President
Dr. David M. Johnson was named President of Merritt College in June 2020 after joining the administrative team in January 2019 as Vice President of Instruction. He comes to Merritt from Las Positas College in Livermore, CA, where he served as Interim Vice President of Academic Services. In that position, he was responsible for enrollment management, academic compliance, budget supervision, and overall instructional support for 120 degree, transfer, and certificate programs. He also worked closely with the faculty, staff, and administration to ensure that the institution me accreditation standards were aligned with state initiatives.
Prior to assuming this role, David spent more than seven years as an administrator at Cañada College in Redwood City. As the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, he provided responsive and transparent leadership to foster a culture of partnership and open communication with faculty, staff, and students. He also directed educational outreach through the ESL Community Based English Tutoring program, the Adult-Education College and Career Educational Leadership (ACCEL) Coalition, and dual-enrollment partnerships with local school districts. While serving as the Interim Vice President of Instruction, he took the lead in identifying and supporting professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to stimulate and reinforce excellence in pedagogy and student achievement. He also worked closely with the district office, faculty, and staff to plan and implement capital projects and structural upgrades.
Before moving into administration David spent 15 years in the classroom, teaching at such institutions as the University of Washington, the University of California, Berkeley, and California State University, East Bay. But it was the experience of teaching at Berkeley City College—first as a part-time faculty member and then as a tenure-track instructor in history and African American Studies—that continues to inform his perspectives and priorities as an educator.
Raised in Oakland, CA, and a product of the Oakland Unified School District, David holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from U.C. Berkeley, a master’s degree in Communication from the University of Washington, and a doctorate in History from U.C. Berkeley.