Brian L. Johnson became the City Manager of Peachtree Corners, Georgia on November 21, 2016. As City Manager, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the City and is responsible to the Mayor and City Council for the management of all city departments and of all city affairs.
Mr. Johnson previously served as the City Manager of Garden City, Georgia and most recently of Anniston, Alabama. He is currently one of only 1,280 local government management professionals worldwide and one of only 57 in Georgia to have earned the prestigious Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association.
Mr. Johnson’s professional career actually began in the military as a Cryptologist in the U.S. Navy where he served in various positions within the Naval Intelligence community. Following his acceptance into the U.S. Army’s commissioning program, Mr. Johnson was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation as the Distinguished Military Honor Graduate from the University of Georgia. He served in various leadership positions within mechanized and light infantry units as well as a number of key staff assignments to include Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commanding General of Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield. As a member of the Third Infantry Division, Mr. Johnson commanded an infantry unit in the fight to Baghdad and subsequent stability operations that were conducted during the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was during this time that his interest and experience in local government management began. As the Officer-in-Charge of a civil-military operation in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, he successfully planned and organized the formation of a municipal government, assisted in the recruitment and training of its personnel, and supervised the rebuilding of its supporting civil infrastructure.
During his current tenure, Peachtree Corners has gained international attention for its construction of Curiosity Lab, a city-owned and operated 1.5-mile autonomous vehicle test track and smart city living laboratory. He has presented nationally and internationally on the living lab concept and has provided advisory assistance to numerous cities that are considering similar projects. Mr. Johnson is a frequent public speaker and has delivered keynote remarks about Curiosity Lab from the main stage at transportation, smart city, and technology conferences around the world.
Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as well as the Leadership Savannah, Leadership Gwinnett, and Leadership Georgia programs. He is a Georgia Trend 40 Under 40 “Best & Brightest” honoree and a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.
A native of Hendersonville, North Carolina, Mr. Johnson is married to the former Cheri Wehling of Washington, Kansas. They have a 13-year-old daughter and a 11-year-old son.