Van R. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Van R. Johnson
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| 67th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Eddie DeLoach |
| Savannah City Alderman | |
| In office January 2004 – December 31, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | David Jones |
| Succeeded by | Bernetta Lanier |
| Constituency | 1st District |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Savannah State University (BS) Georgia Southern University (MPA) |
Van R. Johnson, born in 1968, is an American politician. He has been the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, since 2020. This means he is the leader of the city government. He is also the fourth African-American person to hold this important role in Savannah's history. Before becoming mayor, he worked for 16 years as an alderman. An alderman is a member of the city council who helps make decisions for the city.
Early Life and Education
Johnson grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. He lived in the neighborhoods of Brownsville and Crown Heights. He is the oldest child in his family.
He went to public schools in New York City. At 16, he graduated from Erasmus Hall High School. After high school, he moved to Georgia. He enrolled at Savannah State University. This university is the oldest public historically Black college and university in Georgia. He earned a bachelor's degree in business in 1990. Later, he earned a master's degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University.
Johnson is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. fraternity. He joined this group in 1991.
Career and Public Service
After finishing college, Johnson started his career in public service. He worked as a police officer for Chatham County. He also served as a reserve deputy for the Chatham County Sheriff's office. Later, he became an assistant director of human resources for Chatham County in Savannah.
Political Journey
Johnson began his political career by running for alderman. He won against David Jones, who had been the alderman for 12 years. From 2004 to 2019, Johnson served as an alderman for Savannah's 1st District. During this time, he also held roles like mayor pro tem and vice chair. These roles mean he helped lead the city council.
In 2019, Johnson ran for mayor of Savannah. He won the 2019 Savannah mayoral election against the current mayor, Eddie DeLoach. He officially became mayor on January 1, 2020.
In November 2020, Mayor Johnson was chosen as one of 16 electors from Georgia. These electors voted for the Biden-Harris ticket in the 2020 Presidential Election. On November 7, 2023, he was re-elected as mayor of Savannah. He won with 77% of the votes.
