new baccalaureate degree programs, and has increased scholarship funding, among numerous significant achievements in her short tenure.

Before joining Maria College, Johnson served as dean of the School of Business at American International College where she restructured and improved the MBA and Healthcare Management programs.

She also served for 10 years as the division director at Northeastern University for more than20 undergraduate and graduate programs. She is the founding director of the Bouve Institute for Healthcare Leadership and Professional Development at Northeastern University.

Johnson has been nationally recognized for her work with curriculum development and partnership building.