eric anthony johnson
ADMP ‘11
Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson is an accomplished urban redevelopment leader, consistently delivering results over his career by leveraging a solid academic, real estate development, community engagement and policy background.
Dr. Johnson currently serves as President & CEO of Aeon housing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Aeon is a non-profit affordable housing developer with roughly 6,000 housing units in its portfolio and specializes in both preservation and new construction of affordable housing across the Twin Cities region.
In his previous role as Chief, Economic Development, Housing and Neighborhood Services for Dallas, Texas. Dr. Johnson had oversight of housing, urban planning and design, sustainable development and construction, historic preservation, and economic development.
In 2019-2020, Dr. Johnson was chosen to serve as a Michael Rubiner Community Fellow through the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) for his innovative work in affordable housing strategy.
Before arriving in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Johnson served as the Community Development Director for the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, Dr. Johnson was responsible for the divisions of real estate assessing, building and inspections, environmental health & housing inspections, special projects, planning and development review, housing and redevelopment authority and the port authority.
Prior to Bloomington, Dr. Johnson has worked on transformative urban development projects and issues in the Northeast, Midwest, South and Southeastern regions of the United States. He has served in key positions in economic development, housing and urban improvement, community development policy and management and real estate management and affordable housing. Dr. Johnson launched his career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Minnesota State University Mankato and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice from Washburn University.
Dr. Johnson is an Alumnus of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate (AMDP and is an Alumnus of the University of Virginia’s Senior Executive Institute at the Weldon Copper School of Public Service.
Dr. Johnson holds a Certification as a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council, received a Certificate in Community Based Economic Development from the University of Delaware and is certified as a Business, Retention and Expansion Consultant and Senior Grant Writer and Reviewer from the National Grants Writer’s Association. Of further interest, Dr. Johnson is a graduate of the Brooking Institute Emerging Leaders Program, is a Fellow, Institute of Politics, Loyola University of New Orleans, Fellow, Government Leadership Institute, University of New Orleans, and a Fellow, Metropolitan Area Leadership Forum New Orleans.
As an expert in urban development strategy, Dr. Johnson is well versed in the overall context of economic and community development policy in America. He has testified before the United States Congress Ways and Means Committee on community development initiatives and has conducted workshops and participated as a panelist in numerous venues related to economic and community development issues and frequently serves as a reviewer for funding for the US Treasury CDFI awards.
