Charlotte Honors Chris Johnson, Appointing Him Niner Status, With Alumni Award
Christopher Johnson is a seasoned human resources executive, a respected leader and a dedicated champion for students at Charlotte and particularly in the Belk College. He is Head of Employee Relations at Equitable, where he has been a pivotal member of the human resources leadership team since 2019.
“My path to college was not a traditional one,” Johnson shared. “We didn’t have a lot of money, so I had to self-finance my education. I started at a small community college. I was that kid, having to work and try to figure it all out. I think one of the things that always comes to mind from when I was a student was just how lost I was.”
Staff and faculty at County College of Morris and later at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, stepped in and smoothed his path forward. “That’s when I came up with the idea that one day I was going to pay this forward and find a way to make a difference,” he said.
About a decade ago, he started volunteering at Charlotte, which then led to an invitation to join the Belk College Board of Advisors in 2023. Since then, he has devoted an extraordinary amount of time and energy into students’ success, arranging career panels, sharing advice and speaking to business classes. Most recently, he ensured a trip by Belk College students to New York City was packed with learning experiences including a tour of Tribeca art galleries sponsored by Equitable and a tour and panel discussion at the company’s global headquarters.
Johnson described the one ask he makes when mentoring students, when he asks them to remember the moment and do the same when established in their careers. “Now, I’m getting to the point where some of the former students have come back and told me they’re starting to do that,” he said.
Johnson and his wife have become such supporters of Charlotte that their closets are crammed with green clothing, and their niece was even drawn to become a student here. People see him on campus so often, they ask what year he graduated. “I tell them it’s a long story,” he said. “I didn’t really graduate from here, but I bleed green. As of today (with the award), I’m actually going to be able to tell people I’m a Niner. So thank you so much.”