Story by Donna Thornton donna@southerntorch.com

The DeKalb County Economic Development Authority’s “Jingle and Mingle” Holiday Open House Monday provided an opportunity to meet the authority’s new executive director, Dr. Brett Johnson.

The change in leadership is no small thing – Johnson is the second director in the authority’s history. He takes the reins after executive director Jimmy Durham’s retirement as the authority’s first director after 30 years on the job.

Johnson said came on board in November, and he said he’s gotten a great welcome from the community. He said he continues to work on meeting community leaders and learning about the municipalities the authority serves.

He’s excited about marketing DeKalb County to prospective industries and businesses. It’s location alone is a selling point, with easy access to Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Atlanta.

There are seven industrial sites in DeKalb County, he said.

“And any of locals can tell you, that ain’t all the land we’ve got in DeKalb County,” Johnson added.

“The only challenge for me is letting my foot of the gas – cooling my jets – to listen and learn,” about what the municipalities in DeKalb County want.

That can vary, he explained. Some communities are anxious for any kind of development that brings jobs; others want to target specific kinds of growth.

Johnson came to the DCEDA from the City of Gadsden, where he served as the mayor’s liaison for the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, and the Gadsden Land Bank Authority. He also led the city’s federal government relations, grant writing, media relations, and marketing while providing executive leadership for the fire department, city clerk’s office, legal department, and the finance department.

Johnson earned a PhD in leadership from the University of the Cumberlands and is a two-time graduate of Jacksonville State University where he earned a master’s in public administration and bachelor's degrees in political science and communication. He is a certified nonprofit executive, a certified Alabama planning and zoning official, and a certified local government professional manager. 

Johnson is a former member of the Boaz City Board of Education, a former Commissioner for the Boaz Housing Authority, and a former member of the Education and Workforce Committee for the Business Council of Alabama.

Johnson’s wife, Tiffany Gorham Johnson, is a 2010 graduate of Fort Payne High School – a key factor that drew him to the DeKalb County role.

 The couple have three young children: Laike, 5, Mack, 3, and Marcie, 1. The family will expand their DeKalb County roots when they relocate from Gadsden next year.