Dr. Richard Johnson has served as the 7th President of Crowley’s Ridge College since January 2020. He is a familiar face around the college, having earned his associate’s degree from CRC in 1984 and returned in 2007 after a vibrant career in Christian-based estate planning and fundraising and not-for-profit administration to serve as the college’s Vice President of Advancement.  

Prior to coming to CRC, Johnson served as Vice President for Thompson & Associates in Brentwood, Tennessee, a Christian-based charitable estate planning consulting firm. He provided annual giving/charitable estate planning consulting services to nonprofit organizations’ staff, boards, supporters, and churches located in Arkansas and other nearby states.

Early in his career, Johnson served more than 15 years at Children’s Homes, Inc. in Paragould, Arkansas. He initially served as Director of Campus Activities before finishing out the majority of his career there as Director of Public Relations/Development.

Johnson has more than 35 years of experience in administration, with the majority of those years pertaining to public relations and fundraising, which included charitable estate planning, planned giving, annual/major gifts, matching gift campaigns, grant research/writing, capital campaigns, and strategic planning, and working with volunteers. He has presented on a variety of these topics at several regional and some national workshops and seminars.

The majority of Johnson’s career has been in ministry-connected roles, which allowed him to be involved with hundreds of congregations within the Churches of Christ, and numerous Christian individuals, which he describes as “a special blessing to his Christian faith and to his family.”

In addition to receiving his Associate’s degree from Crowley’s Ridge College, Johnson earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Harding University, a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Regis University, and a Doctorate of Organizational Leadership in Higher Education from Abilene Christian University. His dissertation is titled, A Case Study of One Small Christian College Overcoming Decline and Implementing an Institutional Turnaround.

Johnson and his wife, Andrea married in 1985. They have three grown children; son, Brandon and his wife, Lacey, and their two daughters, Hallie and Haidyn, a daughter, Bethanie Coleman and her husband, Seth, and their three children, Matthew, Jude, and Ella, and son Logan and his wife, Alye. 

Richard and Andrea both grew up having strong backgrounds in the Church of Christ. Both have been very active in teaching Bible classes, working with children of all ages, and doing mission work. Richard has also served as a deacon and as an elder. The Johnsons are members of the Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and feel most blessed to have grown children who each remain strong in their Christian faith and service.

President Richard Johnson’s Career Objective for Crowley’s Ridge College:  

To love and serve God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength throughout my life. As President, my goal is to work with the Board of Trustees, employees, students, and all CRC constituents to strategically grow this life-changing Christian college in all aspects, but especially in being able to provide the Christian, quality, higher education that will add thousands to His Kingdom, influence thousands more, and, to help CRC have greater success in the future for the glory of God.