Bill Johnson, president of Youngstown State University, is being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this spring for his contribution to sports, one of four contributors honored in this year’s induction class. A gifted baseball player during his formative years, Johnson has been a vocal supporter of all men’s and women’s athletics programs, not just at YSU but throughout the state, from his time as a player through his political career and now as president of one of the state’s most visible universities.
Born November 10, 1954, and raised on family farms where he learned early the values of hard work, honesty and sacrifice, Johnson began his tenure as the 10th president of Youngstown State University in January 2024. After graduating from high school in Columbus, Mississippi, where his stepfather was stationed in the U.S. Air Force, he enlisted in the Air Force as an Airman Basic in 1973 and retired in 1999 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He graduated summa cum laude from Troy University in Troy, Alabama, in 1979 and earned his master’s degree from Georgia Tech in 1984.
During his Air Force tenure, Johnson was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Squadron Officers School, and Air Command and Staff College, and is a graduate of the Air War College and Armed Forces Staff College. He is also a recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
During his career, he held various senior leadership positions, including serving as program manager for several large-scale, multi-million dollar information technology acquisition programs and commanding one of the Air Force’s largest communications squadrons at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. As Director of the Air Force’s Chief Information Officer Staff at U.S. Special Operations Command, he worked directly with senior congressional and Secretary of Defense representatives, as well as top leaders within U.S. intelligence communities, to ensure America’s Special Operations forces were adequately equipped to carry out critical national security missions.
Following his retirement from military service, Johnson turned to creating and building high technology businesses. An experienced innovator and patent holder, he co-founded Johnson-Schley Management Group, Inc., an IT consulting company that doubled revenues in just three years under his leadership. In 2003, he left Johnson-Schley to form J2 Business Solutions, Inc., where he focused on providing executive-level IT support as a defense contractor to the U.S. military. From 2006 through 2010, he served as chief information officer of a global manufacturer of highly engineered electronic components for the transportation industry, headquartered in nearby Warren.
In 2010, Johnson was elected to his first term to represent the people of Ohio’s 6th U.S. Congressional District. As chairman of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs from 2011-2012, his hearings and investigations revealed many of the VA’s systemic problems and scandals that left millions of veterans waiting in long lines to receive their hard-earned benefits and healthcare. He led the way on legislation to construct much-needed medical facilities for veterans and to eliminate fraud and criminal activity in the VA’s fiduciary program, and was a leading advocate for a single, integrated electronic health record for veterans. He also led efforts to defend the coal industry from federal overreach, secure American energy independence, and re-shore and restore America’s vital supply chains. Approximately 30 bills authored by Johnson were signed into law during his time serving in Congress. In November 2022, he was elected to a seventh term and was selected to chair the influential Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and also served on the House Budget Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee during his time in Congress.
Johnson was named president of Youngstown State University on November 21, 2023, bringing a wealth of leadership, business acumen and strategic vision to lead the university serving a vast region in Northeast Ohio and beyond. His commitment to service, strategic vision and collaborative leadership aligns with the transformative needs of Youngstown State University, and his support for the Penguins’ men’s and women’s athletics teams has been unwavering. President Johnson and his wife, LeeAnn, currently reside in Youngstown with son Nathan, who is a graduate student at Youngstown State University. He is also the proud parent of three grown children, Joshua, Julie and Jessica, and is a grandfather of six.
