David A. Johnson has been named president and chief executive officer of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Inc. (CNE), an agency founded in 1986 with a mission to build strong, sustainable neighborhoods through affordable housing and homeownership education.

Mr. Johnson takes the CNE helm on Dec. 1.

Active in the community development field for over 12 years, he comes to Chattanooga after two years as executive director of DASH for the Gulf Coast Inc., Mobile, Ala., a high-profile community development corporation serving three Gulf Coast counties. From January 2005-December 2006, he was executive director of DASH Homeownership Center, LaGrange Georgia, and he was client services director of Columbus Housing Initiative, Inc., in his hometown of Columbus, Ga., from 2000-2004. He spent 30 years in banking, the last 15 years in mortgage banking.

In announcing the appointment, CNE Board Chairman Irvin Overton said, “Under David Johnson’s leadership, we are confident our nationally-recognized program will continue to achieve outstanding results. He will be building from a strong, new strategic plan developed by the CNE board of directors and executive management staff. This plan has refocused the agency on our core mission, an effort supported by a diverse group of community leaders and stakeholders who have been vital to the success of CNE.”

Mayor Ron Littlefield said, “David Johnson has exactly the right talents and skills for the job that CNE will be doing in this challenging new financial climate. The board of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise has done excellent work in refashioning the corporation to serve the mortgage needs of local homebuyers, and they have chosen very well in selecting David Johnson.”

Mr. Johnson stated, "I am delighted to be associating with one of the most respected community development organizations in the country. CNE has been a leader in our industry for many years, and I am proud to be a part of the future growth of this great organization."

A graduate of the Carolina School of Banking, Graduate School of Business, University of North Carolina, Mr. Johnson has been a faculty member of NeighborWorks Training Institute since 2003. He participated in the development of a national certification program for housing counselors at NeighborWorks and has instructed over 2,500 of the nation’s homeownership counselors in the five-day HUD-supported certification training.

Mr. Johnson and his wife, Sharon, have four adult children.