Mississippi’s own Derrick Johnson, former chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors and state president of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP has been designated as the Interim President and CEO of the NAACP.
Johnson is a native Mississippian who attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, and received his JD from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Tx. He continued his education through fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the George Washington University School of Political Management, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He has successfully managed two bond referendum campaigns in Jackson, MS that brought in over $150 in school building improvements and $150 million toward the construction of a new convention center.
He was appointed to the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission by the Chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, as well as the Chair of the Governor’s Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal after Hurricane Katrina.
He founded One Voice Inc. after that tragedy in order to help improve the quality of life for African Americans through civic engagement training and initiatives, according to the NAACP’s website.
He will serve as interim until a president is selected.
