Meet the New President of CCGA

MEET THE NEW PRESIDENT

of the College of Coastal Georgia

by Tiffany King

During the hot summer months in Starkville, Mississippi, a young Michelle Johnston could be found in her room with a chalkboard and chalk in hand teaching a classroom of imaginary students their ABCs and 123s. “I love the educational process. Although I’m no longer in the classroom, being a part of a community of learners makes me happy,” Johnston said. “It’s my happy place.” Even at a young age, she knew education would play an important role in life, but her journey to becoming the new president of the College of Coastal Georgia was something she didn’t expect.

In May, Johnston was named the sixth president of the college. She previously served as president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College in Ohio. Johnston’s career includes 10 years as a faculty member and more than 20 years in administration, with positions at the University of Montevallo, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State University, and Wood College. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree from Louisiana State University, a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Mississippi State University, and a post-doctorate in marketing and management from the University of Florida.

Michelle grew up as the youngest of three children in a close-knit family who raised sheep on a small farm in the quaint town of Starkville. “It was a small town but there’s a university there [Mississippi State], so I would spend time on campus from the earliest I can remember. Being on campus was like being on any other street in town. You felt like it was part of the whole community,” Johnston said. She was exposed to the arts and culture through activities hosted by the university for the public. “That was part of my childhood, having this dichotomy of being on a small family farm and having access to arts and culture and great music.”

“My family was one where we spent a lot of time reading and doing things together,” Johnston explained. “We didn’t have cable television in my family growing up. We spent a lot of time taking care of our animals and being outdoors.” As a child, a trip to the beach was a vacation to the Gulf Coast or a variety of inland destinations. “We would go hiking in the Smoky Mountains and I would go camping and backpacking. It was a great childhood.” Now, Johnston has daughters of her own, who are both in college.

Johnston attended University of Alabama as a piano performance major. Her grandmother first introduced her to the piano when she was three years old. “I think the sound of the piano, the responsiveness and the touch captivated me at that young, impressionable age,” she said. Johnston started taking formal piano lessons in the third grade. As her playing progressed, she realized she could combine her desire to teach with her love of performing. “Thinking about teaching transformed into ‘I want to be a college music professor,’ so I could teach and perform. It was the best of both worlds,” she said. “When I finished my master’s degree, I went into a faculty position. I was able to perform and teach college students. It was like my dream had come true, and honestly I thought that was what I would do forever.”

During her time as a faculty member, Johnston was given opportunities for leadership roles that she found rewarding. She enjoyed working with people in different ways to promote higher education and motivate students towards success. When Johnston started a doctoral program, she had to make a decision as to which subject to pursue: music or higher education administration. She chose educational leadership with a concentration in higher education. From that point on, unbeknownst to her, she was on the track towards becoming a college president. While other people in her program wanted to become college presidents, she was satisfied with being either a vice president or provost.

“At that time, I didn’t even see where it was going to go. One thing leads to another and life takes us to different places. I had been a vice president at the University of Montevallo, and I was doing that for a little over seven years. Then the opportunity came up to be president at Rio Grande,” she said. (continues)

Dr. Michelle Johnston

Encouraged by her colleagues, Johnston applied and became Rio Grande’s 22nd president. She described Rio Grande as a wonderful community and institution committed to student success – qualities she also saw at Coastal Georgia.

Coastal Georgia’s presidential search was not the first time Johnston learned about the college. When Rio Grande’s men’s soccer team won the national championship in 2015, their victory was promoted on the website for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While reading coverage of the Rio team, she noticed that Coastal Georgia’s men’s golf team won NAIA’s national golf championship. “I saw that and thought ‘Coastal Georgia? Where is that?’ and that intrigued me. At the time, Rio was thinking about starting golf and I thought, ‘This is pretty cool that Coastal Georgia won the national championship. We want to do what they’re doing. There are competing at a high level and winning national championships,’” she said. That was it until a few years later when her colleagues in the academic world told her about Coastal Georgia’s search for a new president.

Johnston’s reasons for wanting to lead the college were very simple: the accomplishments and quality of the academic programs and the clear, focused priority of student success. “Combined with a community that is positive and supportive of the college, the ingredients are here that are needed for growth and excellence. Those are the things that drew me,” she said. “Since joining the community, there has not been any disappointment or lack of expectation being filled; they’ve been exceeded. It’s been exciting and an honor to be a part of the team.”

Johnston believes that Coastal Georgia has a bright future and the opportunity to be an example in leadership. “I think that we are in a good position to reshape public perceptions. The college’s affordability, our access mission, quality academic programs that are some of the leading programs in our country, and the success of our graduates present a compelling argument for the value of higher education,” she said. “The mark of the College of Coastal Georgia is being seen in our graduates and what we do in the community.”

Compared to living in Ohio, the coast of Georgia is quite a change. While Johnston is still getting familiar with Glynn County, one of her favorite places is the college’s campus. She enjoys seeing the faces of prospective students and their parents light up as they visit the campus. “I look forward to coming to campus and being around students. Their hopes, their goals, their focus on a bright future are so contagious,” she said. She also likes downtown Brunswick, as the unique, quaint shops, and entrepreneurial spirit of business owners reminds her of Starkville. She finds the beach therapeutic and a great place for reflection. But more than any one particular place, Johnston is intrigued by the Golden Isles, likening her introduction to the region to meeting an incredibly fascinating person. “There are so many different, diverse landscapes, people, and economies. What’s been exciting is that this is not a homogenous area. There is a diversity here in thought, people and geography. The layers and depths have really been exciting, and I don’t feel like I’ve even scratched the surface. There’s still a lot more to learn.”

As Johnston continues to get to know the area, she wants people to know that she will be an active part of the community and cheerleader for the college. “Our students are extremely prepared, they are thriving, and we’re connected with the community. We’re not an island of our own. We are a part of this great community,” she said. “I am here as a friend and supporter. I hold myself to a high standard in terms of leading the institution and my door is always open for ideas on how we can be better and grow as a college.”

For more information about the College of Coastal Georgia and its programs, visit ccga.edu.

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