Central State University staff and students are meeting their new interim president.
Alex Johnson has more than 30 years of professional experience in top leadership posts at community colleges in New Orleans, Pittsburgh and most recently, he served as president of Cuyahoga Community College.
Johnson considers his appointment as interim president of Central State University, Ohio’s only public HBCU, the pinnacle of his higher education career. According to Johnson, CSU students and alums are the university’s best ambassadors.
“One of the things that delights me the most is during graduation,” he said. “I can witness those who have worked hard, cross the stage, be awarded their degrees and then use that to catapult themselves, their families and their communities.”
Johnson is making the rounds to the departments–learning what professors and students need. Already, he says there’s consensus regarding benchmarks for the upcoming year.
“The student experience, affordability, marketing–getting the good news out there, making sure we have robust educational programs, and then making sure the administrative structures of the institution are stable, most notably in finance and information technology,” Johnson said.
Nationally, he has worked to promote institutional innovation, workforce development and higher education accountability.
