David A. Johnson is president and CEO of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise in Chattanooga, TN. Established in 1986, CNE has constructed over 1,500 units of housing and has assisted more than 3,400 Chattanooga households in achieving and preserving homeownership. Prior to entering the community development field over 14 years ago, Johnson spent 30 years in retail, commercial and mortgage banking.

Prior to joining CNE, he spent five years in two different roles with DASH neighborhood revitalization, including executive director of Gulf Coast operations. Johnson managed the organizational development and start-up of DASH for the Gulf Coast, a community development corporation specializing in post-Katrina housing efforts along the Gulf Coast. DASH Housing Resource Centers, supported by NeighborWorks America, were established in Mobile, AL, and Pascagoula, MS, in response to the 2005 Hurricane. Johnson also served as executive director of the Homeownership Center at DASH for LaGrange in LaGrange, GA.

Johnson’s work in the community development field has been recognized often, including receiving - on three separate occasions - Magnolia awards for excellence in homeownership and neighborhood revitalization from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Johnson has been a member of the faculty of the NeighborWorks Training Institute since 2003 and participated in the development of a national certification curriculum for homeownership counselors.

Johnson is a graduate of the Carolina School of Banking, Graduate School of Business, University of North Carolina.