Councilman Michael E. Johnson
Phoenix City Council, District 8
The following also is provided in Spanish. Lo siguiente también es provisto en Español.
Michael E. Johnson represents District 8, which encompasses portions of central, east and south Phoenix.
Councilman Johnson has been committed to improving quality of life for his constituents since he was elected to his first term in 1992. He has met with numerous community and business leaders to address their needs and concerns. Putting his spirit into service, Johnson has held essential roles in the development of economic, sustainable projects which impact the district and city. Constituents now have more public transportation options with the addition of the light rail. Students can take classes at the Bioscience High School, and continue their education at the Arizona State University or University of Arizona downtown campuses. The list of national corporations visiting the valley has grown due to the building of the downtown Sheraton Hotel, the expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center, and additional airlines at Sky Harbor International Airport, which has seen an explosion of new development to include the Sky Train people mover system. Johnson’s attentiveness included ensuring residential communities in the district experienced the same revitalization as downtown. Residents in south Phoenix have new businesses and services which were not available before, such as the shopping and dining center at 24th Street and Baseline Road.
Councilman Mayor Johnson’s work extends into his participation on several Council subcommittees. He is chair of the Downtown, Aviation, Economy and Education City Council Subcommittee, and is a member of the Finance, Efficiency, Innovation and Stability Subcommittee, the Public Safety, Veterans, Transparency and Ethics Subcommittee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. He is also chair of the Phoenix Economic Partners Board of Directors, and a member of the city’s Audit Committee. He is the liaison to Ennis, Ireland, one of Phoenix’s sister cities, and was a member of the 2012 Phoenix Sister Cities delegation to Ramat-Gan Israel and the 2011 delegation to Chengdu, China. He is the Immediate Past President for the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), a constituency group within the National League of Cities, and also serves as the President/Chair of the NBC-LEO Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Board of the National League of Cities.
Councilman Johnson carries pride in his close relationship with his district. He is an active member of several community boards, including the Arizona OIC, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Jewish Family and Children's Services and the St. Luke’s Medical Center. Recognizing a need for improved collaboration and resource sharing, he created the African-American Strategic Leadership Group (AASLG), which is dedicated to empowering constituents through strategic economic and education development. Johnson organized the AASLG’s first symposium in 2011. He has been a long-term member of the Central Arizona Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), and has assisted with hosting the national conference held in downtown Phoenix in 2007 and multiple chapter conferences held annually in his district.
Vice Mayor Johnson has been honored with several community awards. These include the 2012 Men of Valor Award from the Metropolitan Sun Section of the National Council of Negro Women, the 2012 Judge Jean Williams Annual Community Service Award from the Northwest Black History Committee, the 2004 and 2011 Downtown Phoenix Partnership’s Dreamr Awards, the 2009 Maricopa County NAACP Roy Wilkins Award for Outstanding Leadership, the 2008 Arizona OIC Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Exemplary Alumni Award, and many others to which he holds much gratitude. He has also been recognized at the national level with the 2011 Outstanding Leadership Award presented by NBC-LEO and the 2005 National Leadership Award from NFBPA.
Prior to his election, Councilman Johnson gave 21 years of public service through the Phoenix Police Department. He was honored as Detective of the Year in 1992, and retired in 1995 as a homicide investigator. He briefly joined the private sector to open Nkosi Inc., a security and investigation firm, where he served as president and chief executive officer until he began serving in public office.
Councilman Johnson is the proud father of three adult children who have all chosen careers in public service. His daughters work as educators and his son is in the military. Johnson is an Arizona native who is proud to serve his constituents. His desire is to leave a legacy of progress and inclusion for all. His final term ends on December 31, 2013.
