Major General Ronald L. Johnson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was commissioned as an Engineer Officer from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in June 1976. He holds a master's degree in Operations Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's degree in Strategic Planning from the School of Advanced Military Studies. MG Johnson�s executive development and education includes course completion at Harvard University, Syracuse University, University of Virginia's Darden School, Gallup University, and the Center for Creative Leadership. Prior to his selection as the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he served as Director of the U.S. Army Installation Management Agency (IMA). MG Johnson served as principal advisor on installation management to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management and spokesman for all Army base operations issues. IMA manages all of the Army�s installations worldwide. MG Johnson directed the management of 181 Army installations, over 75,000 military and civilian personnel, and a budget exceeding $8 billion His previous command assignments include: Commanding General, Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while dual-hatted as U.S. Deputy Director to the Program Management Office, Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq; Commanding General, Pacific Ocean Division, U.S. Army Corps Engineers; Assistant Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School / Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Commander, 130th Engineer Brigade, V Corps, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; Commander, 14th Combat Engineer Battalion (Corps), 7th Infantry Division, Fort Ord, California then Fort Lewis, WA; Company Commander, later Operations Officer, U.S. Army District Recruiting Command Atlanta, GA; Commander, A Company, 9th Engineer Battalion, 7th Engineer Brigade, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. He also served as Director of Military Programs and G3 of the Corps of Engineers; Executive Officer, Secretary of the Army, Senior Aide-de-Camp, Secretary of the Army; Senior Service College Fellow, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Washington, DC; Assistant Division Engineer, later Executive Officer, 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, HI; Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and U.S. Military Academy, West Point. MG Johnson's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star, Legion of Merit (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Recruiter Badge. He is the recipient of the 2003 Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement in Government Service. He is an inductee into the 2005 Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni at Georgia Tech.