Van R. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Van Johnson
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| 67th Mayor of Savannah | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Eddie DeLoach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1968 (age 56–57) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Savannah State University (BS) Georgia Southern University (MPA) |
Van R. Johnson II (born in 1968) is an American politician. He has served as the mayor of Savannah, Georgia since 2020. He is the fourth African-American person to be mayor in Savannah's history. Before becoming mayor, he worked for four terms as an Alderman on the Savannah City Council.
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Early Life and Education
Growing Up in New York
Van Johnson was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. He lived in neighborhoods called Brownsville and Crown Heights. He is the oldest child of Van R. Johnson, who was an Army veteran and worked in law enforcement, and Cynthia E. Johnson, who was a social worker and nurse.
College Years
Johnson went to public schools in New York City. He graduated from Erasmus Hall High School when he was 16 years old. After high school, he enrolled at Savannah State University. This university is the oldest public historically Black college and university (HBCU) 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 lifelong member of the Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. fraternity. He joined this group in 1991.
Career in Public Service
Starting in Law Enforcement
After finishing college, Van Johnson began 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 the Assistant Director of human resources for Chatham County in Savannah.
Serving as Alderman
Van Johnson was new to politics when he first ran for office. He won against Alderman David Jones, who had held the 1st District seat in Savannah for 12 years. From 2004 to 2019, Johnson served as an Alderman for the Savannah City Council's 1st District. During this time, he also held important roles like Mayor Pro Tem and Vice Chair. These roles mean he helped lead the city council and could step in for the mayor if needed.
Becoming Mayor of Savannah
In the 2019 Savannah mayoral election, Johnson ran for mayor. He won against the person who was mayor at the time, Eddie DeLoach. Van Johnson was sworn in as Mayor on January 1, 2020. In November 2020, Mayor Johnson was chosen as one of 16 people from Georgia to be an elector for the Biden-Harris team in the 2020 Presidential Election. This meant he helped formally elect the President. On November 7, 2023, he was re-elected as Mayor of Savannah. He won with 77% of the votes against Kesha Gibson-Carter and T.L. Davis.
