Economic development expert to speak at UWF

The University of West Florida College of Business and the Office of Equity, Diversity and International Affairs will host Dr. James Johnson as he presents a lecture titled, “Northwest Florida Disruptive Demographics: Implications for Entrepreneurship & Workforce Development,” on Monday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in the Commons Auditorium, Building 22.

Johnson is the William Rand Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He also currently serves as the director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, which focuses on innovative approaches to revitalizing urban areas and on teaching government, community and nonprofit leaders to become more entrepreneurial and business-like in their operations. He is an expert on community and economic development, the effects of demographic changes on the U.S. workplace, interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies, urban poverty and public policy, and workforce diversity issues.

Johnson spent 12 years on the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles, before coming to UNC-Chapel Hill. He received a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University, a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

This event will serve as the kick off for Diversity Awareness Month at UWF. It is free and open to the public. A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., and the lecture will follow at 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to RSVP to respect@uwf.edu or 850.474.2059.