Lecester Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School. She has led Academy of Hope since 2006 when it was a community-based organization (CBO). During her tenure at AoH, she expanded the school’s footprint from one location to two, transition the school from a CBO to an adult public charter school in 2014, expanded its workforce programing to include healthcare and IT pathways and increased the school’s annual revenue from $650,000 to over $16 million annually. A long time, passionate advocate for quality adult education and workforce development services, Ms. Johnson is known for her innovation and visionary leadership. She has developed and operated several award winning education and workforce development programs for individuals who face the most significant barriers to education and economic self-sufficiency.  Ms. Johnson holds Masters and Education Specialist degrees in Transition Special Education from The George Washington University.  She is also a Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE). Ms. Johnson has received numerous awards and honors for her work and leadership. She is a recipient of Georgetown University’s John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award, the Meyer Foundation’s Exponent Award for visionary leadership, the Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award from the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and the Dick Omang Award for Best Practices in Vocational Evaluation. She was also named a U.S. Department of Education Institute for Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) Scholar and was a finalist for the 2022 Luminary Award in Education by the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group. Most recently, she received the Amtrak Pioneer Award for her trailblazing contributions to education and workforce development.