Hello, I am Donearl Johnson, a grateful father of 4 amazing daughters and a husband to a wonderful wife of 20+ years. I was born and raised in Flint, MI and was given a challenge early in life by my father to “Dare to be Different”. This challenge has continuously encouraged me not to simply exist or settle for what society decides to be the norm, but to live life to its fullest potential by striving to be the best version of myself, honoring God, being committed to my fellow man and our country.
I served in the United States Navy for 8 years and was honorably discharged in 2000. I was awarded 3 Navy Achievement Medals during my enlistment, being recognized by Commanding Officers and Rear Admirals for extraordinary Service. After successfully completing my military service, I ventured into the non-profit sector working to daily make a positive impact in the lives of children, young adults and families. I had the distinct honor to work with a passionate civil rights activist – Eleanor Josaitis at Focus Hope in Detroit Michigan by providing information technology training, professional development, job placement and other life changing services to empower individuals. For the past 9 years, I have worked at Spaulding for Children under the leadership of Addie Williams, providing Information Technology services and solutions and project management on multiple federal Children Bureau projects; working to improve the lives of children and families through programs that reduce child abuse and neglect, increase the number of adoptions, and strengthen foster care. Click here to learn more about the various federal projects.
I have gratefully been a part of the Avondale school district for seven years. Understanding the impact of the “father factor”, I founded a fatherhood initiative named “Calling All Dads” to engage the men in the district to provide a positive proactive male presence in the lives of our children and the children within our community. We’ve hosted several community events to foster the spirit of “One Avondale.” We also lead our children at R. Grant Graham into a water drive making an impact for children and families of Doyle/Ryder Elementary school in Flint. During Computer Science Education week in December 2015, we lead our elementary school in the Hour of Code which many students from 1st to 5th grade participated in. This event was designed to introduce children to the field of computer science and to show them how computers impact various aspects of our daily lives.
Today, I stand ready to serve this district in a greater capacity and respectfully request your vote on November 8th as I endeavor to be a part of making Avondale School District a national model. These are OUR children, this is Our community and it is OUR time! Let’s engage, enrich and empower! Thank you in advance for your support!