Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from LaGrange College in 1974. She was born and raised in Lawrenceville and is a graduate of Central Gwinnett High School. She also earned an associate degree from Young Harris College, a master of arts in teaching from the State University of New York, an educational specialist degree from the University of Sarasota and a doctorate in education from Argosy University.
She was a member of the Lawrenceville City Council from 2003 until 2008 and began her first term as mayor in 2011. She presides at meetings of the City Council, serves as the official spokesperson for the city, and is the chief advocate of policy.
Her father, Hilliard Rhodes Jordan, was a member of the State House of Representative and mayor of the City of Lawrenceville for 16 years, while her grandfather and great-grandfather were members of the City Council.
Johnson taught math at Central Gwinnett High School for 30 years where she also coached basketball and softball.
Her professional and community awards and honors include teacher of the year at Central Gwinnett High School, STAR teacher at Central Gwinnett, Georgia Business and Professional Woman of the Year, the appreciation award by the Gwinnett County Veterans Museum, the Gwinnett County Chamber Public Service Award and the Lawrenceville Lion’s Club Public Service Award.
She is a deacon at First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, pianist at Brookdale Retirement Home the first Sunday of each month and a volunteer with the Lawrenceville Co-op, Gwinnett Medical Center and the Central Gwinnett Cluster Schools.
Georgia’s oldest private institution of higher learning, LaGrange College is consistently ranked among the South’s top colleges by U.S.News & World Report. A four-year liberal arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, LaGrange offers more than 70 areas of study with an emphasis on global engagement and service.
