The board of trustees of the City University of New York has announced the appointment of Larry D. Johnson, Jr., as the next president of Stella and Charles Guttman Community College in Manhattan. His appointment will become effective on July 1, 2021.
Guttman Community College enrolls just over 1,000 students according to the latest available data from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 24 percent of the student body.
In accepting the appointment, Dr. Johnson said ” “I am honored and elated to be selected as the next President of Guttman Community College. During the interview process, it was evident that the students, faculty, staff, and community leaders are committed to the mission and vision of this innovative ecosystem within CUNY. The pandemic and social unrest have amplified the importance of public higher education. And as a college serving a diverse student body, our work is more critical than ever.”
Since 2018, Dr. Johnson has been serving as the first African American president of Phoenix College, a public community college in Maricopa County, Arizona. Dr. Johnson began his career at Tallahassee Community College in Florida, where he taught developmental English and reading. He later taught at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and then Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was associate dean for English and journalism. He then was appointed provost and chief academic officer at the Forest Park campus of St Louis Community College.
Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He holds a master’s degree in humanities from Florida State University and a doctorate in humanities from Clark Atlanta University.
